Delacorte Clock

The Delacorte Clock is a musical timepiece at the Central Park Zoo entrance featuring a three-tiered tower structure. Bronze animal figures including monkeys, penguins, hippos, and other creatures rotate around the clock face while music plays.

Publisher and philanthropist George T. Delacorte Jr. commissioned the clock in 1965 as a gift for New York City's children. The clock was originally built with a mechanical system designed to function for decades at this location.

The clock plays a daily selection of children's songs and melodies that visitors can hear throughout the zoo area. The rotating bronze animals create a musical scene that draws families and young children to stop and watch.

The clock is located at the East 64th Street zoo entrance and produces music performances regularly throughout the day. Visiting in early morning or late afternoon hours allows you to enjoy the shows with fewer crowds gathered around.

The clock received a digital upgrade to its mechanism in 2017 that enhanced its musical reliability and performance consistency. This modernization allowed the artwork to maintain its original purpose while ensuring shows play at their scheduled times with greater precision.