Are There Still Carriage Rides in Central Park? (2026)

Yes: horse-drawn carriages still carry visitors through Central Park as of 29 October 2026, and they can keep running until 1 June 2028, the date by which the law the City Council passed on 22 October 2026 phases them out. That law, Romanch’s Law, was awaiting the mayor’s signature on 29 October 2026, and the drivers’ union has said it will go to court. Rides in winter 2026-27 and through 2027 fall before the date the law sets.

Illustration: a horse-drawn carriage with two passengers under a blanket on a tree-lined park drive in late autumn, fallen leaves on the road and city towers above the trees — Illustration. The carriages run on the park drives through the seasons; the law sets 1 June 2028 as the end.

What the law says

Romanch’s Law (Intro. 943-A), sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, passed with 40 votes on 22 October 2026, the Council said. In its words, it phases out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by 1 June 2028 and comes with an industry transition plan for drivers and small business owners. On the Council’s account:

Licences end on 31 May 2028. Every carriage horse, horse-drawn cab and driver licence active when the law takes effect expires on 31 May 2028, and none is issued on or after 1 June 2028.
A transition plan by 1 April 2027. Agencies named by the mayor must set out the plan for owners, drivers and stable workers by then.
Workers. The city must set up a workforce transition programme for drivers and other workers, and will consider compensation for the value of their businesses, licences and equipment.
Horses. By 1 June 2027 every licensed horse owner must certify to the Health Department that no horse will be sold or transferred for slaughter; owners may keep their horses, and the city will help find humane placements.

The mayor has 30 days to sign, veto or let it take effect. Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents the drivers, said it would seek a court order against it, in reports from October 2026.

Why it passed

The law is named after Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old visitor from India who died in June 2026 after a carriage horse bolted in the park. An earlier bill, Ryder’s Law, named after a carriage horse that collapsed in 2022, had failed in committee in November 2025. The Speaker cited animal welfare and public safety when the bill passed; the drivers and owners argued the transition plan does not go far enough.

What it means if you want a ride

Map of the south end of Central Park with a dashed carriage loop from Central Park South at 59th Street past Wollman Rink, the Carousel and The Mall to Cherry Hill near Bethesda Fountain, back by Strawberry Fields and Tavern on the Green — Where the rides run until the end date: the carriages start on Central Park South and loop the south end of the park.

The rides keep their usual rules until the end date: the city’s rate of $72.22 for the first 20 minutes and $28.89 for each further 10, a carriage for up to four, and the weather limits that take the horses off the street at 18°F or below and at 90°F or above. Book a ride as you would have: the listings on this site run with free cancellation up to 24 hours before, so a change in the law’s timing would not cost you the fare.

Check times for the private ride with a guide →

Rides to consider

A private ride with a guide

Big Apple Private Ride

From $154 in current promotion (usually $192) · 4.8 ★ (133 reviews) · 40 to 45 min

Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge and the lake, from 180 Central Park South; blankets and treats for the horse.

Check times →

Choose your length

Royal Carriage Guided Ride

From $103 in current promotion (usually $112) · 4.9 ★ (59 reviews) · 25 to 65 min

NYC Royal Carriage Rides' private carriage, with photo stops on the longer options.

See the ride →

No horses

Private Pedicab Tour

From $40 in current promotion (usually $50) a person · 4.9 ★ (2,121 reviews) · 1 to 2 hours

ExperienceNYC's guide pedals you round the park, Bow Bridge and Strawberry Fields included.

See the pedicab tour →

Prices and ratings from GetYourGuide (checked October 2026); operators change prices, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.

Are Central Park carriage rides worth it weighs a carriage against a pedicab, and Central Park carriage ride prices sets the booked rides against the city rate.

Romanch’s Law, its vote, end date and provisions from the New York City Council’s press release of 22 October 2026; the mayor’s 30 days and the union’s planned court challenge from press reports, October 2026; the hearing account from the Council’s Committee on Health hearing on Intro. 943, 15 July 2026; the licence dates and the plan deadline from the bill’s summary on the Council’s legislation site (Int 0943-2026, version A); Ryder’s Law’s committee vote from press reports, November 2025. The city rate from NYC DCWP; the temperature limits from NYC Administrative Code §17-330.