Strawberry Fields
Strawberry Fields is a memorial to the British rock musician and peace activist John Lennon (1940–1980). The memorial consists of a five-acre landscape near the West 72nd Street entrance and includes the Imagine mosaic, where many come to pay tribute to Lennon. The memorial’s name is a reference to the 1967 song Lennon wrote and performed with the Beatles, “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Plans for a memorial to John Lennon began to take shape soon after his death. It began with the City’s decision to name the area of Central Park across from the Dakota building where he and his wife, Yoko Ono, lived and where he loved to walk, Strawberry Fields. Ono then began to conceive of a memorial in this landscape and invited countries from all over the world to contribute plants as well as stones to create an international garden of peace. Ono’s idea was shaped by her own work as a conceptual artist as well as her knowledge that Lennon would not have wanted a traditional memorial in the form of a statue.
Ono worked with the Central Park Conservancy, including landscape architect Bruce Kelly, to come up with a design for the area that incorporated some of these donations, while restoring what was a deteriorated section of Central Park. Kelly sought to integrate the design of the memorial into the Park’s overall landscape, connecting it to the purpose of the Park as a place to find peace and respite. The design of Strawberry Fields incorporates a couple of small meadows lined with trees and shrubs and a path that winds through a small, wooded area. While focusing on the landscape, the design also includes a more formal design element, a mosaic installed into the pavement with the word Imagine in the center, donated by the city of Naples, Italy. Surrounded by benches, the area provides a focal point and gathering space for the many visitors that come to pay homage to Lennon. A plaque inset into a rock outcrop acknowledges the countries that made contributions.
Strawberry Fields was officially dedicated on October 9, 1985, the 45th anniversary of Lennon’s birth. When it opened, Strawberry Fields provided a rare alternative to traditional memorials, in the form of a living landscape that changes and grows over time.
Honoring 40 Years of Strawberry Fields
Explore Strawberry Fields with John Reddick
To mark the 40th anniversary of the dedication, we spoke with John Reddick, the Conservancy’s Director of Community Engagement, whose personal history with Strawberry Fields reaches back to its earliest days. His perspective reveals how this memorial has evolved, not only as a space of remembrance for John Lennon, but as a living symbol of New York’s spirit of renewal, belonging, and peace.
On the Grief of New Yorkers
"When John Lennon was killed, it wasn’t just celebrity grief—it was a New York grief. People felt like we’d lost one of our own. He lived here, walked the streets, took the subway. He was one of us. He was part of the City.”
On a Tribute that Lives Through Us
“It’s not just an object; it’s an experience. People walk through, they sit, they sing—it’s living. And that’s the brilliance of it. The memorial isn’t frozen in time, it changes every day with the people who are there.”
On the art of quiet stewardship
“There are so many voices around that space—volunteers, neighbors, musicians, tourists—and they all feel a sense of ownership. The Conservancy, as we maintain it, are respectful of those feelings. Keep it clean, keep it whole. That’s the balance in showing that we care.”
On the Beauty of Connection
"Some people go there every day. For others, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime stop, it's like a pilgrimage site. People come with hope and curiosity, and it’s met. They see flowers, they hear music, they find community. But even if you just stumble upon it, there’s a charge in the air. You realize you’re part of something larger—part of a shared act of remembrance.”
On capturing the best of Central Park
“It’s Central Park at its best: a place where strangers come together around beauty and memory. That’s the magic of New York. Every person, every park, every memorial—it’s all about imagining the possibilities of living together."
Explore Strawberry Fields with John Reddick
To mark the 40th anniversary of the dedication, we spoke with John Reddick, the Conservancy’s Director of Community Engagement, whose personal history with Strawberry Fields reaches back to its earliest days. His perspective reveals how this memorial has evolved, not only as a space of remembrance for John Lennon, but as a living symbol of New York’s spirit of renewal, belonging, and peace.
On the Grief of New Yorkers
"When John Lennon was killed, it wasn’t just celebrity grief—it was a New York grief. People felt like we’d lost one of our own. He lived here, walked the streets, took the subway. He was one of us. He was part of the City.”
On a Tribute that Lives Through Us
“It’s not just an object; it’s an experience. People walk through, they sit, they sing—it’s living. And that’s the brilliance of it. The memorial isn’t frozen in time, it changes every day with the people who are there.”
On the art of quiet stewardship
“There are so many voices around that space—volunteers, neighbors, musicians, tourists—and they all feel a sense of ownership. The Conservancy, as we maintain it, are respectful of those feelings. Keep it clean, keep it whole. That’s the balance in showing that we care.”
On the Beauty of Connection
"Some people go there every day. For others, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime stop, it's like a pilgrimage site. People come with hope and curiosity, and it’s met. They see flowers, they hear music, they find community. But even if you just stumble upon it, there’s a charge in the air. You realize you’re part of something larger—part of a shared act of remembrance.”
On capturing the best of Central Park
“It’s Central Park at its best: a place where strangers come together around beauty and memory. That’s the magic of New York. Every person, every park, every memorial—it’s all about imagining the possibilities of living together."
