Columbus statue in the Central Park

The statue of Christopher Columbus is one of 29 statues located in Central Park, New York. Most of them have been donated by individuals or organizations.

Christopher Columbus statue is located at the foot of the Mall (it is the fifth statue on the lower end of the Promenade). It was donated to Central Park in 1894 by New York Genealogical and Biographical Society on the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the New World.

The statue, about 2.1 metres (7 feet) tall stands on the base about 2.4 metres (8 feet) tall. It is an exact replica of Columbus statue located at the Plaza de Colon, in Madrid, Spain created by Jeronimo Suñol in 1892. It is one of the two Columbus statues in the Park (probably famous is the one surmounting the column at Columbus Circle).

The sculpture depicts the explorer standing with outstretched arms, looking towards the heavens in gratitude for his successful voyage. He wears a heavy chain with a profile portrait of a woman. The flag in his hands has the arms of Spain and a cross at the top of the pole. Behind Columbus to his right is a capstan (for winding ropes on a ship), on top of which rests a globe.