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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Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
9,847 within 5 kms
Attractions
2,861 within 10 kms
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4.5
91 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
33
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
1
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, Canada90 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, NJ1,276 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, NY13,532 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, IL7,177 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, Philippines1,144 contributions
July 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, FL1,409 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.
Escape-overseas
Stevenage, UK1,708 contributions
Mar 2019
One of many bronze statues in the park, but this one is to 'man's best friend' to commemorate an Alaskan Husky who led a sledge of medical supplies through the Alaskan winter to put pay to an outbreak of diphtheria in 1925.
Written 14 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.
LexiV
Cleveland, OH1,682 contributions
Apr 2019 • Family
We stopped here in honor of Balto. The actual Balto is taxidermied in our local natural history museum and my kids love the movie so it was worth the stop for us. If you're coming from 5th Avenue just walk past the zoo and he's on your left.
Written 2 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.
Climb14ers
Colorado Springs, CO1,660 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
Dedicated to sled dogs. We were there on a rainly day so it was not too touristy. Definitely worth a stop.
Written 10 April 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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