Highlights of Central Park Walking Tour

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The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) first opened its doors in 1956 as the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, with an original mission of recognizing the craftsmanship of contemporary American artists. The museum was founded by Aileen Osborn Webb, a patron of the arts. Today, the museum fosters the creative process and how it influences crafted works that better our contemporary lives. This is accomplished by educating and inspiring the public through exhibitions, family programs, workshops, and classes. The museum also includes a restaurant and theatre to provide visitors with an all-day experience.

2. The U.S.S. Maine National Monument

Located in Merchants’ Gate Plaza at Central Park’s southwestern entrance, the U.S.S. Maine National Monument honors the nearly 270 American sailors who lost their lives when the battleship exploded in Havana Harbor on the evening of February 15, 1898. Designed by architect H. Van Buren Magonigle, built by sculptor Attilio Piccirilli, and paid for by funds raised by New York newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, the monument consists of a large granite pylon topped with a gilded bronze female figure, Columbia Triumphant, riding in a seashell chariot pulled by three hippocampi. At the base of the pylon is a fountain and several marble figures that symbolize the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, along with the ideas of courage, fortitude, justice, war, and peace. The monument was dedicated on May 30, 1913.

3. José de San Martín Statue

The bronze equestrian statue honors the life of José de San Martín (1778-1850). Born in the small town of Yapeyú in what is now Argentina, San Martín enjoyed a successful, more than two-decades-long military career serving the Spanish crown before offering his services to the revolutionary government in Buenos Aires, which at the time was the center of the South American independence movement. There, in 1812, he began recruiting and training an army to fight royalist forces and help liberate his native land from Spanish rule. By the early 1820s, San Martín had helped not only Argentina, but also Chile and Peru gain their independence from Spain. In 1950, in exchange for a statue of George Washington sent to it by the United States, the City of Buenos Aires gifted the statue of San Martín to the City of New York. A smaller replica of the one designed by French sculptor Louis-Joseph Daumas and erected in Buenos Aires in 1862, the statue was dedicated on May 25, 1951. Today, it is one of three equestrian statues in Central Park (along with that of Simón Bolívar and José Martí) that honor important figures in Latin American history.

4. José Julián Martí Statue

The bronze, over-life-sized equestrian statue honors the life and work of José Julián Martí (1853-1895). Born in Cuba in 1853, the poet and journalist supported Cuban independence from Spain in the late nineteenth century. Despite being deported from Cuba twice and serving six months hard labor for his beliefs, Martí’s revolutionary spirit and desire to see his native island achieve its independence never wavered. While residing in New York City, he founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in 1892 and began plotting an invasion of Cuba, which he and others hoped would finally bring about the end of Spanish rule on the island. Martí left New York City in late January 1895 and, after spending some time in Florida, landed in Cuba in April. The following month, he was killed during a skirmish with Spanish forces at Dos Ríos. In the 1950s, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington created the statue. The last major work of her career, she gifted the statue to the Cuban government, which donated it, along with a dark granite pedestal, to the people of New York City. In 1959, the statue was cast, but—in a twist of irony—a revolution in Cuba and subsequent strained diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States delayed its dedication. In 1965, the statue—which depicts the moment Martí was fatally wounded in battle in 1895—was finally unveiled. Nearly thirty years later, in 1992, the Central Park Conservancy completed a full restoration effort on the statue. The organization financed the project through donations from Cuban-American across the United States. Today, it is one of three equestrian statues in Central Park (along with that of Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín) that honor important figures in Latin American history.

5. Statue of Simón Bolívar

Simón Bolívar became one of South America's leading revolutionary generals, with victories that led to the independence of Panama, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia (which was named after Bolívar). Many Americans supported the efforts of Latin American revolutionary Bolívar during the 19th century. Although he helped to liberate Latin America from Spain, Bolívar’s legacy is troubled by the region’s instability after his death in 1830.

6. William Tecumseh Sherman Monument

This monument commemorates William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891), one of the leading Union generals during the Civil War. A native of Ohio and graduate of West Point, he is best remembered for his 1864 “March to the Sea,” during which his army trampled through the heart of Georgia, destroying rail lines, toppling telegraph poles, burning factories, and stealing food and supplies en route to capturing the coastal city of Savannah. Shortly after Sherman’s death in 1891, his friends in the New York Chamber of Commerce appointed a committee to raise funds for the erection of a monument in honor of the Civil War hero. In 1892, the committee commissioned esteemed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and architect Charles McKim to design the statue and pedestal, respectively. Unveiled in Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza on May 30, 1903, the monument consists of a larger-than-life-sized gilded bronze equestrian statue of Sherman led by a female allegorical figure representing “Peace.” The two sculptures rest on an oblong, pink granite pedestal adorned with six gilded bronze wreaths.

7. Central Park Zoo

The Central Park Zoo dates back to the 1850s and is one of the oldest municipal zoos in the United States. The state legislature officially authorized the establishment of a zoo in 1864, however, animals had been kept and observed in Central Park dating back to its origins in the 1850s. Prior to the official organization of the zoo, the park was home to an animal display known as "The Menagerie" behind the Arsenal. The zoo is one of the most beloved institutions in the city, however, it has faced significant criticism for its treatment of animals over the years. In response, the zoo has seen two significant redesigns as a result of these concerns to provide more space for the animals. The first redesign of the zoo occurred in 1934, and the second happened in the 1980s. Today, many of the larger animals are gone owing to space limitations. However, some popular exhibits from the early 1900s such as the sea lions still remain - a prominent feature from the 1934 redesign. The zoo's latest exhibition was installed in 2009 and features three snow leopards.

8. Shakespeare Monument

William Shakespeare had written thirteen comedies, thirteen historical dramas, six tragedies, four tragic comedies and 154 sonnets, that are still read all over the world today. Shakespeare has been a big influence on many writers and education majors for many, many years and will continue to do so. The memorial of William Shakespeare in New York City was sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward and was unveiled at the end of the Mall in Central Park between two elm trees on April 23, 1872. It was reveled 308 years after Shakespeare's birth.

9. Robert Burns Statue

The Robert Burns Statue was an idea after the Sir Walter Scott Statue was erected in 1872. These two statues sit across from one another. The statue was sculpted by Sir John Steell, who also did the Sir Walter Scott Statue. The Robert Burns Statue was unveiled on October 3rd, 1880 and there was a big celebration of more than 5,000 people. Over the years, the statue has been reconstructed and been taken care of by the Saint Andrew's Society.

10. Sir Walter Scott Monument

The Sir Walter Scott Monument sits across from the Robert Burns Statue that sit in the Literacy Mall of Central Park. The monument was dedicated in 1872 by the sculptor John Steell, who also did the Burns Statue. Sir Walter Scott was known for his contribution to Scotland history and for his novels as well. He was also able to translate many books for society at that time. Scott sits with his dog on the monument while holding a book and pen.

11. Women's Rights Pioneers Monument

Located at the southern end of the Mall in New York City’s Central Park, the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument honors the lives and work of Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony. Sponsored by the all-volunteer non-profit group Monumental Women and designed by renowned sculptor Meredith Bergmann, the monument consists of three over-life-sized bronze likenesses of the early women’s rights advocates on an elongated oval granite pedestal. Unveiled in August 2020, it commemorates the centennial of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote. The first to be added to Central Park since 1965, the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument is also the first in the park’s history to depict actual women, as opposed to fictional female characters.

12. Balto Statue

Designed by sculptor Frederick George Richard Roth, the bronze canine statue honors the more than 200 sled dogs that helped to transport vital medicine to the people of Nome, Alaska during a diphtheria outbreak in the winter of 1925. Completing the final fifty-three-mile leg of the nearly 700-mile journey from Nenana to Nome was a sled team led by musher Gunnar Kaasen and a Black and white Siberian Huskey named Balto. While it was unfolding, the race to get the life-saving anti-toxin serum to Nome garnered both national and international attention. After successfully completing his leg of the journey, Balto became an overnight celebrity and, along with Kaasen, embarked on a tour of the United States. Soon after, a group of New York City artists began calling for the creation of a statue in honor of Balto and the other sled dogs that helped save so many lives in Nome. Under the auspices of the Municipal Arts Society, they began raising money, mostly through private donations. On December 17, 1925, only ten months after the famous journey, the bronze statue of Balto was unveiled in Central Park. In 1933, at the age of fourteen, Balto died of natural causes. His body was taxidermically preserved and put on display at the Cleveland Natural History Museum, where it can still be viewed today.

13. 107th Infantry Memorial

Designed by sculptor Karl Illava, the 107th Infantry Memorial honors the men who served in the regiment during the First World War. Between September 24 and October 21, 1918, the New York regiment took part in the Allied Somme Offensive, which successfully broke Germany’s defensive Hindenburg Line and helped to bring an end to the war. The unit saw heavy fighting during the assault, including brutal hand-to-hand combat. On September 27, 1927, the ninth anniversary of the regiment’s breaking through the Hindenburg Line at St. Quentin Canal, the monument to the 107th Infantry was revealed to a crowd of a few thousand people and honored guests. It remained in the location at which it was dedicated until 1954, when the City of New York moved it about a block north to its current location, where East Sixty-Seventh Street meets Fifth Avenue, to make way for a new east-west road into Central Park.

14. The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection was formed from industrialist Henry Clay Frick’s personal art collection in 1935. The collection consists of works associated with Old Master paintings along with European sculptures and decorative arts. The Frick resides in Frick’s New York City residence, which he built with the understanding that it would one day become a museum. For this reason, the galleries are arranged aesthetically, rather than by particular themes. Frick’s home has changed extremely little and allows visitors to view works of art, architecture, and furnishings in the same way Frick would have. Aside from the collection, the Museum hosts special exhibitions, concert series, lectures and other educational programs. The goal of the collection is to preserve and deepen the appreciation of art.

15. Hans Christian Andersen Statue

Created in the mid-1950s, Central Park's Hans Christian Andersen Statue has been a favorite storytime location for area children featuring guest readers. Andersen is well known for his fairy tales such as "The Ugly Duckling," "Thumbelina," "The Princess and the Pea," and many other works. He is also the author of "The Little Mermaid" which became a Disney movie in 1989. The statue was dedicated on September 18, 1956, by the Danish American Women’s Association. Many children from Danish and American backgrounds helped by raising around $75,000 for the statue.

16. Alice in Wonderland Statue

Central Park's Alice in Wonderland statue is the creation of sculptor Jose de Creeft and located next to Conservatory Water. Philanthropist George Delacorte contributed this statue to the city and dedicated it to the memory of his Margarita. Delacorte chose this design as a gift to the children of New York City. The statue includes a variety of characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, a book that was first published in 1862 but continues to engage the curiosity and wonderment in children of all ages.

17. Bethesda Fountain and Terrace

Known as the heart of Central Park, Bethesda Fountain and the terraces that surround it are one of the most popular attractions in New York City. The terrace was made to overlook the lake in the middle of Central Park. With many sculptures throughout the terrace and the landscaped gardens and fountain at the center, this has become one of the highlights of Central Park.

18. Strawberry Fields

Strawberry Fields is a section of Central Park West that was proposed by Yoko Ono. It serves as both a tribute to musician John Lennon and as a place for quiet reflection about Lennon's message of peace. The Black-and-white central mosaic bears the word "Imagine," the title of one of Lennon's many songs about peace. Strawberry Fields was opened and officially dedicated to Lenon on October 9, 1985.

19. New York Historical Society Museum and Library

The New York Historical Museum and Library was founded in 1804. It is the state's oldest museum and prides itself in offering historical documents on U.S. and New York history, exhibitions, and artwork. It is seventy years older than the Museum of Metropolitan of Art. The New-York Historical Society Museum functions as a place of research and fosters discussions on issues focusing on the making of history and historiography.

20. American Museum of Natural History

Founded in 1969, the American Museum of Natural History has been one of the world's preeminent science and research institutions, renowned for its collections and exhibitions. The Museum consists of 25 buildings which are all interconnected. Throughout the Museum, there are 40 exhibition halls, providing tours for visitors and learning opportunities for adults and children alike. The Museum is committed to discovering and circulating information about cultures, nature, and the universe.

21. Belvedere Castle

Belvedere Castle was designed in 1867 by Calvert Vaux, who was the Central Park designer and architect at the time. The Castle was designed in a Gothic style with Romanesque features to be a Victorian Folly, which means it originally had no function other than being an ornament for Central Park. Further improvements were made to the Castle in 1919 when the Central Park Observatory was moved there by the United States Weather Bureau. The Castle is still used today to record data for the Weather Bureau, but it was converted in 1983 to serve mainly as a visitor's center for guests to Central Park.

22. Cleopatra's Needle

The obelisk is located in Central Park in New York City. Better known as Cleopatra’s Needle, it is man-made but weighs an astonishing 440,000lb., stands at over 69 feet, and was constructed over 3,000 years ago. Alongside the one in New York, there are two identical others in London and Paris. Carved on the side are ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Egyptians gifted an obelisk to London, but the United States had to buy theirs. Under the obelisk in New York, there is a time capsule buried under with a dictionary, copy of the Declaration of independence, all of Shakespeare’s works, a 1870 United States Census, and a guide to Egypt.

23. The Jewish Museum of New York

Founded in 1904 with just 26 donated objects, the Jewish Museum of New York now contains almost 30,000 items including art, ceremonial objects, and media. The museum is one of the oldest museums dedicated to Jewish history in the world and the oldest in the United States. The mission of the Museum is to show how art mixes with Jewish culture. By devoting their efforts to this mission, the Jewish Museum helps expose the public to Jewish customs and history, while also helping define the Jewish identity.

24. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the United States with a permanent collection that contains more than two million works of art from all around the world. The museum opened in 1872 and is renowned for its collections, which span several millennia of art history. The Met is famous for its extensive holdings of ancient Egyptian, African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine, and Islamic art. In addition, the museum has works by nearly every major European Old Master, and a collection of American Art ranging from the eighteenth to twentieth century. The Met Museum showcases the importance of art throughout our history and how it reflects each era’s experiences.

25. Neue Galerie

The Neue Galerie in New York is a museum that is dedicated to exploring early twentieth century German and Austrian art. Formed by two friends who had a penchant for art appreciation and the decorative arts, the Neue Galerie seeks to show how these two concepts intertwine through the art that the galleries display. Additionally, the museum is located in the historic William Star Miller House, which retains much of its original character. Since its founding in 2001, the Neue Galerie has continued to enchant visitors from all across the globe. The Galerie can be found on the Museum Mile in Manhattan, where it sits alongside other museums in the area.

26. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of the most celebrated modern and contemporary art museums in the world. The Guggenheim Foundation was founded by Solomon R. Guggenheim in 1937, though the museum itself was not completed until 1959. Internationally acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the revolutionary museum building. By blurring the lines between vessel and art in its own right, the architecture of the Guggenheim Museum is just as significant as its holdings. Visitors can explore over fifty thousand square feet of gallery space and one of the most ambitious permanent collections of modern and contemporary art in North America.

27. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (Andrew Carnegie Mansion)

The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. The museum presents compelling perspectives on the impact of design on daily life through active educational and curatorial programming. Founded in 1897 by three granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper, the Cooper Hewitt Museum was originally under the umbrella of the Cooper Institute. The Cooper Hewitt Museum now resides in the historic Carnegie Mansion, which was constructed for industrialist Andrew Carnegie from 1898 to 1902. This space has been extensively renovated, though it retains its historical authenticity and character. A unique feature of the Cooper Hewitt is the Pen, which allows users to save items for further examination on interactive tables in the museum, or online at a later date. Cooper Hewitt continues to encourage conversation and thought about design through a variety of exhibitions, programs, and initiatives.

28. James Marion Sims Statue in New York

Numerous commonly practiced medical techniques and treatments originated from the past suffering of people of color. The success and innovation that arose from the 19th-century surgeon, James Marion Sims, is not an exception. He is known as the Father of Modern Gynecology, yet his success was one-sided. The New York Statue of James Marion Sims was revealed in 1894 with the failure to mention the enslaved women Sims experimented on. Sims operated on Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy without anesthesia and consent. The pain that these women endured was almost forgotten until 2006 when Viola Plummer addressed the ethical concerns surrounding Sims's experimentation. Plummer's advocacy created a movement that caused more individuals to call for the partial removal of the monument in Central Park. In April of 2018, the Sims statue was relocated to stand near Sims's grave in Green-Wood Cemetery. The prominent pedestal that pays homage to Sims's past legacy still stands in Central Park

29. Museum of the City of New York

The Museum of the City of New York is dedicated to preserving the city’s unique and diverse history and presenting it to the public. The private non-profit museum was founded in 1923 and has been at its current location since 1932. The museum is home to hundreds of thousands of artifacts and artwork relating to the history and culture of New York. In recent years it has gained attention for its new innovative exhibits, including the permanent “New York at Its Core,” an ambitious effort to chronicle the city’s 400-year history. The museum also hosts a number of lectures and performances, and offers venues available for special events.

30. El Museo del Barrio

El Museo del Barrio is the only art museum in New York City to focus on Puerto Rican, Caribbean and Latin American art. Founded in 1969, El Museo del Barrio is home to galleries, exhibitions, and cultural celebrations. The museum also encourages public engagement and outreach in the local Latinx community.

31. The Blockhouse, Central Park

Blockhouse Number One is a fortification located at the top of the Great Hill on the Northern edge of Central Park. The building is the oldest in the park and also predates the creation of Central Park as it was constructed to protect the city from the British in 1814. It was originally one of several emergency fortresses built following the outbreak of the War of 1812.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Highlights of Central Park Walking Tour

Created by Heather Abbott on March 30th 2018, 12:29:39 pm.

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Description

This all-day tour starts at the north end of the park and includes some of the greatest museums the city has to offer along with the city's most beloved landmarks. The tour was updated in 2020 to include Central Park's first monument dedicated to women's history. The tour includes only a portion of the many monuments and museums in the area and given the immense size of Central Park, this walking tour only includes around thirty stops with the majority being located in the central and southern portion of the park. The tour tries to limit steps while maximizing the number of monuments and museums along the route.

Entries on This Tour

Highlights of Central Park Walking Tour

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