Strawberry Fields (memorial) Area

Address: Strawberry Fields, Central Park, near West 72nd Street and Central Park West, New York, NY, USA

Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/

Hours: Open 24 hours (Central Park gates vary seasonally)

Admission: Free

Strawberry Fields is a landscaped memorial in Manhattan’s Central Park dedicated to John Lennon. The memorial was created and unveiled in the mid-1980s and features the central black-and-white “Imagine” mosaic.

The circular “Imagine” mosaic is the memorial’s focal point and is set within a planted, pedestrianized garden area that is kept deliberately calm and traffic-free. Visitors commonly pause at the mosaic, leave flowers and photographs, and use the area as a place for private remembrance.

Groups and solo visitors often assemble at the site on October 9 and December 8 for informal commemorations, and the memorial is immediately adjacent to the Dakota apartments where Lennon lived.

The site was created through a collaborative effort between Yoko Ono and New York City and opened to the public in 1985. The central mosaic was a gift from the city of Naples, Italy.

Sited in Central Park on the west side near West 72nd Street and Central Park West, the memorial is directly opposite the Dakota building and is accessible by several nearby subway stops on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

• Commemoration dates: The memorial is frequently visited on John Lennon’s birthday (October 9) and on the anniversary of his death (December 8), when fans gather at the mosaic.
• Location and access: Located immediately west of the Dakota building on West 72nd Street, the site is a short walk from subway stations on the Upper West Side and is maintained as a quiet zone in Central Park.

What to See#

• “Imagine” mosaic: The black-and-white stone mosaic inscribed “IMAGINE,” a gift from Naples, Italy, forms the focal point of the memorial and sits at ground level within the landscaped plot.
• Strawberry Fields landscaped area: The landscaped plot and pathways form a quiet, traffic-free area of Central Park bordered by West 72nd Street and adjacent to the Dakota apartment building.

From Midtown Manhattan, take the MTA subway to 72nd Street (B/C lines) and walk west to Central Park West; the memorial sits just inside the park across from the Dakota. From the east side of the park, walk west along transverse paths to 72nd Street. Street parking in the area is limited.

• Visit early morning or late evening to catch quieter moments and better light for photos of the mosaic 'Imagine'.
• Respect the memorial's contemplative nature-lawn picnics and loud music are frowned upon by locals.
• Combine a visit with a stroll through Central Park West and the Dakota building nearby for historic context.