Editing Central Park (section)

== Landmarks and structures ==

=== Plazas and entrances ===
[[File:USS Maine (ACR-1) Monument Columbus Circle NYC.JPG|thumb|upright=1|alt=The USS ''Maine'' National Monument| The [[USS Maine National Monument|USS ''Maine'' National Monument]] at Merchants' Gate in the park]]
Central Park is surrounded by a {{convert|29025|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}}, {{convert|3|ft|10|in|cm|adj=mid|-high}} stone wall. It initially contained 18 unnamed gates.{{sfn|Heckscher|2008|p=49}} In April 1862, the Central Park commissioners adopted a proposal to name each gate with "the vocations to which this city owes its metropolitan character", such as miners, scholars, artists, or hunters.{{sfn|Heckscher|2008|p=49}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Pollak |first=Michael|title=What Is Jamaica, Queens, Named After?|work=The New York Times |date=July 6, 2014|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/nyregion/what-is-jamaica-queens-named-after.html |access-date=April 21, 2019 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330032410/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/nyregion/what-is-jamaica-queens-named-after.html|archive-date=March 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The park grew to contain 20 named gates by the late 20th century,<ref name="Conservancy Gates"/>{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=6 (PDF p. 7)}} four of which are accessed from plazas at each corner of the park.<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref name="Conservancy Gates">{{cite web |url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/named-gates.html |title=Named Gates|publisher=Central Park Conservancy|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402033704/http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/named-gates.html|archive-date=April 2, 2019}}</ref> No named gates were added between 1862 and 2022,<ref name="Small 2022 x115">{{cite web | last=Small | first=Zachary | title=Decades After the Central Park Jogger Attack, a City Marks Its Mistake | website=The New York Times | date=December 12, 2022 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/12/arts/design/central-park-five-gate.html | access-date=January 19, 2024 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> when the Gate of the Exonerated at Lenox Avenue and Central Park North was dedicated in honor of the [[Central Park Five]].<ref name="Kristina Sgueglia 2022 i926">{{cite web | last=Kristina Sgueglia | first=Nicki Brown | title=A Central Park entrance named for the exonerated 'Central Park Five' is unveiled | website=CNN | date=December 19, 2022 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/19/us/central-park-five-gate-exonerated/index.html | access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref>

Columbus Circle is a circular plaza at the southwestern corner, at the junction of Central Park West/Eighth Avenue, [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], and 59th&nbsp;Street (Central Park South).<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref name=":14a">{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/7738 |work=Central Park Highlights|title=Columbus Circle|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |access-date=April 2, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190402033705/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/7738 |archive-date=April 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Built in the 1860s,<ref name=":14a"/> it contains the Merchant's Gate entrance to the park,<ref name="Conservancy Gates"/> and its largest feature is the 1892 [[Columbus Monument (New York City)|Columbus Monument]]<ref name=":14a"/><ref>{{Cite news|title=The Voyager In Marble |date=October 13, 1892 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1892/10/13/104148386.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1892/10/13/104148386.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=October 13, 2017|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and was the subject of controversies in the 2010s.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rosenberg|first=Zoe|date=August 23, 2017 |publisher=Curbed NY |url=https://ny.curbed.com/2017/8/23/16189330/chirstopher-columbus-circle-statue-removal |title=Elected officials call for removal of Christopher Columbus statue near Central Park|access-date=October 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015150312/https://ny.curbed.com/2017/8/23/16189330/chirstopher-columbus-circle-statue-removal|archive-date=October 15, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/08/30/columbus-statue-controversy/|title=Columbus Day Parade Organizers Fight To Keep Statue In Columbus Circle |date=August 30, 2017 |publisher=WCBS-TV |access-date=October 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015095151/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/08/30/columbus-statue-controversy/|archive-date=October 15, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The 1913 USS ''Maine'' National Monument is just outside the park entrance.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Monument To Maine Heroes Ready For Unveiling |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1913/05/25/100267546.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1913/05/25/100267546.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |date=May 25, 1913|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 14, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The square Grand Army Plaza is on the southeastern corner, at the junction with Fifth Avenue and 59th&nbsp;Street.<ref name="central-park-map"/> Its largest feature is the ''[[Pulitzer Fountain]]'', which was completed in 1916 along with the plaza itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/grand-army-plaza-m062/monuments/1291|title=Pulitzer Fountain|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402033726/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/grand-army-plaza-m062/monuments/1291|archive-date=April 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The plaza contains the ''[[William Tecumseh Sherman (Saint-Gaudens)|William Tecumseh Sherman]]'' statue, dedicated in 1903.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/grand-army-plaza-m062/monuments/1442|title=William Tecumseh Sherman|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402033810/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/grand-army-plaza-m062/monuments/1442|archive-date=April 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Duke Ellington Circle, at the northeastern corner, forms the junction between Fifth Avenue and Central Park North/110th&nbsp;Street.<ref name="central-park-map"/> It contains the [[Duke Ellington]] Memorial, dedicated in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/1781|title=Duke Ellington Memorial|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402033704/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/1781|archive-date=April 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Duke Ellington Circle is adjacent to the Pioneers' Gate.<ref name="Conservancy Gates"/>

Frederick Douglass Circle is on the northwestern corner, at the junction with Central Park West/Eighth Avenue and Central Park North/110th&nbsp;Street.<ref name="central-park-map"/> It was named for Douglass in 1950.<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 18, 1950|title=City Circle Named in Negro's Honor; 9 Descendants of Frederick Douglass Attend Ceremony at Central Park Corner|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/09/18/89746989.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/09/18/89746989.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|access-date=March 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The center of the circle contains a memorial to [[Frederick Douglass]], dedicated in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/2098|title=Frederick Douglass Memorial|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402033724/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/2098|archive-date=April 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===<span class="anchor" id="Visitor attractions"></span><span class="anchor" id="Points of interest"></span><span class="anchor" id="Attractions"></span><span class="anchor" id="Notable structures"></span>Structures===
<!-- [[Central Park jogger case]] links here -->
[[File:Metropolitan Museum of Art entrance NYC.JPG|thumb|upright=1|alt=Main facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art|[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]'s [[The Met Fifth Avenue|Fifth Avenue building]]]]
[[File:Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York, USA-1Aug2010.jpg|thumb|upright=1|alt=Bethesda Terrace and Fountain with people walking on the Central Park Mall|[[Bethesda Terrace and Fountain]]]]
[[File:Gapstow Bridge.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[List of arches and bridges in Central Park|Gapstow Bridge]] in fall|alt=A stone bridge above a lake, with autumn foliage on either side]]
The [[Harlem Meer|Dana Discovery Center]] was built in 1993 at the northeast section of the park, on the north shore of the [[Harlem Meer]].<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref name="Plitt 2017"/>{{sfn|Kadinsky|2016|p=47}} [[Blockhouse No. 1]], the oldest extant structure within Central Park, and built before the park's creation, sits in the northwest section of the park. It was erected as part of [[Fort Clinton (Central Park)|Fort Clinton]] during the [[War of 1812]].<ref name="Plitt 2017"/><ref>{{cite web |title=The Blockhouse – Historical Sign |date=April 23, 2008|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=7713 |access-date=March 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423092000/http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=7713|archive-date=April 23, 2008}}</ref>{{sfn|Kadinsky|2016|p=47}} The Blockhouse is near McGowan's Pass, rocky outcroppings that also once contained [[Fort Fish]] and [[Nutter's Battery]].{{sfn|Kadinsky|2016|p=46}} The [[Lasker Rink]], a skating rink and swimming pool facility, formerly occupied the southwest corner of the Harlem Meer.{{sfn|Kadinsky|2016|pp=47–48}} The [[Conservatory Garden]], the park's only formal garden, is entered through the Vanderbilt Gate at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street.<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/conservatory-garden.html |title=Conservatory Garden|publisher=Central Park Conservancy|access-date=April 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402043331/http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/conservatory-garden.html|archive-date=April 2, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Tarr Family Playground]], [[North Meadow Recreation Center]], tennis courts, and East Meadow sit between the Loch to the north and the reservoir to the south.<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/north-meadow-recreation-center.html |title=North Meadow Recreation Center|publisher=Central Park Conservancy |access-date=April 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404183612/http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/north-meadow-recreation-center.html|archive-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref> The [[North Woods and North Meadow|North Woods]] takes up the rest of the northern third of the park. The areas in the northern section of the park were developed later than the southern section and are not as heavily used, so there are several unnamed features.{{sfn|Andropogon Associates|1989|p=37}} The park's northern portion was intended as the "natural section" in contrast to the landscaped "pastoral section" to the south.<ref name="Reynolds p. 321" />

The area between the 86th&nbsp;and 96th&nbsp;Street transverses is mostly occupied by the [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir|Onassis Reservoir]]. Directly south of the Reservoir is the Great Lawn and Turtle Pond. The Lawn is bordered by the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]'s [[The Met Fifth Avenue|Fifth Avenue building]] to the east, Turtle Pond to the south, and Summit Rock to the west.<ref name="central-park-map"/> Summit Rock, the highest point in Central Park at {{convert|137.5|ft|m}},{{sfn|Berman|2003|p=29}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/12391 |work=Central Park Highlights|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|title=Vista Rock & Tunnel|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190404195825/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/12391 |archive-date=April 4, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref> abuts [[Diana Ross Playground]] to the south and the Seneca Village site, occupied by the Toll Family playground, to the north.<ref name="central-park-map"/> Turtle Pond's western shore contains Belvedere Castle, Delacorte Theater, the Shakespeare Garden, and [[Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre|Marionette Theatre]].<ref name="central-park-map"/> The section between the 79th&nbsp;Street transverse and Terrace Drive at 72nd&nbsp;Street contains three main natural features: the forested Ramble, the L-shaped Lake, and Conservatory Water. [[Cherry Hill (Central Park)|Cherry Hill]] is to the south of the Lake, while [[Cedar Hill (Central Park)|Cedar Hill]] is to the east.<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref name="Plitt 2017"/>

The southernmost part of Central Park, below Terrace Drive, contains several children's attractions and other flagship features.<ref name="central-park-map"/> It contains many of the structures built in Central Park's initial stage of construction, designed in the [[Victorian Gothic]] style.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=7 (PDF p. 8)}} Directly facing the southeastern shore of the Lake is a bi-level hall called Bethesda Terrace, which contains an elaborate fountain on its lower level.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=7 (PDF p. 8)}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/1991|title=Bethesda Terrace|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |access-date=April 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410150604/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/1991 |archive-date=April 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Reynolds p. 322">{{harvnb|Reynolds|1994|ps=.|p=322}}</ref> Bethesda Terrace connects to [[Central Park Mall]], a landscaped walkway and the only formal feature in the Greensward Plan.<ref name="central-park-map"/>{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=7 (PDF p. 8)}} Near the southwestern shore of the Lake is [[Strawberry Fields (memorial)|Strawberry Fields]], a memorial to [[John Lennon]] who was [[Murder of John Lennon|murdered nearby]];<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/strawberry-fields.html |title=Strawberry Fields|publisher=Central Park Conservancy|access-date=April 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410150600/http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/strawberry-fields.html|archive-date=April 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Sheep Meadow, a lawn originally intended for use as a parade ground;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/10761 |title=Sheep Meadow|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410150609/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/10761 |archive-date=April 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and Tavern on the Green, a restaurant.<ref name="central-park-map"/> The southern border of Central Park contains the "Children's District",<ref name="NYC Parks Carousel">{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/12390 |work=Central Park Highlights|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|title=The Carousel|access-date=April 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410150607/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/12390 |archive-date=April 10, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> an area that includes Heckscher Playground, the [[Central Park Carousel]], the [[Ballplayers House]], and the Chess and Checkers House.<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref name="NYC Parks Carousel"/> Wollman Rink/[[Victorian Gardens]], the Central Park Zoo and Children's Zoo, the Arsenal, and the Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary are nearby.<ref name="central-park-map"/><ref name="Plitt 2017"/> The Arsenal, a red-brick building designed by [[Martin E. Thompson]] in 1851, has been NYC Parks' headquarters since 1934.<ref name="Reynolds p. 325">{{harvnb|Reynolds|1994|ps=.|p=325}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Arsenal |url=https://nycgovparks.org/about/history/the-arsenal |access-date=April 25, 2022 |publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation}}</ref>

There are 21&nbsp;children's playgrounds in Central Park. The largest, at {{convert|3|acre|ha|spell=in}}, is Heckscher Playground.<ref name="Playgrounds"/> Central Park includes [[List of arches and bridges in Central Park|36&nbsp;ornamental bridges]], each of a different design.<ref name="Reed 1990">[[Henry Hope Reed Jr.|Henry Hope Reed]], Robert M. McGee and Esther Mipaas. ''The Bridges of Central Park.'' (Greensward Foundation) 1990.</ref>{{sfn|Heckscher|2008|pp=45–46}}<ref name="Reynolds p. 325" /> The bridges are generally designed in the [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] or [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Romanesque Revival]] styles and are made of wood, stone, or cast iron.<ref name="Reynolds p. 325" /> "Rustic" shelters and other structures were originally spread out through the park. Most have been demolished over the years, and several have been restored.<ref name="Reynolds p. 325" /><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/13/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-central-park-shelter.html |title=New York Day by Day; Central Park Shelter|last1=Johnston|first1=Laurie|date=August 13, 1983|work=The New York Times |access-date=April 19, 2019|last2=Anderson|first2=Susan Heller|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419033334/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/13/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-central-park-shelter.html |archive-date=April 19, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/blog/central-parks-rustic-architecture.html |title=The Story Behind Central Park's Rustic Architecture|publisher=Central Park Conservancy|access-date=April 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419033339/http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/blog/central-parks-rustic-architecture.html|archive-date=April 19, 2019|work=Central Park Conservancy Blog}}</ref> The park contains around 9,500 benches in three styles, of which nearly half have small engraved tablets of some kind, installed as part of Central Park's "Adopt-a-Bench" program. These engravings typically contain short personalized messages and can be installed for at least $10,000 apiece. "Handmade rustic benches" can cost more than half a million dollars and are only granted when the honoree underwrites a major park project.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/nyregion/4223-central-park-benches-with-stories-to-tell.html |title=4,223 Central Park Benches With Stories to Tell|last=Kleinfield |first=N. R.|date=June 17, 2016 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 14, 2019|issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423161956/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/nyregion/4223-central-park-benches-with-stories-to-tell.html |archive-date=April 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/29/central-park-benches/|title=For $10,000 You Can Share Your Story On A Bench In Central Park|date=June 29, 2016 |publisher=WCBS-TV|access-date=May 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514005925/https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/29/central-park-benches/ |archive-date=May 14, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{wide image|NYC Turtlepond.jpg|600px|alt=Panoramic view including Delacorte Theater, Great Lawn and Turtle Pond|[[Delacorte Theater]], [[Great Lawn and Turtle Pond]], from [[Belvedere Castle]]|align-cap=center}}

===Art and monuments===
====Sculptures====
{{Main|Public art in Central Park}}
[[File:Bethesda Fountain angel sunny winter day.JPG|thumb|upright=1|alt=Bethesda Fountain angel at the center of a brick plaza| ''Angel of the Waters'' (1873) in [[Bethesda Fountain]]]]
Twenty-nine sculptures have been erected within Central Park's boundaries.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=7 (PDF p. 8)}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2012/09/lives-remembered-in-the-statues-and-monuments-of-central-park/ |title=The Lives Behind the Statues and Monuments of Central Park|date=September 19, 2012|publisher=[[WNET]]|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029151528/http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2012/09/lives-remembered-in-the-statues-and-monuments-of-central-park/|archive-date=October 29, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments|title=Central Park Monuments |publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321195900/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments |archive-date=March 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Most of the sculptures were not part of the Greensward Plan, but were nevertheless included to placate wealthy donors when appreciation of art increased in the late 19th&nbsp;century.{{sfn|Kinkead|1990|pp=89–90}}{{sfn|Rosenzweig|Blackmar|1992|pp=329–331}}{{sfn|Heckscher|2008|pp=68–69}} Though Vaux and Mould proposed 26&nbsp;statues in the Terrace in 1862, these were eliminated because they were too expensive.{{sfn|Rosenzweig|Blackmar|1992|pp=329–331}} More sculptures were added through the late 19th&nbsp;century, and by 1890s, there were 24&nbsp;in the park.{{sfn|Rosenzweig|Blackmar|1992|p=332}}

Several busts of authors and poets are on Literary Walk adjacent to the Central Park Mall.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=7 (PDF p. 8)}}{{sfn|Berman|2003|p=59}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/mall-literary-walk.html |title=The Mall and Literary Walk|publisher=Central Park Conservancy|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510085304/http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/mall-literary-walk.html|archive-date=May 10, 2016}}</ref> Another cluster of sculptures, around the Zoo and Conservancy Water, are statues of characters from children's stories. A third sculpture grouping primarily depicts "subjects in nature" such as animals and hunters.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=7 (PDF p. 8)}}

Several sculptures stand out because of their geography and topography.{{sfn|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1974|p=7 (PDF p. 8)}} ''[[List of sculptures in Central Park#Fictional characters|Alice in Wonderland Margaret Delacorte Memorial]]'' (1959), a sculpture of [[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice]], is at [[Conservatory Water]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/13|title=Alice in Wonderland|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524032949/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/13|archive-date=May 24, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/05/06/archives/wonderland-to-be-dedicated.html |title=Wonderland' to Be Dedicated|date=May 6, 1959|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 19, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> ''Angel of the Waters'' (1873), by [[Emma Stebbins]], is the centerpiece of Bethesda Fountain;<ref name="Reynolds p. 322" />{{sfn|Rosenzweig|Blackmar|1992|pp=329–331}} it was the first large public sculpture commission for an American woman<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/114|title=Bethesda Fountain|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417025700/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/114|archive-date=April 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and the only statue included in the original park design.{{sfn|Rosenzweig|Blackmar|1992|pp=329–331}} ''[[Statue of Balto|Balto]]'' (1925), a statue of [[Balto]], the sled dog who became famous during the [[1925 serum run to Nome]], is near East Drive and East 66th&nbsp;Street.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/75|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|title=Balto|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327195017/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/75|archive-date=March 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[King Jagiello Monument]]'' (1939), a bronze monument installed in 1945, is at the east end of [[Great Lawn and Turtle Pond, Central Park|Turtle Pond]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/13318 |work=Central Park Highlights|title=King Jagiello Monument|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628182325/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/13318 |archive-date=June 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Women's Rights Pioneers Monument]]'' (2020), a monument of [[Sojourner Truth]], [[Susan B. Anthony]], and [[Elizabeth Cady Stanton]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hines|first=Morgan|date=August 26, 2020|title='We have broken the bronze ceiling': First monument to real women unveiled in NYC's Central Park|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/08/26/new-york-central-park-statue-womens-rights-pioneers-monument-up/5632949002/|access-date=August 26, 2020|website=[[USA Today]]|language=en-US}}</ref> was the city's first statue to depict a female historical figure.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kolodny|first=Sarah|title=First Statue of Real Women to Debut in Central Park in 2020|publisher=[[NBC New York]]|date=July 24, 2018|url=http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/First-Ever-Statue-Depicting-Real-Women-Coming-to-Central-Park-in-2020-489028501.html|access-date=April 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421001814/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/First-Ever-Statue-Depicting-Real-Women-Coming-to-Central-Park-in-2020-489028501.html|archive-date=April 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Central Park's first-ever female statue is coming in 2020|work=Time Out New York|date=July 24, 2018|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/central-parks-first-ever-female-statue-is-coming-in-2020-072418|access-date=April 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421001814/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/central-parks-first-ever-female-statue-is-coming-in-2020-072418|archive-date=April 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Structures and exhibitions====
[[File:Central Park New York May 2017 004.jpg|thumb|upright=1|alt=An obelisk named Cleopatra's Needle|[[Cleopatra's Needle (New York City)|Cleopatra's Needle]], the park's oldest human-made structure]]
[[Cleopatra's Needle (New York City)|Cleopatra's Needle]], a red [[granite]] [[obelisk]] west of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,<ref name="central-park-map"/> is the oldest human-made structure in Central Park.<ref name="Conservancy Obelisk">{{cite web|url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/obelisk.html |title=Obelisk|publisher=Central Park Conservancy|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424124927/http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/obelisk.html|archive-date=April 24, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The needle in Central Park is one of three [[Cleopatra's Needle]]s that were originally erected at the Temple of [[Ra]] in [[Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)|Heliopolis]] in [[Ancient Egypt]] around 1450&nbsp;BC by the [[Pharaoh]] [[Thutmose&nbsp;III]].<ref name="Conservancy Obelisk"/><ref>{{cite enc-nyc2|page=271}}</ref><ref name="Gray 2014">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/realestate/the-new-york-history-of-an-egyptian-obelisk.html |title=A Very Difficult Crosstown Move|last=Gray|first=Christopher|date=May 29, 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 7, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711010230/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/realestate/the-new-york-history-of-an-egyptian-obelisk.html|archive-date=July 11, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[hieroglyph]]s were inscribed about 200 years later by Pharaoh [[Rameses&nbsp;II]] to glorify his military victories. The needles are so named because they were later moved to in front of the [[Caesarium]] in [[Alexandria]], a temple originally built by [[Cleopatra&nbsp;VII]] of Egypt in honor of [[Mark Antony]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Frank Leslie's New York journal|volume=1–2|page=292|date=1855|hdl=2027/njp.32101074880459}}</ref> The needle in Central Park arrived in late 1880 and was dedicated early the following year.<ref name="Conservancy Obelisk"/><ref name="Gray 2014"/>

The [[Strawberry Fields (memorial)|Strawberry Fields memorial]], near Central Park West and 72nd&nbsp;Street,<ref name="central-park-map"/> is a memorial commemorating John Lennon, who was murdered outside the nearby [[The Dakota|Dakota]] apartment building. The city dedicated Strawberry Fields in Lennon's honor in April 1981,<ref>{{cite web|title=The City; Central Park Section To Honor Lennon|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|date=April 17, 1981|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/17/nyregion/the-city-central-park-section-to-honor-lennon.html|access-date=April 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414141700/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/17/nyregion/the-city-central-park-section-to-honor-lennon.html|archive-date=April 14, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and the memorial was completely rebuilt and rededicated on what would have been Lennon's 45th&nbsp;birthday, October&nbsp;9, 1985.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dowd|first=Maureen|title=Strawberry Fields 'Garden Of Peace' Opens Today|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|date=October 9, 1985|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/09/nyregion/strawberry-fields-garden-of-peace-opens-today.html|access-date=April 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414141658/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/09/nyregion/strawberry-fields-garden-of-peace-opens-today.html|archive-date=April 14, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Countries from all around the world contributed trees, and Italy donated the "Imagine" mosaic in the center of the memorial. It has since become the site of impromptu memorial gatherings for other notables.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Central Park Conservancy|title=Strawberry Fields|url=http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/strawberry-fields.html|access-date=August 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831091218/http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/strawberry-fields.html|archive-date=August 31, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/764|title=Imagine|publisher=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921000530/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/764|archive-date=September 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

For 16 days in 2005, Central Park was the setting for [[Christo and Jeanne-Claude]]'s installation ''[[The Gates]]'', an exhibition that had been planned since 1979.<ref name="Guggenheim 2003">{{cite web |url=https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/13788|title=The Gates, Project for Central Park, New York City. Drawing in 2 parts|date=December 1, 2002|publisher=[[Guggenheim Museum]]|access-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430220754/https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/13788|archive-date=April 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>  Although the project was the subject of mixed reactions, it was a major attraction for the park while it was open, drawing over a million people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/02/25/gates.closing/|title=Central Park's 'Gates' to close this weekend|date=February 25, 2005 |publisher=[[CNN]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406185322/http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/02/25/gates.closing/|archive-date=April 6, 2020|access-date=April 15, 2019}}</ref>

===Restaurants===

Central Park contains two indoor restaurants. [[Tavern on the Green]], at [[Central Park West]] and West 67th&nbsp;Street, was built in 1870 as a [[Pen (enclosure)|sheepfold]] and was converted into a restaurant in 1934.{{sfn|Kinkead|1990|pp=106–109}}{{sfn|Caro|1974|p=984}}<ref name="NYTimes-Sheep-1934"/> The Tavern on the Green was expanded between 1974 and 1976;<ref name="CNN.com 2010 w811">{{cite web | title=End of an era for New York's Tavern on the Green | website=CNN.com | date=January 1, 2010 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/01/01/tavern.on.green.closing/index.html | access-date=March 11, 2024}}</ref> it was closed in 2009 and reopened five years later after a renovation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/tavern-green-open-april-24-dinner-article-1.1743113 |first=Beth |last=Stebner|title=Tavern on the Green to open April 24 for dinner; to add brunch, lunch in May|work=New York Daily News|access-date=May 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329002503/https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/tavern-green-open-april-24-dinner-article-1.1743113|archive-date=March 29, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The Loeb Boathouse restaurant is at the Loeb Boathouse, on the Lake, near Fifth Avenue between 74th&nbsp;and 75th&nbsp;streets.<ref name="Loeb Boat House 1939"/><ref name="Conservancy Loeb Boathouse"/> Though the boathouse was constructed in 1954,<ref name="Conservancy Loeb Boathouse"/> its restaurant opened in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/09/nyregion/40-seat-restaurant-to-open-in-loeb-boathouse.html |title=40 Seat Restaurant to Open in Loeb Boathouse |last=Carmody|first=Deirdre|date=January 9, 1983|work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331|access-date=April 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417010356/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/09/nyregion/40-seat-restaurant-to-open-in-loeb-boathouse.html|archive-date=April 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>