When Do They Turn Water Fountains On and Off in Central Park NYC

Central Park does not provide an official date for turning water fountains on and off, as this is slightly dependent upon temperatures.

You can usually expect them to turn the water/drinking fountains back on sometime in April. We go to Central Park every day and will update this post as soon as they’re on.

Timeline of When Central Water Fountains Turn On and Off

Read below to see if Central Park’s water fountains are on or off. 👇

SPRING 2024 UPDATE #3: As of April 7, 2024, most of the water fountains are ON again in Central Park.

SPRING 2024 UPDATE #2: As of April 4, 2024, the water fountains are still OFF in Central Park.

SPRING 2024 UPDATE: As of March 1, 2024 the water fountains are still OFF in Central Park.

FALL 2023 UPDATE #2: As of November 15, 2023, most of the water fountains are now off. A couple are still on, like on the main drive near the Shakespeare Garden, but most are off!

FALL 2023 UPDATE: As of November 8, 2023, most of the water fountains are still on. Some are off, but most are still on!

SPRING 2023 UPDATE #2: The fountains are off again as of March 31, 2023

SPRING 2023 UPDATE: Yes, the water fountains are now ON in Central Park, as of March 27, 2023.

They usually turn on in April and then off in November, but it truly can vary. The weather, a possible drought, etc. could determine when they’re turned off.

There are some drinking water fountains that stay on year-round but even that is disputed and can change. Many people recommend the water fountain immediately east of the East Drive near 101st street.

There is also one just east of Rumsey Playfield that is on year round AND has a dog bowl part.

Shouldn’t there be a system to track this? I guess that’s one of the positive parts of social media!

Recap of When Central Park Water Fountains Turn On/Off

The water fountains are back on in Central Park for the 2024 season!

Enjoy the delicious (truly) NYC water! 💧