Bethesda Fountain, Fountain in Central Park, New York, United States
Bethesda Fountain is a large ornamental water feature centered in Central Park, New York, with a bronze statue of a winged woman above a two-tiered stone basin. The water spills from the figure’s hand into a round pool below, and the whole structure sits at the edge of a formal terrace with stone steps and walkways.
The sculpture was made by Emma Stebbins and the fountain was formally opened in 1873 as part of the early expansion of the city’s public water supply. It marked a moment when fresh water began reaching more homes and helped change how people thought about health in the growing city.
The bronze figure holds a lily in one hand while four small cherubs below represent peace, health, purity, and temperance, ideas tied to the clean water that once flowed into the city. Visitors often pause here to take photos or watch the falling water, making it a shared gathering spot within the park.
The fountain is easy to reach on foot from the park’s south end, and the surrounding terrace offers wide open views with plenty of benches for sitting. Mornings tend to be quieter than late afternoon, and the paved area around the pool is level and suitable for casual strolling.
Emma Stebbins is believed to have used the face of her longtime companion, actress Charlotte Cushman, as the model for the winged figure. Because of that detail, the statue quietly links the fountain to the private lives of two women artists working in a field that was then dominated by men.
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