In Central Park is a statue of Balto, an Alaskan husky famous for assisting in the transportation of diphtheria antitoxin across Alaska. In 1925 there was a diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska, but the antitoxin was located in Anchorage, which is a hella a long way from Nome. The antitoxin was transported across over 1000km in 5.5 days by 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs, and Balto was the lead sled dog in the final stretch of the journey, thus getting all the glory. (Per Wikipedia, the sled dog Togo was the lead dog in the team that covered the longest and most dangerous part of the route, but no one knows his name.) Cool piece of history, but odd that a dog was honoured in Central Park before a woman was. [Yelp collections: East Coast 2022; NY Summer 2022; NY Central Park; Monuments, Memorials, and Historical Markers] read more

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A must see if you're a Balto fan! After seeing the movie and finding out about the statue, I knew I had to put it on my list. Was easy to find and honors the dog tht brought relief to an Alaskan town suffering from diphtheria. 2023 #109 read more

Balto - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - New York, New York

Balto is a statue dedicated to Sled Dogs. It's was an adventure for me trying to find him. My goal was to find various statues and other significant locations this day. Balto was on the top of my list of locations to visit. The best thing about my visit to Balto was locating another Arch right next to his statue. He is a beautiful dog to photograph though. I didn't have to worry about him jumping on me as dogs typically do. Balto is not a very historic statue. He is one of the newest members of many in this area. The dog was actually at the unveiling of his own statue around 1925. The story is that he made a heroic sled drive bringing medicine needed for children. Wonder how Balto would have felt if he arrived and the kids wouldn't take the medication. There's a thought for those that refuse to roll up their sleeves! read more

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Running through the park the other night I finally stumbled upon Balto. I had heard the statue of this heroic dog was in the park. A Disney animated movie was also made about him. It's near East Drive and 67th street standing on a rock since 1925 near the Tisch Children's Zoo. Balto was a heroic lead dog. In 1925 Nome, Alaska had a terrible diphtheria outbreak. Teams of mushers and sled dogs traveled hundreds of miles through a blizzard to deliver much needed medicine. This statue honors him and those heros. read more

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Beautiful and iconic statue! I grew up fascinated by Balto, having read books on him, and enjoyed the animated Balto movies from the 90s. While Balto was the more nationally famous sled dog from the 1925 serum run to Nome, it should be known that the success of the 1925 serum run that delivered the diphtheria antitoxin for the diphtheria outbreak was a team effort of multiple dog sled teams. Balto was the lead dog of the final team, and because he was the dog that ran the last leg, he got the most media coverage because the American media loves the story of the one hero, and not a team effort. The longest and most dangerous stretch of the run was actually covered by Leonhard Seppala, and his dog team, led by Togo. I'm glad to see Togo finally get some attention when Disney Plus created an original movie about Togo and Seppala recently. So, the statue of Balto is rather controversial. Still, as a dog-lover visiting New York, I thought I'd pay a pilgrimage to Balto while taking a walk through Central Park. The statue, sculpted by Frederick George Richard Roght, was dedicated in December 1925. Parents seem to love to have their kids climb on Balto for pics, so I had to wait a bit while waiting before I could attempt to take photos without any photobombs. I'm glad I was able to get a pic in front of him! read more

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So when I was a kid, I was a bit obsessed with this book called "Balto and the Great Race" by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. The children's book tells the story of Balto the sled dog and the race to save the people of Nome, Alaska from the diphtheria epidemic. Balto's story is so incredible because of length of the last leg of the trip (I believe earlier portions of the transport for the medicine were made by train, but the train couldn't get all the way to Nome) and that it was made via a team of sled dogs through a massive snowstorm/blizzard in an effort to bring back medicine to the people of Nome... with Balto leading the way. For some reason, I had no idea there was a statue of Balto in Central Park... so imagine my surprise as an adult when wandering through Central Park one day and seeing a statue of this icon from my childhood reading! I think my heart may have burst a bit. TL;DR Balto... how can you resist? Love this sculpture. (*Note: Not my kids climbing on the sculpture.) read more

Balto - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - New York, New York

Balto was a real dog. He is best remembered for the Disney cartoon movie. This is a popular attraction for pictures. It's kind of easy to find. This is very close to the zoo. It's a big bronze statue on top of a rock. Lots of tourists like to get pictures with it. This makes it pretty hard to get a picture without tourists getting in your pictures too. Luckily they cleared out for awhile. The statue itself may not seem like anything special. After all, there are tons of statues in the park. This one is pretty important to dog lovers like me, so it's one of my favorites there. If you haven't seen the movie, see it before you go. It will give you background on Balto and the rescue mission. This is also just a good movie, for kids and adults too. read more

Balto - Statue - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - New York, New York

Balto is super cute! It was actually more important to me to see Balto than Alice in Wonderland. I loved the Balto movie and even though the setting isn't as good as Alice (the pedestal isn't the best) the statue is still adorable and the area is beautiful. Balto isn't actually too far of a walk from Alice and it's definitely well worth the trek! read more

I had to find the small statue in this large park. When my son was four he loved this animated movie. Balto was a black and white Siberian husky sled dog that led a team on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome. This run transported diphtheria antitoxin from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train. Then finished to Nome by dog sled. The medicine was needed to combat an outbreak of diphtheria. Since 1973 the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race pays tribute to the dog sleds that played their part in this unique historical action of Alaska. Catch the movie and go search for Balto while in Central Park. read more

FYI The actual dog, Balto is taxidermied and is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. He lived out the final days of his life as a hero at the Cleveland zoo. read more

Your childhood puppy hero! If you've ever watched Balto as a child (like I did 1000x) you'll understand how sentimental his statue is. The true story of an amazing revered dog who saved an entire village of children through miles of blizzards, his story is captivating! As I biked through Central Park, his statue caught my eye and I quickly veered off the path and yelped out "OMG ITS BALTO!" My hubby quickly biked after me, wondering what was happening. Catching up with me, his face planted a deep smile, with many laughs and hugs for me as he now knew why I yelped away xoxo read more

Balto - Balto. My hero! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - New York, New York

"Thank you, Balto. I would've been lost without you." When I came to New York for a vacation, I knew that me going to Balto was going to happen, so I'm glad and thankful that opportunity did indeed present itself. That being said, thank you Kevin Bacon for making my childhood. You too, Bridget Fonda, Phil Collins, Bob Hoskins, and Professor Sprout. Balto really did do all that. read more

It was so great being able to see a childhood hero monument. This was a surreal moment for me

Only 15 reviews? Come on 90s kids. I know you remember the movie and the story of Balto! When I was planning my trip to New York, I knew I would be making a stop at Central Park. It also reminded me that the Balto statue resides somewhere in this park, so I made sure that I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to see it. I just loved the animated movie as a kid, and I still do. :] At the very end of it, they show this exact statue before the end credits. Ever since then, I have always wanted to see it. The last time I came to New York, I wasn't able to. And I gotta say, once I finally had the chance, it brought warmth to my childhood memories. The story of Balto is very heartwarming and inspiring. A big thanks to those who gave life to the characters in the movie. You made a piece of my childhood that much better, and made my visit that much more memorable. If you haven't seen it, I would recommend you watch it first before coming here. Just a thought. :] Whether you're a person who loves dogs or not, how could you not be moved by Balto's story? :] read more

I had no idea you could actually check in to the Balto statue at Central Park... but here I am... writing about it. How fun! If you grew up in the 90's like me, you are well aware of the movie Balto, and the story behind the greatest sled-dog in U.S history. Balto led a team through terrible snowy Alaska conditions to deliver medicine to people dying of diphtheria. That's why he has a statue in Central Park, this pup is a hero! It's a great statue to look at, and even more fun to watch people climb up to take a picture. Tourists at first look amused that there is a statue of a dog, but once they learn about it, they leave with a great smile. read more

It is a nice place to stop if you are strolling in Central Park. If you are a big fan of the story of Balto (or the film), then it is pretty cool to see. It was not in a busier area of the park either, so it was nice and quiet. read more

Balto - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - New York, New York

Sculpted by Frederick Roth, the statue was erected in Central Park on December 17, 1925, just 10 months after Balto's arrival in Nome. The statue is located on the main path leading north from the Tisch Children's Zoo. read more

Cute statue! Perfect for doggie lovers like us.

The highlight of my trip to Central Park was seeing the statue of Balto. You can read about him on Wikipedia, but see the animated movie if you haven't already. It was a favorite of my childhood. The statue was crowded when I got there, and it took a few minutes to get a picture because everyone was taking photos with Balto. Then I took one. :) read more

I was in the area and was checking out close attractions to see before I head home and saw this cute landmark. I strolled through Central Park looking for Balto and saw it in the far distance. Of course when I got to the statue there were groups of people waiting their turn to climb up and get pictures with Balto. I waited my turn on the nearby benches, no not to climb but just to get a solo flick of the infamous dog. I don't recall ever seeing the movie but will check it out after visiting the statue. Definitely a cute area to check out if you're on this side of Central Park. read more

Went to see this statue in Central Park as the wife knew about it. It's a nice statue in honor of a sled dog that was a major component in bringing a diphtheria vaccine to Alaska. Thus this was the origin of the Iditarod. I never knew that. read more

Balto - Apparently the Iditarod was originally to deliver antitoxin for a diphtheria outbreak. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - New York, New York

I first saw this statue in the movie and I knew I had to see it. Several visits later it's still iconic and simple. Well worth the trip if you find yourself in the park. Feel like a kid again. read more

Balto - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - New York, New York

A favorite of kids and, well c'mon, how can anyone not love this statue? Balto was a noble siberian husky who was the leader of a sled dog team that delivered medicine to save Alaskan children from an epidemic of diphtheria. Apparently he became famous as result and this statue by Frederick G.R. Roth was erected in his honor in 1925. Good dog. read more

Being from Alaska, it's very cool to see the statue of the legend you constantly hear about. It's also cool to see the statue featured in the Disney movie "Balto". If you're in the area, this is a must-see! read more

My 15 year old son has fond memories of reading the Balto story and watching the movie. We vivisted NYC for Spring Break and Balto was a must see on his list. We had a great walk through Central Park and then walked through the zoo as it was closing. Great experience! read more