Editing Central Park (section)

====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>