Balto Statue
Balto Statue
4.5
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Upper East Side
Combining quiet residential neighbourhoods that have easy access to Central Park with world-famous cultural institutions, the Upper East Side is one of the most livable places in the city. Along beautiful Fifth Avenue, you’ll find Museum Mile, which houses many of the nation's most famous attractions in a single stretch, like The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. Walk a few blocks into the neighbourhood, and you’ll come to Park Avenue, the poshest address in the city, lined with grand apartment buildings as far as the eye can see. Even if you can’t afford the luxury goods along Madison Avenue, it’s still a great spot to window shop an afternoon away.
How to get there
- 68th St – Hunter College • 4 min walk
- Lexington Ave / 63rd St • 6 min walk
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9,963 within 5 kms
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2,904 within 10 kms
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
91 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
33
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
1
tomslaughter112
London, UK37 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
This is a fun little statue in Central Park and in my view is definitely worth a visit! My wife is a great fan of the Balto film and confirmed that the statue is befitting of this hero dog!
The statue is easy to locate on both Apple Maps and Google Maps so we had no problems with navigating our way to it. We visited on a Monday afternoon; although there were other tourists around who had also came to see the statue it was not super busy. We also saw children posing for pictures next to the statue which is very cute, albeit not totally safe since the statue is sited fairly high up on a rocky outcrop.
The statue is easy to locate on both Apple Maps and Google Maps so we had no problems with navigating our way to it. We visited on a Monday afternoon; although there were other tourists around who had also came to see the statue it was not super busy. We also saw children posing for pictures next to the statue which is very cute, albeit not totally safe since the statue is sited fairly high up on a rocky outcrop.
Written 14 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meg_Meg_Marie
Huntersville, NC203 contributions
Jan 2020
I think we all know by now that this statue should be of Togo. Togo ran 261 miles of the Great Race of Mercy as a sole lead dog of his team while Balto only ran the last 55 miles with a co-lead named Fox. With that being said, this statue is easy to find, and still really cool to see. It's amazing to think what these dogs are capable of, and how many people would have died if it wasn't for them.
Written 30 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randall
West Des Moines, IA121 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
I always thought the status was just a prop for the movie Balto until a few years ago. So when I decided to come to NYC, I went looking for this status (along with Strawberry Fields) I was not disappointed. The story of Balto and all the other sled dogs is interesting.
Written 27 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LMJST
Leonardtown, MD279 contributions
Aug 2019
My granddaughters always loved the movie Balto, watched it over and over again. And so, when we went to the Central Park Zoo last week as part of a 5 day trip to Manhattan, I reminded them that the statue would be close by. Here they are, now 16 years old (twins), and still they were thrilled to see THE statue from their beloved childhood movie. Brought a smile to my face (and a great wish to turn back time and have my little toddler granddaughters back, even for just a day!). This visit will now be a new favorite memory...
Written 22 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam
Elko, Canada89 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Visited the statue on a rainy Thursday. Cool statue dedicate to ALL the sled dogs and mushers who delivered diphtheria anti-toxin almost 700 miles from Nenana to Nome, Alaska. Balto happened to run the last 55 mile leg of the relay, and hence got the glory, so there is some controversy that surrounds this.
For more information on the 1925 serum run to Nome, consult your local library!
For more information on the 1925 serum run to Nome, consult your local library!
Written 25 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim
Jersey City, NJ1,273 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
Balto was the lead sled dog who led the sled dog team across a frozen lake in a snowstorm in 1925 with the life saving diptheria serum for children in Nome Alaska. In near whiteout conditions, the sled dog driver, in order to save time, trusted Balto to lead them across a frozen part of the sea on the way to Nome Alaska. And he made it!!! Many lives were saved. And this proud monument is dedicated towards his courage and skill. I am still in awe. Easy access to see the statue in Central Park, close to 67th Street. The statue is shown on most directories of what to see in the park. A great place for photos.
Written 23 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
robcurtross
New York City, NY13,438 contributions
Aug 2016 • Solo
This is a favorite stop on my hikes in the park.
Balto became a wonder in 1925, when the town of Nome, Alaska, was caught in a diphtheria epidemic, completely isolated from the outside world. Dr. Curtis Welch, the only physician in town, put out an urgent radio appeal for lifesaving antitoxin serum. Already several children had died and others were ill with the highly contagious disease. A hospital in Anchorage had a plentiful supply of fresh serum -- but how could it get to Nome in the dead of winter, with the ocean iced over, 700 miles from the nearest railroad?
State officials decided that the one sure way to get the serum through was by a continuous dog sled relay.
The honor of delivering the serum to Dr. Welch fell to an Alaskan dog sled master, Gunnar Kaasen, who had a team of Siberian huskies with a rookie lead dog named Balto. After the hand-off from the first dog sled team, Gunnar traversed the hellacious final 53 miles, with temperatures at 60 below zero and 70 mph winds.
Kaasen was blinded by the blizzard, which at times flipped the sled off the trail. He had to place all his trust in Balto. Second-to-last on the relay, Kaasen actually missed the hand-off to the last team -- remember, he was snowblind -- and continued on to Nome. They made it; the serum arrived on February 2, in time to halt the epidemic.
The heroic dogs toured the U.S., but their fame eventually faded, and the team was sold to a vaudeville promoter. In 1927, a Cleveland businessman visiting Los Angeles discovered the dogs on display, ill kept and in poor health. Cleveland schoolchildren donated pennies and residents chipped in to to raise $2,000 to buy Balto and the team. The money was raised and the team was brought to Cleveland.
After his death in 1933, Balto was stuffed and put on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where he still stands today.
Balto became a wonder in 1925, when the town of Nome, Alaska, was caught in a diphtheria epidemic, completely isolated from the outside world. Dr. Curtis Welch, the only physician in town, put out an urgent radio appeal for lifesaving antitoxin serum. Already several children had died and others were ill with the highly contagious disease. A hospital in Anchorage had a plentiful supply of fresh serum -- but how could it get to Nome in the dead of winter, with the ocean iced over, 700 miles from the nearest railroad?
State officials decided that the one sure way to get the serum through was by a continuous dog sled relay.
The honor of delivering the serum to Dr. Welch fell to an Alaskan dog sled master, Gunnar Kaasen, who had a team of Siberian huskies with a rookie lead dog named Balto. After the hand-off from the first dog sled team, Gunnar traversed the hellacious final 53 miles, with temperatures at 60 below zero and 70 mph winds.
Kaasen was blinded by the blizzard, which at times flipped the sled off the trail. He had to place all his trust in Balto. Second-to-last on the relay, Kaasen actually missed the hand-off to the last team -- remember, he was snowblind -- and continued on to Nome. They made it; the serum arrived on February 2, in time to halt the epidemic.
The heroic dogs toured the U.S., but their fame eventually faded, and the team was sold to a vaudeville promoter. In 1927, a Cleveland businessman visiting Los Angeles discovered the dogs on display, ill kept and in poor health. Cleveland schoolchildren donated pennies and residents chipped in to to raise $2,000 to buy Balto and the team. The money was raised and the team was brought to Cleveland.
After his death in 1933, Balto was stuffed and put on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where he still stands today.
Written 16 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Annaline
Park Ridge, IL7,156 contributions
Dec 2019
At evening hours you only know that this statue is a little bit different than all others around because of crowds with usually gathering around. Poorly lit at night. Plaques are not readable at evening
Written 9 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam B
Cebu City, Philippines1,139 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
The Balto Statue is located within Central Park and is pretty easy to find with the help of most online maps. It's a nice tribute to a Siberian Husky that trekked for hundreds of miles in freezing temperatures to deliver the diphtheria vaccine to fight the outbreak in Alaska. Definitely worth a visit if going to Central Park.
Written 26 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KC Gypsy Explorer
Crawfordville, FL1,399 contributions
May 2019 • Family
My grandaughter loved the Balto Statue. It is pretty large and sits on a small hill of rocks that the kids can climb on. Lots of kids were getting their photos taken.
Written 2 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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