Wollman Rink is a public ice rink in the southern part of Central Park, Manhattan, New York City. It is named after the Wollman family who donated the funds for its original construction. The rink is open for ice skating from late October to early April. Wollman Rink opened in 1950, having been proposed four years earlier. The rink was closed for renovations in late 1980 and reopened in November 1986. Following the renovation, The Trump Organization operated the rink under contract with the New York City government until 1995 and again from 2001 until 2021. From 2003 until 2019, Central Amusement International, LLC, operator of the Luna Park amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, operated Victorian Gardens, a seasonal amusement park for children, on the site from late May to September. Site The rink is located at the southeast corner of Central Park. It was formerly part of the Pond, located directly east of Wollman Rink. The Pond's western section was drained and backfilled during the mid-20th century. Wollman Rink at Central Park is distinct from the Kate Wollman Memorial Rink at Prospect Park in Brooklyn which was built with money donated by the William J. Wollman Foundation after Kate Wollman's death. It was operational from 1961 until its demolition in 2010. History Initial planning and funding A skating rink in the southeastern corner of Central Park was first proposed in 1945. In 1949, philanthropist Kate Wollman (1869–1955) donated $600,000 for the rink's construction to commemorate her family. She is the great-aunt of Henry and Richard Bloch, co-founders of H&R Block. One of her brothers was William J. Wollman, who operated the W.J. Wollman & Co. stock exchange firm, originally in Kansas City and later in New York. After he died in 1937, she helped administer his estate. Wollman Rink opened in 1950. Renovation: 1980–1986 In 1974, the New York City Parks and Recreation Department started planning a renovation of the rink, including switching the refrigeration system from brine to liquid Freon to lower the operation costs at a time of rising fuel costs. In January 1975, a $4 million plan to renovate Wollman Rink at the park's southeastern corner was announced. By late 1975, the Central Park Task Force, an agency of NYC Parks, released a revised plan to dredge the Pond and redesign the landscaping in the park's southeastern corner for $2.5 million. All plans were deferred