Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial

The Eleanor Roosevelt Monument stands at the southern entrance of Riverside Park, a location that represents a significant transformation of city infrastructure. This site was once an unused access ramp for the West Side Highway and previously held the Henry Hudson Monument before it was destroyed in the 1950s. In the 1990s, the space was reclaimed and redesigned with circular landscaping and oak trees to provide a reflective, quiet setting for the bronze figure. The project succeeded after a decade of planning and fundraising led by a dedicated committee, culminating in a 1996 unveiling attended by then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. It holds the distinction of being the first public monument in New York City dedicated to an American-born woman.