Walk up Riverside Drive on a Tuesday afternoon and you'll see it. It’s impossible to miss. That massive, circular temple of white Vermont marble sitting at 89th Street. Most people just call it "that big monument," but its official name is the Soldiers and Sailors Monument New York NY. It looks like something that fell out of Ancient Greece and landed in the middle of the Upper West Side. It’s gorgeous. It’s imposing. It’s also, quite frankly, a bit of a mess right now.
If you look closely at the steps, you’ll see the fences. There are barriers everywhere. Why? Because the ground is literally shifting. It’s one of those weird New York things where we have this world-class piece of architecture that celebrates the Union Army and Navy from the Civil War, yet we’ve sort of let it fall into a state of "stabilized decay." It’s a tragedy, honestly. You’ve got this incredible tribute to the "Great Rebellion"—as they called it back then—standing on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River, but you can’t even walk up the main stairs anymore.
The Architects Who Beat Out the Big Names
Back in the late 1890s, there was this huge competition to design the thing. You had the heavy hitters like McKim, Mead & White—the guys who did the original Penn Station—throwing their hats in the ring. But the winners were the Stoughton brothers, Charles and Arthur. They weren't the "it" guys of the era, but they had a vision. They wanted something that felt eternal. They drew inspiration from the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens. Basically, it’s a peripteral Corinthian temple. Twelve giant columns. A heavy, somber base.
The cornerstone was laid in 1900 by none other than Theodore Roosevelt. He was the Governor of New York at the time. Imagine the scene: thousands of people, the smell of the river, and TR doing his usual high-energy speechifying about duty and honor. It finally opened in 1902. Total cost? About $600,000. That sounds like a bargain today, but in 1902, that was a massive chunk of change for a public work.
Why It’s Not Just Another Statue
A lot of folks confuse this with Grant’s Tomb, which is further north. Grant’s Tomb is where the General actually sleeps. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument New York NY is different. It’s a cenotaph. An empty tomb. It’s a symbolic space meant to honor the collective sacrifice of the North. It’s about the guys who never came home, the sailors who were lost at sea, and the sheer scale of the Civil War’s impact on New York.
New York City sent more men to the Civil War than any other state in the Union. That’s a fact people often forget. We think of the war as something that happened "down South" or in the fields of Pennsylvania. But NYC was the financial and human engine of the Union effort. This monument was the city's way of saying, "We haven't forgotten."
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The design is incredibly intentional. Look at the eagles. Look at the wreaths. Every single carving has a meaning. The names of the generals—Sherman, Grant, Sheridan—are etched into the frieze. It’s a literal textbook of Union history carved into stone. But it's the location that really sells it. It sits on a promontory. When the sun sets over New Jersey, the light hits that marble and it glows. It’s haunting.
The Problem With $30 Million
Here’s where things get frustrating. If you visit today, you’ll see the "Save the Monument" signs. The structure is in trouble. Water is the enemy. Over a century of New York winters—that cycle of freezing and thawing—has wreaked havoc on the joints. The plaza is sinking. Estimates to fully restore the site have hovered around $30 million for years.
You’d think in a city with this much wealth, we’d find the cash. But it’s complicated. The monument is under the jurisdiction of the Parks Department, and while groups like the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Association work tirelessly, the funding just hasn't materialized in full. It’s a classic case of deferred maintenance turning into a structural nightmare. Every year we wait, the price tag goes up.
The interior is even worse. There’s a vaulted room inside that’s supposedly beautiful, but it’s been closed to the public for decades. It’s basically a time capsule that nobody is allowed to see. It’s kind of heartbreaking. You have this massive, public-facing symbol of gratitude that is effectively becoming a ruin because we can’t figure out the budget.
The Best Way to Experience It Now
Don't let the fences stop you from going. Seriously. Even with the scaffolding and the "keep off" signs, it’s worth the trip. You can still walk around the perimeter. You can still feel the scale of it.
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The best way to see the Soldiers and Sailors Monument New York NY is to start at 72nd Street and walk north through Riverside Park. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted—the Central Park guy—and he intentionally used the topography to create these "reveals." As you walk, the monument slowly emerges from the trees. It’s a cinematic experience.
- Go at Golden Hour: The marble turns a warm honey color.
- Check the Inscriptions: Read the names. It’s a reminder of how recent this history actually is.
- Look at the River: The view of the Hudson from the plaza (where you can still stand) is one of the best in Manhattan.
- The Memorial Day Ceremony: Every year, they hold a massive ceremony here. It’s one of the few times you see the full pomp and circumstance the site deserves.
A Living Lesson in Civic Memory
What happens to a city when it stops caring for its monuments? That’s the real question here. We talk a lot about "cancel culture" or "rewriting history," but the biggest threat to history in New York isn't a political movement—it’s neglect. It’s the slow, quiet erosion of stone.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument New York NY isn't just a pile of rocks. It’s a physical manifestation of a promise. When it was built, the veterans of the Civil War were still alive. They walked these streets. They saw this monument and felt seen. Now, it’s up to us to decide if that memory is still worth $30 million.
Practical Steps for Your Visit
If you're planning to head over there, keep a few things in mind. Parking on the Upper West Side is a joke, so take the 1 train to 86th Street and walk west. It’s about a 10-minute stroll.
- Photography: Bring a wide-angle lens. The monument is huge and the space around it is tighter than you’d think.
- Accessibility: Most of the upper plaza is currently blocked off for safety reasons. If you have mobility issues, you can see it well from the street level on Riverside Drive.
- Local Vibes: Once you’re done, walk over to Zabar’s or Barney Greengrass. You're in the heart of the old-school Upper West Side. It’s the perfect New York afternoon.
The monument stands as a sentinel. It’s seen the city change from a place of horse-drawn carriages to a digital metropolis. It’s weathered the Great Depression, two World Wars, and the 1970s fiscal crisis. It’s still here. It’s waiting for us to notice it.
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What You Can Actually Do
Don't just look at it and sigh. If you care about New York history, there are ways to help. You can contact the Riverside Park Conservancy. They are the ones on the front lines trying to keep the park and its monuments from falling apart. They often have volunteer days where you can help with plantings or general cleanup around the site.
Also, write to your local city council member. It sounds boring, I know. But public pressure is the only thing that moves the needle on capital projects like this. If enough people complain that a world-class monument is falling apart, the money eventually finds a way to appear.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument New York NY is a masterpiece. It’s a tragedy. It’s a puzzle. And it’s right there on 89th Street, waiting for you to come by and acknowledge the ghosts of the men it was built to honor. Go see it before more of it gets behind a fence.
Visit the site during a weekday morning for the quietest experience. The light is crisp, the joggers are fewer, and you can really take in the silence of the marble. Document the current state of the masonry with photos—it’s a powerful way to show others why the restoration is so urgent. Finally, share the story of the Stoughton brothers and their "temple on the hill" with someone who thinks New York is only about skyscrapers and Broadway. History lives in the stone.