Strawberry Fields

Strawberry Fields is a living memorial to singer, songwriter and peace activist, John Lennon.

Strawberry Fields is a 2.5 acre area of Central Park that pays tribute to the late Beatle, John Lennon, singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist. John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono lived in the Dakota Apartments directly across from this area of the park. It walking into his home at the Dakota on December 8, 1980, that John Lennon was fatally shot. To commemorate Lennon’s life, talents and memory, this tranquil section of Central Park, the couple's favorite in Central Park, was designated as Strawberry Fields. Named after the title of the Beatles' song "Strawberry Fields Forever," the teardrop shaped region was re-landscaped with the help of a generous $1 million donation from Yoko Ono. During his career with the Beatles and in his solo work, Lennon's music gave hope and inspiration for world peace and his memory and mission lives on in Strawberry Fields. Strawberry Fields was officially dedicated on October 9, 1985, the 45th anniversary of Lennon's birth. Annually, on this date, as well as on the anniversary of John Lennon's death, visitors and fans from all over the globe flock to Strawberry Fields to pay homage to this Beatles' legacy. The focal point of the memorial is the iconic black and white mosaic that was created by Italian craftsmen and given as a gift by the city of Naples. Based on a Greco-Roman design, it bears the name of another famous Lennon song: “Imagine,” evoking a vision and a hope for a world without strife, war and conflict. A designated Quiet Zone in the Park, the memorial is shaded by stately American elms with shrubs, flowers and rocks and is lined with benches. In the warmer months, flowers bloom all around the area. Along the path near the mosaic, you'll find a bronze plaque that lists the more than 120 countries that planted flowers and donated money for the maintenance of the area; they have also endorsed Strawberry Fields as a Garden of Peace.