Central Park Landmarks
Alice in Wonderland Statue Pedicab Tour in Central Park
The Alice in Wonderland statue is a bronze sculpture on a granite terrace at the north end of Conservatory Water, the model boat pond on Central Park's east side. Alice sits on a giant mushroom with the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit around her, and children have been climbing on it since it was unveiled.
Photo: Gzzz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Quick facts
- Where
- North end of Conservatory Water, on the East Side near East 75th Street off Fifth Avenue
- Dedicated
- May 7, 1959
- Sculptor
- José de Creeft
- Terrace design
- Hideo Sasaki's landscape architecture firm
- Donor
- publisher George Delacorte, in memory of his wife, Margarita
- Materials
- bronze figures and a Chelmsford granite setting
- Size
- the group is about 9 feet 7 inches high
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History
Publisher and philanthropist George Delacorte commissioned the statue as a gift to the children of New York and a memorial to his wife, Margarita, who loved reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to their children. Sculptor José de Creeft based the characters on the illustrations of the original 1865 edition, and the costumes and features follow John Tenniel's drawings. According to the Conservancy, Alice's face was modeled on de Creeft's daughter, Donna Maria, and the Mad Hatter was modeled on Delacorte himself.
The statue was cast in 1959 by the Modern Art Foundry in Long Island City, Queens, and dedicated on May 7, 1959. Eleven Delacorte grandchildren unveiled it and then climbed on it, and children still do. Seven bronze tablets on the surrounding terrace carry passages from Lewis Carroll's book and a dedication to Margarita Delacorte, "who loved all children." The Conservancy describes the terraced setting as one of the few examples of modern landscape architecture in the park.
What to look for
- Alice on her mushroom with her kitten, Dinah
- The Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse and the White Rabbit
- The bronze tablets with passages from the book
- Model sailboats on Conservatory Water beside the statue
Visiting Alice in Wonderland Statue
Conservatory Water is a designated Quiet Zone, and the nearby Hans Christian Andersen statue and Kerbs Boathouse are close by. The nearest restrooms are at Kerbs Boathouse. The statue is made to be touched, and the Conservancy cares for it. From here, the Loeb Boathouse is a short distance west.
Frequently asked questions
Who made the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park?
José de Creeft sculpted it, and Hideo Sasaki's firm designed the terrace around it.
When was it dedicated, and who paid for it?
It was dedicated on May 7, 1959. George Delacorte gave it in memory of his wife, Margarita.
Where is the Alice statue?
At the north end of Conservatory Water, near East 75th Street off Fifth Avenue.
Can you climb on it?
Yes. It was made for children to climb, and they have done so since the 1959 unveiling.
Sources
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