Battery Park is perhaps one of the New York parks whose history is most closely tied to the periods that marked America’s independence. Battery Park is located on the southern tip of Manhattan Island.
Its southern tip is home to Fort Clinton; this building overlooks the Hudson River, aiming its cannons at the impressive ships of the Dutch or British invaders, countries that were allies for a very long time. Battery Park is one of the most beautiful parks in New York . You can stroll through a wooded area, contemplate the seaport and explore the history of the United States .
Battery Park is located on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. It spans over 20 acres . Its name comes from the artillery pieces that were placed there to protect New York Harbor during the Revolutionary War.
The main monument in the park is undoubtedly Fort Clinton, a fort built in 1811; it was named so many years after its construction and in honor of Mayor DeWitt Clinton. Fort Clinton, like Fort Williams on Governors Island, was part of the town’s regular defenses. It is unique in that it has never been involved in any battles and its walls and cannons remain intact.
However, the oldest building in Battery Park is the James Watson House, built in 1793. It is now home to a shrine to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the founder of the Sisters of Charity and the first American woman to be canonized. That was on September 14, 1975, during the reign of Pope Paul VI.
Strolling through Battery Park, visitors will discover many statues and sites that commemorate or represent an iconic event in American history . There, we see the statue of John Ericsson, the engineer who designed the battleships USS Monitor and USS Princeton.
Next, we will stroll through Hope Backyard, a memorial dedicated to all AIDS victims. We can pet the eagle statue in memory of the sacrifice of soldiers who participated in World War II.
In the early 20th century, Fort Clinton served as the administrative base for immigration agencies located on Ellis Island, and the park, located very close to the former fishing communities, features numerous statues honoring the immigrants, fishermen, coast guards, and even the Dutch settlers who founded the town of New Amsterdam.
Also in Battery Park is the sculpture “The Globe and the Eternal Flame,” recreated from the debris of the World Trade Center, the two towers destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Useful data
Opening hours: opening hours.
Admission fee: free