Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
Park Island park on Roosevelt Island honoring Four Freedoms
On Roosevelt Island, the Four Freedoms Park commemorates FDR’s 1941 speech with Louis Kahn’s granite-and-concrete design. Visitors come for the memorial, modernist architecture and framed views of the East River and Manhattan skyline.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park is a memorial on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City, dedicated to the Four Freedoms articulated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. The park was completed and opened as a memorial in 2012.
The memorial was built from a long-held design by architect Louis Kahn; work to realize the design resumed decades after Kahn’s death and the park opened in 2012. It serves as both a commemorative site for FDR and a public gathering space for ceremonies and remembrance.
The park sits at the very southern tip of Roosevelt Island in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, a short ride from midtown Manhattan by the Roosevelt Island Tram or F train.
- Access: Located at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island and reachable by the Roosevelt Island Tram and the F subway line.
- Dedication: Dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 "Four Freedoms" speech and completed as a memorial in 2012.
How to Get to Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park #
Take the Roosevelt Island Tram from 59th Street and 2nd Avenue (Manhattan) for the most direct, scenic arrival; the F Train (Roosevelt Island station) also serves the island. From the tram stop, the park is a roughly 10-15 minute walk south along the island’s promenade.
Tips for Visiting Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park #
- Use the tram or Roosevelt Island resident elevators from Manhattan to avoid the long walk across the island; the park sits at the island's southern tip.
- Visit at sunrise for quiet and to see Manhattan's skyline glow across the East River.
- Most visitors arrive by tram-buy return MetroCard fare in advance; the pedestrian route from the Roosevelt Island subway station is longer and uphill.
Best Time to Visit Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park #
Spring and fall provide the best combination of comfortable weather and lighter crowds; the park itself is a public space best experienced at dawn or dusk.
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