Walk up to the intersection of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 122nd Street in Harlem and you'll see her. She isn't just standing there. She’s moving. Most statues of historical figures feel like they’re frozen in a block of ice or stuck in a stiff, formal pose that nobody actually uses in real life. But the Harriet Tubman monument New York residents call Swing Low feels like it has a pulse.
It’s heavy. It’s bronze. It’s granite. Yet, it feels fast.
Alison Saar, the artist behind this massive work, didn't want to give us another "saint on a pedestal." She wanted to give us the "General." That's the vibe you get when you stand at the base of this 13-foot-tall memorial. It was unveiled back in 2008, and honestly, it changed the way people look at public art in Upper Manhattan. It isn't just a tribute to the Underground Railroad; it’s a physical manifestation of grit.
The Design That Broke the Rules
Most monuments face the street or a park entrance. This one? It faces South. That’s a deliberate, almost aggressive choice by Saar. Tubman spent her life trekking North to lead people to freedom, but here, she’s facing back toward the South. It’s a nod to her courage in returning to the lion’s den over and over again. She isn't running away; she’s going back for more.
Look closely at the skirt. It’s not just fabric. Nested in the bronze folds of her dress are small, haunting faces. These represent the anonymous souls she carried with her—the ones who didn't make the history books but made the journey nonetheless. You’ll also spot roots and pull-to-open style handles. It’s a metaphor for pulling people out of the earth, out of bondage, and literally dragging them toward a new life.
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The base of the Harriet Tubman monument New York is just as intense. It’s made of Chinese absolute black granite. It features "passport" tiles that depict scenes from Tubman’s life, but they aren't glossy or pretty. They look lived-in. They look like the struggle they represent. You see the North Star. You see medicinal herbs, a reminder that Tubman was a nurse and a naturalist who knew how to survive in the woods using only what the land gave her.
Why Harlem?
People often ask why the most significant Tubman monument in the city is in Harlem rather than, say, Brooklyn or Wall Street. Harlem is the cultural soul of Black America. Placing her here, at the gateway to the neighborhood, makes her a sentinel.
The project was part of a larger effort by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art program. It took years. There were debates about the budget, which climbed to about $2.8 million. There were discussions about the exact placement. But when you see the way the light hits the bronze in the late afternoon, none of that bureaucracy matters. It’s just her.
What Most People Miss
You have to walk around the back. If you only look at the monument from the front, you miss the momentum. The way her body leans forward—it’s like she’s walking against a gale-force wind. Her hands are huge. They look like they could snap a branch or lift a child with equal ease. This isn't the frail, elderly Tubman we see in the famous black-and-white photographs from her later years in Auburn. This is Tubman in her prime. This is the woman who carried a pistol and told people "go on or die."
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The landscaping around the statue matters too. The parks department used plants that are native to both New York and the South. It creates this weird, beautiful biological bridge between the lands she traveled. It’s subtle, but it adds to the "rootedness" of the piece.
The Reality of Public Art in NYC
New York has a complicated relationship with its statues. For a long time, if you looked at the public monuments in the five boroughs, you’d think women barely existed. There’s Joan of Arc on Riverside Drive, and then... not much else for a century. The Harriet Tubman monument New York helped kickstart a conversation about who we actually celebrate in our public squares.
It wasn't easy to get built. There were delays. Construction on the triangle—officially known as Harriet Tubman Memorial Plaza—required shifting traffic patterns and rethinking the whole intersection. But honestly? It was worth the headache. Now, it’s a spot where people leave flowers, where protesters gather, and where kids from the nearby schools stop to touch the bronze faces on her skirt.
How to Experience the Monument
Don't just drive by in a cab. You’ll miss the texture.
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- Start at 116th Street. Walk up St. Nicholas Avenue. You’ll pass historic brownstones and the energy of Harlem.
- Arrive at the Triangle. Approach the monument from the North so you see her facing you.
- Check the Tiles. Spend at least ten minutes looking at the granite base. The imagery there tells the story of her life as a spy for the Union Army, a suffragist, and a humanitarian.
- Touch the Bronze. It’s meant to be tactile. Feel the "roots" coming out of her dress.
The monument is located at 122nd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. It’s easily accessible via the A, B, C, or D trains to 125th Street. From there, it’s a short walk south. You’re also right near the Apollo Theater and the Studio Museum in Harlem, so you can make a full day of it.
The Enduring Impact
Statues can be boring. Let's be real. Most of them are just pigeons' favorite places to sit. But Saar’s Tubman is different because it captures a "vibe" that is uniquely New Yorker: relentless movement. Tubman never lived in New York City permanently—she spent her later years in Auburn, NY—but her spirit of defiance fits this city perfectly.
She was a fugitive. She was a "criminal" in the eyes of a broken law. Seeing her honored in such a massive, permanent way in the middle of a busy Manhattan intersection is a powerful reminder of how far the needle has moved, and how much weight she had to pull to move it.
Actionable Ways to Honor the Legacy
Visiting the Harriet Tubman monument New York is a great first step, but the history doesn't stop at the corner of 122nd Street.
- Visit the Schomburg Center: Just a few blocks away at 135th Street, this branch of the New York Public Library holds incredible archives on the Underground Railroad and Tubman’s contemporaries.
- Support Local Harlem Arts: The monument was a "Percent for Art" project. Support current Black artists in the neighborhood by visiting galleries like Elizabeth Dee or the many pop-up spaces along 125th Street.
- Explore the "Way North": If you have a car, drive three hours north to Auburn, New York. You can tour her actual home and the property she managed for aged and indigent African Americans. It’s the perfect companion trip to seeing the statue.
Standing in the shadow of Swing Low, you realize that history isn't something that happened "back then." It’s something that's still moving, still pushing forward, and still facing down the wind. If you're in New York, go see her. Don't just take a photo—stand there for a minute and feel the momentum.
Next Steps for Your Visit:
Map out a walking tour that starts at the Harriet Tubman Memorial, heads over to the Hotel Theresa (the "Waldorf of Harlem"), and ends at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This three-stop route provides a complete picture of the neighborhood's role in civil rights history. Use the M10 or M101 bus lines for easy transit between these landmarks if you want to save your feet for the museum floors.