Victorian Gardens In Central Park May Close Permanently

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Victorian Gardens, the amusement park that has popped up in Central Park's Wollman Rink each summer for more than a decade, will not open for the 2020 season and may need to permanently close, its owners said Monday.

In a news release, the Zaperla family, Italian theme park manufacturers who also own the company that runs Victorian Gardens, said the decision was based on the "limited guidance and uncertainty surrounding when amusement parks will be permitted to open in New York State."

The park had been prepared to open with COVID-19 protocols in place when the state entered Phase 4 of its reopening plan, in which outdoor recreation areas were originally included, operators said. Once Phase 4 arrived, however, amusement parks across the state were told they could not yet reopen. The state's business lookup tool still lists Amusement and Theme Parks as closed.

"Regretfully, since Victorian Gardens’ normal operating season is coming to a close and New York State has not provided a re-opening plan for amusement parks, we are not able to open this season," Zamperla said.

Zamperla said it appears unlikely that the park could reopen for the summer of 2021, and may need to "cease its operations entirely."

Victorian Gardens first opened in the summer of 2003, according to the park's website, after a group of private investors secured permission from the city to use Wollman's 50,000-square-foot space while the rink was out of commission during the summer.

"We have been privileged to provide family fun in the heart of New York City for the past 18 years and we are proud of the beautiful memories we created together," Zamperla said in the news release.