Bethesda Terrace is the two-level stone terrace at the north end of the Mall in Central Park, where grand staircases lead down to the Lake and the Bethesda Fountain. The bronze Angel of the Waters on top of the fountain, by Emma Stebbins, was the first major public artwork in New York City commissioned from a woman. Note: the fountain is switched off for a restoration of about a year from August 2026, but the terrace stays open.
Bethesda Terrace at a glance
- Where: in the middle of Central Park at about 72nd Street, between the Mall to the south and the Lake to the north.
- Built: during the Civil War, from around 1861; the stonework was largely complete by 1864 and the fountain was finished in 1873.
- By: designed by Calvert Vaux, with carved details by Jacob Wrey Mould; the Angel of the Waters is by Emma Stebbins.
- What it is today: a public terrace and arcade, a meeting point, a stage for street musicians and one of the most photographed places in the park.
- Time needed: 20 to 30 minutes, longer if you sit by the Lake or listen to the music in the arcade.
From Water Terrace to Bethesda
In Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's 1858 Greensward Plan, this was simply the Water Terrace, the formal end of the Mall looking out over the wilder landscape of the Lake and the Ramble. Work went on through the Civil War, and it was one of the few structures in the park completed in those years. The fountain's angel was designed in 1868 and unveiled in 1873, and the place took its name from her: Bethesda, after the healing pool in the Gospel of John.
In the 1960s and 70s the terrace declined: it held a café for a few years, then became a hippie gathering place and later a drug-dealing spot, and the fountain ran dry. The Central Park Conservancy restored the fountain in 1980–1981 as the first step of its plan to renovate the whole park, and the terrace followed. The arcade's ceiling tiles were taken down in the 1980s and only reinstalled, restored, in 2007. In 2026 the Conservancy began a new restoration of the fountain, expected to keep it dry for around a year.
What to look for
- The Angel of the Waters: an 8-foot bronze angel holding a lily and blessing the water below, with four cherubs representing Temperance, Purity, Health and Peace.
- The arcade under 72nd Street Drive, with its ceiling of about 14,000 Minton encaustic tiles designed by Jacob Wrey Mould.
- The carved balustrades of the staircases: look for the seasons in stone, from lambs' heads for spring to holly and pine cones for autumn, and even a witch on a broomstick.
- The herringbone brick paving and the olive-coloured New Brunswick sandstone of the terrace.
- The view north over the Lake, with rowing boats in summer and the trees of the Ramble behind.
Why an angel?
The angel is not only a Bible reference. She celebrates the Croton Aqueduct, which from 1842 brought clean water to New York for the first time, ending years of disease spread by dirty wells; part of its system ran through the land that became Central Park. Just as the angel in the Gospel stirred the waters of Bethesda to heal the sick, the fountain honours the water that made the city healthier.
Tips for your visit
- Go early in the morning for photos of the terrace and arcade without the crowds.
- Step into the arcade even if you are only passing: the tiled ceiling and the acoustics make it worth a minute, and musicians often play there.
- During the fountain restoration, expect fencing around the basin; the stairs, arcade and lakeside are still open.
- Combine it with a walk down the Mall to the south or a rowing boat from the Loeb Boathouse to the east.
Nearby
- The Mall and Literary Walk: the elm-lined promenade leading south from the terrace, with statues of writers.
- The Lake and Loeb Boathouse: rent a rowing boat or watch them from the shore.
- Bow Bridge: the cast-iron bridge over the Lake, a few minutes' walk west.
- Strawberry Fields: the John Lennon memorial with the Imagine mosaic, near the West 72nd Street entrance.
See Central Park with World City Trail
Our Central Park scavenger hunt turns the park into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around three hours, with about 43 minutes of walking, and it includes places such as Cleopatra's Needle, Belvedere Castle and the Delacorte Theater. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, Central Park also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Central Park scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Central Park →
Play the outdoor escape game in Central Park →
Facts checked in October 2026.