Hans Christian Andersen Monument, New York City — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Hans Christian Andersen Monument sits on the west side of Conservatory Water in Central Park, depicting the Danish fairy tale author with an open book on his knee and his most famous creation, the Ugly Duckling, at his feet. The bronze statue was sculpted by Georg Lober and installed in 1956. It was funded by donations from Danish and American schoolchildren, a fitting tribute for an author who wrote for children. The book on Andersen's lap is permanently open to "The Ugly Duckling," one of his most beloved stories. The statue's location is no accident. Conservatory Water is Central Park's model boat pond, and the area has been a gathering place for families since the park opened. The Andersen statue faces the Alice in Wonderland sculpture across the pond, creating a literary playground on the eastern edge of the park. Every Saturday from June through September, storytellers from the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center gather at the statue to read fairy tales to children, a tradition that has been running for decades. Andersen visited New York in 1860 during a trip to the United States, but the statue was placed here 96 years later, reflecting the enduring power of stories like "The Little Mermaid," "The Snow Queen," and "The Emperor's New Clothes." If you're on a Questo quest through Central Park, the Andersen statue is a stop where a fairy tale writer from Denmark still has stories read aloud in his name, every summer, in the middle of Manhattan.