A Walking Guide to the Upper West Side’s Open-Air Gallery

Walk Riverside Drive on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and you pass more than a century of public art. Bronze heroes on horseback, marble memorials and a thoughtful First Lady line the Hudson River views and the landscaped paths of Riverside Park. Here is a south-to-north guide to the best statues on Riverside Drive, with addresses so you can plan your own walk.

Eleanor Roosevelt Monument: Riverside Drive at West 72nd Street

The walk starts at the park’s southern entrance. Sculptor Penelope Jencks’s bronze of Eleanor Roosevelt was dedicated on October 5, 1996, with then-First Lady Hillary Clinton present. Roosevelt sits half-reclined against a boulder with her hand on her chin, deep in thought. The monument also serves as a ceremonial gateway into Riverside Park.

Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument: Riverside Drive at West 89th Street

This one is a monument rather than a statue, but it dominates the Drive. The white-marble temple honors Union soldiers and sailors. It was designed by Charles and Arthur Stoughton and dedicated on May 30, 1902. Paul Duboy, also known for the Ansonia Hotel, carved the eagles and cartouches at its top. The site has been closed since 2018 for reconstruction, but you can still admire it from the Drive.

Joan of Arc Statue: Riverside Drive at West 93rd Street

This is the best-known sculpture on the Drive. Anna Hyatt Huntington’s bronze Joan of Arc was dedicated on December 6, 1915. It stands just over 20 feet tall, including a Gothic-style granite pedestal by architect John Van Pelt.

Huntington wanted Joan to look spiritual, not warlike. She shows Joan holding her sword up to God and praying for guidance. At the 1915 unveiling, French Ambassador Jean Jusserand presented Huntington with the Légion d’Honneur.

The statue was also a first. It was the first New York City park monument to a real woman. The pedestal contains fragments of Joan’s prison cell in Rouen and of Reims Cathedral. The pedestal has since been restored for the first time since 1915.

Firemen’s Memorial: Riverside Drive at West 100th Street

Architect H. Van Buren Magonigle and sculptor Attilio Piccirilli created this marble memorial, dedicated on September 5, 1913. A bronze relief shows horses pulling a fire engine. Two allegorical groups, “Duty” and “Sacrifice,” flank it. The model Audrey Munson is said to have posed for them.

The inscription calls the firefighters “soldiers in a war that never ends.” The memorial remains an important gathering place for FDNY families, especially on September 11.

General Franz Sigel Monument: Riverside Drive at West 106th Street

Karl Bitter’s bronze equestrian statue of Union General Franz Sigel sits at the top of a staircase where 106th Street meets the Drive. It was dedicated in 1907. Parks Department crews began its first major conservation in 22 years in July 2026, so it should look its best.

Tips for Your Walk

The full route runs roughly 34 blocks, and all the sites are free to visit. Wear comfortable shoes, since some monuments sit atop staircases. Come in the late afternoon for golden light over the Hudson. The Joan of Arc statue is the best place to start if you only have time for one stop.

Whether you love art, history or a good view, the statues on Riverside Drive show how the Upper West Side honors its heroes.