Central Park Carriage Rides End June 2028
Drivers, horses and visitors in New York face a June 1, 2028 deadline as the city phases out horse-drawn carriages.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Large Animals
New York City Council voted in mid-October to phase out horse-drawn carriages, with rides set to end in Central Park on June 1, 2028. The bill, agreed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and council chair Julie Menin, ends a carriage tradition about 150 years old.
Why it matters
For New Yorkers, the ban changes the Central Park tourist scene and the working lives of carriage drivers and the horses kept at stables on Manhattan's West Side. The move follows animal welfare concerns, including claims that horses are overworked, poorly housed and prone to panic, and it reflects a wider trend in cities such as Prague and Vienna.
The phase-out date is June 1, 2028, giving operators roughly 19 months from the October vote to wind down. The city's approach is set against Vienna, which has about 150 carriages and caps each horse at 18 days of use per month.
The players
New York City Council
The city's legislative body, which passed the bill ending horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park.
Zohran Mamdani
New York City mayor who agreed on the draft carriage bill with council leadership.
Julie Menin
New York City Council chair who agreed on the draft carriage bill with the mayor.
The details
The bill, approved by the New York City Council in mid-October, was agreed on beforehand by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and council chair Julie Menin, and a city health committee approved the draft. Carriage rides in Central Park will stop once the June 1, 2028 deadline passes. Advocates have long pressed for an end to the carriage attraction, and the source notes that some coachmen could take guests through the park in special rickshaws instead.
Timeline
2023: Prague ended horse-drawn carriages in its Old Town.
June 2025: An 18-year-old Indian tourist died after a carriage horse bolted and he jumped out.
July 2026: A petition with 20,000 signatures was presented to Vienna's mayor.
Mid-October 2026: New York City Council voted in favour of the phase-out bill.
June 1, 2028: New York carriage rides in Central Park are due to end.
The Home Front
New York's phase-out joins a wider movement that has already reached Prague in 2023 and is under debate in Vienna, where a July 2026 petition with 20,000 signatures was presented to the mayor. The city's decision adds to a regional pattern of tighter limits on urban animal labour.
If you plan to visit Central Park or book a carriage ride, expect the tradition to continue only until the June 1, 2028 deadline. Households considering pet or animal-related travel or work should note that rickshaw-style alternatives are the only replacement the source mentions.
The takeaway
New York's phase-out gives the city's carriage operators a fixed window of about 19 months from the October vote. Readers planning a Central Park visit should check the June 1, 2028 end date before booking any carriage experience.
What happens next
Carriage rides in Central Park are due to end on June 1, 2028, the date set in the phase-out bill.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore Large Animals in our pets section.
