Question 1

Where do I find your carriage?

Accepted Answer

Our carriage can be found at the  "5th Ave hackline" carriage stand of horse carriages. Our logo will be on the front of the carriage.

The "5th Ave hackline" is right off of the Central Park South (59th Street) & 5th Ave Central Park entrance in the in the Southeast corner of Central Park, running parallel between Doris C. Freedman Plaza & the Central Park Zoo entrance.

A Google Maps search for "Doris C. Freedman Plaza" will give you directions to the front of the "5th Ave hackline."

The closest landmarks you have in front of the carriage horses is the residency entrance of The Plaza hotel and the gold statue of General Sherman riding a horse located at Grand Army Plaza, NY, NY.

Doris C Freedman Plaza is 5th Ave & E 60th Street New York, NY 10019

Question 2

Is gratuity included for the driver when we book online?

Accepted Answer

No, gratuities/tips are not included when you book your ride online. Our rates are the legal maximum allowance set by New York City and are adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index every 3 years. The majority of what you pay for your ride actually goes directly towards the care and upkeep of our horses!

In New York City, it's typically customary to tip someone who has provided some type of service for you at least 20% of the total cost of the service provided. If one enjoys their service, they will typically consider giving more. Please consider visiting an ATM prior to your ride and arrive prepared to accommodate your driver for an enjoyable ride!

Question 3

Will I be refunded if the horses can't work due to a weather related suspension during my reservation time?

Accepted Answer

We will first attempt to contact you to offer a rescheduling of your ride, subject to availability if a weather related suspension goes into effect before your ride begins. If we are unable to reschedule your ride, you will receive a refund* under the terms of our cancellation policy. If it goes into effect during your ride, we will complete the ride within 30 minutes from when the suspension begins.

Question 4

What’s the difference between the ride options?

Accepted Answer

The shortest ride (20 minutes) will just give you a taste of Central Park making a loop around the Southeast corner. It's ideal for those on a tight schedule or budget, or children with a short attention span.

The longer rides will show you the more famous sights and landmarks of the park. Both the longer rides (45 minute and 60 minute) are similar, but the 60 minute Bucket List Tour allows you an option of making a photo stop at Bethesda Terrace or to view John Lennon’s memorial and The Dakota building.

Our most popular and recommended ride is the non-stop 45 minute Long Central Park Tour.

Question 5

Can I propose to my significant other on the ride?

Accepted Answer

Of course! We’ve handled more than 50 drawn carriage proposals resulting in a "yes" every time! Just select the “Central Park Bucket List Tour” and when we make our photo stop, it's your chance to pop the question! You also may want to consider hiring a third party photographer to capture the moment. (Please contact us directly with any other specific requests regarding proposals and we will do our best to accommodate them.)

Question 6

Can four adults and one infant fit in the carriage?

Accepted Answer

No, New York City regulations prevent us from taking more than four adults as the maximum occupancy per carriage per ride. Infants & children under 12 years old are considered the equivalent of half an adult each. (By law we can take 1 to 4 adults, or 1 adult & 1 to 5 children, or 2 adults & 1 to 4 children, or 3 adults & 1 to 2 children.)

Question 7

If we have a large group can we reserve more than one carriage?

Accepted Answer

At this time, we’re just starting out as small business and only have one carriage but as we expand with more reservations we will definitely accommodate the booking of two or more carriages! In the meantime we will need you to contact us with this special arrangement and we will confirm if we can accommodate it on a case by case basis. If you don't need more than two carriages, we recommend booking one carriage with us and your second carriage with Angel Carriage  if they have calendar availability during the same time slot. (Just leave a note that you did so upon checkout on our website!)

Question 8

Can I bring food, drinks, wine, or champagne on the ride?

Accepted Answer

Sure! If you come prepared with cups, you may bring along whatever you’d like. Please to try be neat, though as our carriages aren’t equipped with cup holders or table tops.

Question 9

Is there a difference booking a ride with your company or one of the people offering carriage rides on the street?

Accepted Answer

There are a lot of street hawkers & pedicab drivers posing as horse carriage drivers on the street that have absolutely nothing to do with the horse carriage industry. They offer horse carriage rides in a bait and switch scam set up to get you into a pedicab, often at an overcharged rate. They will tell you any falsehood they have to about the horse carriage industry or their rides in order to get you to take a ride with them instead. If they’ve only got a picture of a horse and aren't sitting on a carriage or standing directly next to a horse, they don’t drive a carriage and they aren’t able to sell you a carriage ride!

Question 10

There are so many horse carriage companies, what’s different about yours?

Accepted Answer

With just 5% of the current NYC carriage industry being made up of female drivers, we’re the first online booking horse carriage company in NYC to be run entirely by women. We guarantee the type of tour you’re going to get, you will never be overcharged and we can promise you a quality ride. As we get more bookings in the future we will be able to offer unique options for your ride that no other company has succeeded in! While some carriage companies grew to a large size, managing many drivers on different carriages, we kept our petite size so our attention remains on you! We’re a small, privately owned company that can give you detailed customer service other companies have grown too big to offer. We’ve cut out the middle man and when you book with us, you’re dealing directly with the drivers (the horse people!)

Question 11

Why doesn’t your company have a lot of online reviews?

Accepted Answer

While we’ve been in the horse carriage business for a while, our website is new! We’ve only just begun accepting online bookings, so it will take time for us to collect reviews on Google, TripAdvisor & Facebook, but we have collected some testimonials.

Question 12

Does the ride finish at the same location where it begins?

Accepted Answer

Yes! If you’re interested in completing a 45 minute or 60 minute tour at Tavern On The Green, we can accommodate it upon request, but this will cut into your ride time/tour and because our drivers still have to complete the loop, the price of your ride doesn’t change.

Question 13

Can I finish the ride at Tavern On The Green?

Accepted Answer

Tavern On The Green is located off of Central Park West (8th Ave) and 67th Street towards the end of our longer tours. You can finish the 45 minute or 60 minute ride at that location by contacting us directly or informing your driver, but it will cut into the time and sights of the tour you’ve selected, without altering the price as our drivers time to complete the loop is included.

Question 14

Do the rides go anywhere outside of Central Park?

Accepted Answer

During the 20 minute ride & street closure reroutes there are short periods of time we are on the streets surrounding Central Park, but the majority of all our rides take place inside the park at this time.

Question 15

Do you accommodate weddings, funerals, special events, TV/film or photo shoots?

Accepted Answer

We can accommodate various events, TV/film or photo shoots at our stand or along our ride routes in Central Park within the NYC set passenger capacity limits and rate determined by amount of time the carriage is reserved for your ride, with the carriage and horses we accommodate everyday tours with by contacting us directly. If you're looking for anything outside of this, we recommend reaching out to another women-run company, Celtic Valley Carriage, Clover Hill Farm, or NYC Horse Carriage Rides.

Question 16

Are the tours better at night or during the day?

Accepted Answer

The day time tours are better for your typical sightseeing, and viewing of most famous park landmarks, but at night the paths are illuminated by lampposts with a picturesque skyline lit up around the park. If you’ve already seen the park in the daylight, a tour after dark can be a unique way to experience it. As the park quiets and empties after dark, many seek this tour for a more romantic ride or peaceful and relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of New York City.

Question 17

Are the tours better in the summer/spring or in the winter/autumn?

Accepted Answer

In the summer we don’t operate above 89°F or 80°F + high humidity per NYC regulation, so your ride is at a higher risk of rescheduling with the weather. Some prefer the green summer look of the park’s landscape or when the Cherry Blossoms are in bloom (typically a couple short weeks in April.) Others like when the trees are without leaves in the winter and you can see further down into the park & more of the exterior buildings surrounding it. The park is beautiful after a fresh snowfall and the reflective white snow helps illuminate nighttime photographs. It gets chillier in the winter (and again we don’t operate below 19°F or harsh blizzards) but we do provide lap blankets for the rides. Typically the leaves change color for the Autumn season in late October and early November, which can create beautiful views and classic images of The Mall, though our longer rides will be rerouted during the weeks of NYC Marathon preparations.

Question 18

If it’s lightly raining should I bring an umbrella on the ride?

Accepted Answer

In instances we are operating in rain or snow, the roof of the carriage will be closed. Depending on how much wind is accompanying the rain, we may also have window flaps covering the sides of the carriage.

Question 19

Is it cold in the carriage during the winter?

Accepted Answer

In cold temperatures we offer a thick lap blanket for the ride.

Question 20

Are the rides private or shared with any other passengers?

Accepted Answer

Your group will be the only passengers in the carriage you book.

Question 21

Can I bring a baby stroller or wheelchair on the ride?

Accepted Answer

We can accommodate most small/foldable strollers and wheelchairs by placing them next to us in the driver’s seat. If you have a stroller on the larger side please consider leaving it behind or tethering it to a pole with a bicycle lock.

Question 22

Can I hire a professional photographer during my ride?

Accepted Answer

We have third party photographers we work with that we can help you book for an additional charge (COD.) Just check the box to request a quote when you're booking your ride and we will contact you if we have availability for a photographer during your ride.

Question 23

Is the carriage difficult to step into for someone with a mobility impairment?

Accepted Answer

The bottom step on our current carriage is relatively low to the ground, but some may have difficulty with the slightly higher second step.

Question 24

Can I listen to music in the carriage?

Accepted Answer

Amplified music is prohibited in Central Park so we do not have a speaker equipped on our carriage or playlist for the ride, but if you bring your own you are certainly permitted to listen to it at a reasonable volume that doesn't disturb the wildlife or other park visitors!

Question 25

Why can't I book a ride at night?

Accepted Answer

We are a very small business and at the moment we don't have a driver to cover an evening shift on our carriage! If you or someone you know might be interested in the position, please check out this page to consider joining our team!

Question 26

Why can't I book a ride during the day time in November or December?

Accepted Answer

During the busy holiday season we switch over to the evening shift! Walk up rides are available from most carriage companies and a few different companies offer day time slot bookings.

Question 27

Is the park decorated with lights for Christmas around the holiday season?

Accepted Answer

Our carriage will be decorated for the holiday season and Tavern On The Green restaurant usually decorates their building and outdoor seating area with lights for Christmas, but the rest of the park you see on our tours remain the same as it is throughout the rest of the year. Throughout the year in the evening, The Dairy, Chess & Checkers House, Carousel (while in operation), Cherry Hill Fountain, and Bethesda Terrace Arcade are usually illuminated and the street lamps turn on down all the walking paths and roads we take throughout the park.

Question 28

Do you offer gift cards?

Accepted Answer

Not yet, but you may purchase the ride for someone else. Please specify the name of the person that will be taking the ride in the "Add Message" section upon booking in this case.

Question 29

If your company is run by women, why are some of your drivers men?

Accepted Answer

We’re a fully equal opportunity business! While our company was started by and still managed by women, we welcome any great horseman and tour guide to drive carriages on our tours! As there are so few women in the industry, typically men cover our vacation days off until we are successful at getting more women to join the industry!

Question 30

Are you hiring?

Accepted Answer

Please check out our "Join Our Team" section for more information on our available positions.

Question 31

I heard some people were attempting to ban horse carriages in NYC and I’ve seen negative stories about them; are the horses treated well?

Accepted Answer

Yes, our horses are our number one priority. Please check out the “Our Horses” section for more information on them and the “Our Guides” section for more information about their caretakers history. Additionally CarriageOn.com provides general information about the industry as a whole, and the May 2018 documentary The Last Horsemen Of New York (available on iTunes and Amazon Prime) goes more in depth on the corrupt politics and real estate grab behind the attempted ban.

Frequently asked questions