Statue of Christopher Columbus

The Christopher Columbus Monument stands about 76 feet tall with a marble statue of the explorer mounted on a granite column decorated with bronze ship reliefs. The column sits surrounded by traffic at the center of the plaza at 59th Street.

The monument was erected to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas, with its dedication ceremony held on October 12, 1892. This date represented a significant moment in New York's public commemoration.

The newspaper Il Progresso raised funds for this monument, showing how deeply New York's Italian community was involved in its creation. The statue sits today in one of the city's busiest traffic circles and is passed by countless people daily.

The monument is located at a central point where multiple subway lines meet beneath the traffic circle at 59th Street. The spot is easy to reach, though expect heavy noise and vehicle movement around the column.

The bronze ships on the column are designed as Roman galleys rather than the historical caravels that Columbus actually used. This artistic choice shows how 19th-century artists interpreted the past instead of copying it exactly.