Central Park

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History

This bronze piece in front of the Delacorte Theater depicts the doomed lovers of celebrated playwright and poet William Shakespeare’s (1564–1616) tragic play Romeo and Juliet. One of two companion pieces sculpted by Milton Hebald (1917–2015) and unveiled in 1977, the piece is a gift of publisher and philanthropist George T. Delacorte (1894–1991). He donated the Delacorte Theater, which is best known for its free Shakespeare productions that play each summer. Hebald’s other piece at the site, The Tempest (1966), commemorates the Shakespeare play of the same name.

Delacorte’s many gifts to the City include the Alice-in-Wonderland statue (1959) and the Delacorte Clock (1965) in Central Park, as well as fountains in Bowling Green Park (1977) and Columbus Circle (1965). As founder of Dell Books, Delacorte published comic books of popular animated characters such as Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and Walt Disney’s Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Pluto. As his fortune grew, Delacorte began to give gifts to Central Park. It is said that the image of the Mad Hatter in the Alice-in-Wonderland sculpture is a portrait of the donor himself.

The Delacorte Theater, which opened in 1962, is the permanent home of Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival. The theater’s opening performance was The Merchant of Venice, directed by Papp and featuring George C. Scott, James Earl Jones, and William Devane. Sculptor Hebald also created the bust of opera star Richard Tucker (1979) across from Lincoln Center. In 1985 the Central Park Conservancy conserved the sculpture, which is maintained by the Conservancy through an endowment established by Mr. Delacorte’s heirs.

Romeo and Juliet Details

Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namingsoften in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, butnot necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the yearlisted reflects the date of installation.

For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163

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Contacts

Central Park Information: (212) 310-6600
Central Park Information (for the Hearing Impaired): (800) 281-5722
Belvedere Castle, The Henry Luce Nature Observatory: (212) 772-0210
The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center: (212) 860-1370
The Dairy Visitor Center and Gift Shop: (212) 794-6564
North Meadow Recreation Center: (212) 348-4867
Loeb Boathouse (Bike rentals, boat rentals & gondolas): (212) 517-2233
Carousel: (212) 879-0244
Fishing at Harlem Meer (Catch & Release): (212) 860-1370
Harlem Meer Performance Festival: (212) 860-1370
Horseback Riding - Claremont Stables: (212) 724-5100
Metropolitan Opera (Performances on the Great Lawn): (212) 362-6000
New York Philharmonic (Performances on the Great Lawn): (212) 875-5709
Shakespeare in the Park - The Public Theater at the Delacorte Theater: (212) 539-8655
Central Park SummerStage: (212) 360-2777
Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater: (212) 988-9093
Tennis: (212) 280-0205
Weddings, Ceremonies and Photography at the Conservatory Garden: (212) 360-2766
Wildlife Center & Tisch Children's Zoo: (212) 439-6500

More About Central Park

Zip Code:10023, 10024, 10025
Community Board: 10, 11, 07, 05, 08, 06
Council Member: Gale A. Brewer
Park ID: M010
Acreage: 840.01
Property Type: Flagship Park

Lost and Found Information

Other Parks Nearby

• Broadway Malls (0.15 miles)
• Sol Bloom Playground (0.88 miles)
• Mae Grant Playground (0.50 miles)
• Theodore Roosevelt Park (0.85 miles)
• Peter Minuit Playground (0.30 miles)