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'''The Battery''' (formerly known as '''Battery Park''') is a {{Convert|25|acre|ha|adj=on}} [[public park]] located at the southern tip of [[Manhattan#Manhattan Island|Manhattan Island]] in [[New York City]] facing [[New York Harbor]]. It is bounded by Battery Place on the north, State Street on the east, New York Harbor to the south, and the [[Hudson River]] to the west. The park contains attractions such as an old fort named [[Castle Clinton]]; multiple monuments; and the [[SeaGlass Carousel]]. The surrounding area, known as [[South Ferry (Manhattan)|South Ferry]], contains multiple ferry terminals, including the [[Staten Island Ferry]]'s [[Whitehall Terminal]] as well as boat launches to the [[Statue of Liberty National Monument]].

The park and surrounding area is named for the [[artillery battery|artillery batteries]] that were built in the late 17th century to protect the settlement behind them. By the 1820s, the Battery had become an entertainment destination, with the conversion of Castle Clinton into a theater venue. During the mid-19th century, the modern-day Battery Park was constructed and Castle Clinton was converted into an immigration and customs center. The Battery was commonly known as the landing point for immigrants to New York City until 1890, when the Castle Clinton immigration center was replaced by one on [[Ellis Island]]. Castle Clinton then hosted the [[New York Aquarium]] from 1896 to 1941.

In 1940, the entirety of Battery Park was closed for twelve years due to the construction of the [[Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel]] and the [[Battery Park Underpass]]. The park reopened in 1952 after a renovation, but then subsequently went into decline. The Battery Conservancy, founded in 1994 by Warrie Price, underwrote and funded the restoration and improvement of the once-dilapidated park. In 2015, the Conservancy renamed the park to its historic name of "the Battery".

==History==
===Site===
The area was originally occupied by the [[Lenape]] Native Americans, though Dutch settlers populated the area as part of the settlement of [[New Amsterdam]] in the early 17th century.<ref name="Battery Highlights">{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/history|title=The Battery Highlights : NYC Parks|date=June 26, 1939|website=New York City Department of Parks & Recreation|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Jackson pp. 385-386">{{harvnb|ps=.|Jackson|2010|pp=385–386}}</ref><ref name="Gilder p. 4">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=4}}</ref> The Dutch referred to the southern tip of Manhattan as "Capske Hook" or "Capsie Hoek", the term coming from the Lenape word "Kapsee", meaning "rocky ledge".<ref name="Battery Highlights" /><ref name="Gilder p. 4" /><ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arkrCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA90|title=Gotham Unbound: The Ecological History of Greater New York|last=Steinberg|first=Ted|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4767-4128-4|location=|pages=90–91|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref>{{Rp|90}} Capske Hook was originally a narrow, hilly ledge that extended northward to [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], which at the time was a Lenape trail.<ref name="Gilder p. 4" /> In 1625–1626, the Dutch built [[Fort Amsterdam]] atop of a hill at the site of the present [[Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House]].<ref name="Gilder pp. 5-7">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|pp=5–7}}</ref><ref name="Davis 1854 p. 23">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ac6AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA23|title=History of New Amsterdam; or, New York as it was, in the days of the Dutch governors: 6 fine illustr|last=Davis|first=A.|publisher=Young|year=1854|page=23|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref><ref name="NPS p. 5">{{harvnb|ps=.|National Park Service|1960|p=5 (PDF p. 10)}}</ref> However, the fort was largely ineffective, despite several attempts at reconstruction.<ref name="NPS p. 5"/> The British took over the settlement in 1664 and renamed the defenses Fort James.<ref name="Jackson pp. 385-386" /><ref name="NPS p. 6">{{harvnb|ps=.|National Park Service|1960|p=6 (PDF p. 11)}}</ref><ref name="Gilder p. 252">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=17}}</ref> An [[artillery battery]] was installed at the fort in 1683, from which the Battery got its present name.<ref name="Battery Highlights" /><ref name="Gilder p. 25">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=25}}</ref><ref name="Transformation" /> The fortification would later be renamed several times more, before the British settled on the name of "[[Fort George, New York|Fort George]]" by 1714.<ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90" />{{Rp|90}}<ref name="NPS p. 6"/><ref name="Gilder p. 113"/>
[[File:View of Battery Park 1793.jpg|thumb|1793 rendering of the flagpole and recent plantings at the Battery|alt=|left]]

The Battery did not fire any additional shots until 1776 during the [[American Revolutionary War]],<ref name="NPS p. 6" /> when American troops commandeered the fort.<ref name="NPS p. 7">{{harvnb|ps=.|National Park Service|1960|p=7 (PDF p. 12)}}</ref> The Americans failed to prevent the British from sailing up the [[Hudson River]], though.<ref name="NPS p. 7" /><ref name="Gilder p. 93">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=93}}</ref> Following the British [[landing at Kip's Bay]] on September 15, 1776, the Americans had abandoned the fort, and the British took Lower Manhattan.<ref name="NPS p. 7" /><ref name="Gilder p. 88">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=88}}</ref>  At the end of the war in 1783, the Battery was the center of [[Evacuation Day (New York)|Evacuation Day]] celebrations commemorating the departure of the last British troops in the United States; the event was later commemorated with the erection of a flagstaff.<ref name="Gilder pp. 102-103">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|pp=102–103}}</ref>{{Efn|The Battery Flagstaff, built on newly reclaimed land on the Battery, was replaced in 1809 and demolished about 1825. In 1809, the new flagstaff further east on the Battery with a decorative [[gazebo]], which was operated as a concession.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mQnTQjSS5qEC&pg=PA9|title=Writing New York: A Literary Anthology|last=Lopate|first=Phillip|date=2000|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=|isbn=9780671042356|location=|pages=9|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FQ9IAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA98-IA14|title=Pictures of Early New York on Dark Blue Staffordshire Pottery: Together with Pictures of Boston and New England, Philadelphia, the South and West|last=Halsey|first=Richard Townley Haines|date=1899|publisher=Dodd, Mead|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/timeline/oldest-parks|title=The Oldest Parks : Online Historic Tour : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=November 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AwoIAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA402|title=The iconography of Manhattan Island|last=Stokes|first=I. N. Phelps|date=|publisher=Robert H. Dodd|year=1915|isbn=9785871799505|location=|pages=402|language=en|quote=|author-link=Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fn8_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236|title=A History of the People of the United States|last=McMaster|first=John Bach|date=|publisher=D. Appleton|year=1915|isbn=|volume=Volume II 1790–1803|location=|pages=|language=en|quote=|via=}}</ref> In August 1863, the Battery Flagstaff was destroyed by a lightning strike; it was subsequently replaced.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1863/08/07/news/the-storm-yesterday.html|title=The Storm Yesterday.|date=August 7, 1863|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1863/08/20/news/general-city-news.html|title=General City News.|date=August 20, 1863|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>}} By 1788, Fort George had been demolished, and debris from the fort was used to expand the Battery.<ref name="Battery Highlights" /><ref name="Gilder p. 113">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=113}}</ref><ref name="Jackson p. 472">{{harvnb|Jackson|2010|ps=.|p=472}}</ref> The fort itself became the site of [[Government House (New York City)|Government House]], an executive mansion intended for U.S. president [[George Washington]], though never actually used for that purpose.<ref name="Stokes 1915-1928">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/iconographyofman06stok|title=The iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909 : compiled from original sources and illustrated by photo-intaglio reproductions of important maps, plans, views, and documents in public and private collections|author=Phelps Stokes|first=Isaac Newton|publisher=Martino Fine Books Lawbook Exchange|year=1915–1928|isbn=978-1-886363-30-4|publication-place=Mansfield Centre, Conn. Union, N.J|page=|oclc=37341474}}</ref>{{Rp|[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_5800727_005/pages/ldpd_5800727_005_00000324.html v. 5, p. 1252]}}<ref name="NPS p. 7" />

In 1808–1811, just prior to the [[War of 1812]], the West Battery was erected on a small artificial offshore island nearby, to replace the earlier batteries in the area.<ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90" />{{Rp|91}}<ref name="Transformation" /><ref name="Jackson p. 102">{{harvnb|ps=.|Jackson|2010|p=102}}</ref> At the time, the shore at the Battery was a relatively flat edge.<ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90" />{{Rp|91}} The West Battery was never used,<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/07/14/archives/city-will-dedicate-new-battery-park-reopens-its-earliest-historic.html|title=City Will Dedicate New Battery Park; Reopens Its Earliest Historic Site Tomorrow, Restoring Landmark of 4 Centuries|date=July 14, 1952|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> and following the war, the artillery battery was renamed [[Castle Clinton]].<ref name="Battery Highlights" /> When Battery Park's landmass was created, it encircled and incorporated the island.<ref name="Transformation" /><ref name="tb">[http://www.thebattery.org/the-battery/history/ History of The Battery], The Battery Conservancy. Retrieved December 1, 2014.</ref> About {{Convert|3|acre|ha|abbr=}} were added to the park area in 1824.<ref name="Gilder p. 187">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=187}}</ref> Meanwhile, Castle Clinton was turned over to the city government, which turned the structure into an entertainment venue.<ref name="Battery Highlights" /><ref name="Jackson p. 102" /> It subsequently served various purposes, including as an [[immigration]] and [[customs]] center as well as an [[aquarium]].<ref name="Jackson p. 102" />

=== Creation ===
[[File:Jwatsonhouse.JPG|thumb|The [[James Watson House]], 1793–1806, attributed to [[John McComb Jr.]], and adjoining shrine to St. [[Elizabeth Ann Seton]] face Battery Park|alt=]]By the 1840s, members of the city's elite were publicly calling for the construction of a new large park in Manhattan. Proponents said that the park would serve three purposes: abetting good health, improving the behavior of the "disorderly classes", and showcasing the refinement of the city's elite.<ref name="Rosenzweig Blackmar">{{Cite Central Park History}}</ref>{{rp|23}} At the time, Manhattan's seventeen squares comprised a combined {{Convert|165|acre|ha|abbr=}} of land, the largest of which was the {{Convert|10|acre|ha|abbr=|adj=on}} park at the Battery.<ref name="Rosenzweig Blackmar" />{{rp|18–19}} Two sites were considered for a large park: [[Jones's Wood]], and the present site of [[Central Park]].<ref name="Rosenzweig Blackmar" />{{rp|20}} An alternate suggestion was to enlarge the existing Battery Park, a move endorsed by most of the public.<ref name="Rosenzweig Blackmar" />{{rp|43–44}} However, the expansion of Battery Park was opposed by wealthy merchants who deemed the proposed enlargement to be dangerous to maritime traffic, and they obtained the opinion of a [[United States Navy]] lieutenant who agreed with them.<ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90" />{{Rp|92–93}} As a compromise, New York City's aldermen also voted to expand Battery Park to {{Convert|24|acre|ha|abbr=}}.<ref name="Rosenzweig Blackmar" />{{rp|43–44}} Ultimately, the plans for the large park would result in the construction of Central Park.<ref name="Rosenzweig Blackmar" />{{rp|52–53}}

The relatively modern Battery Park was mostly created by [[land reclamation|landfill]] starting from 1855, using earth from street-widening projects in Lower Manhattan which united Castle Garden's island with the "mainland" of Manhattan. The original shoreline is roughly the modern-day park's eastern boundary at State Street.<ref name="Battery Highlights" /><ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90" />{{Rp|91}} On State Street, the former harbor front and the northern boundary of the park, a single Federal mansion, the [[James Watson House]], survives as part of the Shrine of Saint [[Elizabeth Ann Seton]].<ref name="nycland">{{cite nycland}}</ref>{{Rp|8}}<ref name="aia">{{cite aia5}}</ref>{{Rp|11}}

By 1870, there were plans to improve Battery Park and Bowling Green, which were seen as having degraded substantially due to overuse. Paths were to be laid through both parks, intersecting with a plaza to be built outside Castle Clinton.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1870/06/29/archives/the-city-parks-what-is-to-be-done-with-the-city-hall-park.html|title=The City Parks; What is to be Done with the City Hall Park, Bowling-Green, the Battery and Other Open Places|date=June 29, 1870|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> [[City Pier A]], located immediately north of Castle Clinton, was commissioned in 1886 and completed two years after.<ref name="nycland" />{{Rp|7}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/25/archives/180000-to-restore-old-pier-at-battery-registered-as-a-historic.html|title=$180,000 to Restore Old Pier at Battery|last=Tomasson|first=Robert E.|date=December 25, 1976|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> The building originally housed the New York City Board of Dock Commissioners<ref name="nycland" />{{Rp|7}} and subsequently was used as a fireboat station until 1992.<ref name="Amato 2014">{{cite web|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2014/11/16/10022750/after-long-wait-restored-pier-a-restaurant-finally-opens|title=After Long Wait, Restored Pier A Restaurant Finally Opens|last=Amato|first=Rowley|date=November 16, 2014|website=Curbed NY|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>

==== Elevated and subway lines ====
Several elevated railroad lines or "els" were being built to Battery Park by the late 19th century, but they were controversial for several reasons. Because the els were originally pulled by steam trains until 1902, this caused substantial pollution at Battery Park.<ref name="Gilder pp. 213-215">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|pp=213–215}}</ref> The [[New York Elevated Railroad Company]] opened the [[Battery Place (IRT Ninth Avenue Line)|Battery Place]] elevated station at Battery Place, on the park's northern end, in 1872. This was followed by the opening of the two-track [[South Ferry (IRT elevated station)|South Ferry]] elevated station at the park's southern end in 1877.<ref>{{cite web|title=Along the Line|website=Time Traveling on the NYC Ninth Ave El|date=February 18, 1903|url=http://databear.webs.com/alongtheline.htm|accessdate=October 26, 2015}}</ref> New York Elevated Railroad agreed to beautify Battery Park as a condition of being allowed to construct the station, but the elevated station's construction soon prompted opposition among people who wanted the elevated tracks removed.<ref>{{cite web | title=The New-York Elevated Road; The Anderman Demanding The Removal Of Its Tracks From The Battery Park | website=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331 | date=January 9, 2019 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1878/12/18/archives/the-newyork-elevated-road-the-anderman-demanding-the-removal-of-its.html | access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>

A larger four-track station was built nearby in 1879, serving the [[IRT Second Avenue Line|Second]], [[IRT Third Avenue Line|Third]], [[IRT Sixth Avenue Line|Sixth]], and [[IRT Ninth Avenue Line|Ninth]] Avenue Lines. In 1883, the state legislature established a committee to examine the process through which permission had been granted to construct the elevated station.<ref>{{cite web | title=Elevated Road Encroachment.; The Assembly Decides To Investigate The Battery Park Matter | website=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331 | date=January 17, 1883 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1883/01/17/archives/elevated-road-encroachment-the-assembly-decides-to-investigate-the.html | access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> The following year, New York Elevated proposed to extend the platforms of the Battery Place station over Battery Park because the platforms were too short to accommodate four-car trains.<ref>{{cite web | title=Threatening Battery Park.; What The Elevated Road Wants To Take To Save Itself Expense | website=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331 | date=March 22, 1884 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1884/03/22/archives/threatening-battery-park-what-the-elevated-road-wants-to-take-to.html | access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> Another plan, which would have created elevated track loops over Battery Park, was rejected in 1887 as being unlawful.<ref>{{cite web | title=Keeping Off The Battery; The Proposed Elevated Road Loop Dropped | website=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331 | date=June 24, 1887 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1887/06/24/archives/keeping-off-the-battery-the-proposed-elevated-road-loop-dropped-the.html | access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Gilder pp. 213-215" /> Other unsuccessful plans to build elevated tracks over Battery Park were proposed in 1889<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1889/04/09/archives/juggling-with-the-facts-another-attempt-to-grab-battery-park-the.html|title=Juggling with the Facts; Another Attempt to Grab Battery Park|date=April 9, 1889|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> and 1891.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1891/03/13/archives/that-battery-park-grab-mclelland-introduced-it-but-may-oppose-it-a.html|title=That Battery Park Grab; M'clelland Introduced It, but May Oppose It|date=March 13, 1891|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref>

By 1900, the els were considered a nuisance, and there were calls to destroy the segments of elevated tracks that ran directly over the park,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1900/04/28/archives/elevated-in-battery-park-mr-clausen-on-removal-plan-asks-company-to.html|title=Elevated in Battery Park; Mr. Clausen on Removal Plan – Asks Company to Decide Quickly.|date=April 28, 1900|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> though this did not come to pass for another fifty years.<ref name="NYT1950">{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/12/23/87087452.pdf|title=Old 'El' Link End Its 72-Year Uproar — Lower East Side Residents Are Happy and Mission Head Now Expects to Sleep|last1=Parke|first1=Richard H.|date=December 23, 1950|newspaper=New York Times|accessdate=November 8, 2016|page=30}}</ref> In 1903, a state assemblyman proposed a bill that would give the elevated railroad companies the exclusive rights to build a rail terminal at Battery Park, precluding the construction of the [[Interborough Rapid Transit Company]] (IRT)'s underground subway.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1903/02/28/archives/terminals-in-battery-park-agnew-bill-would-permit-one-for-the.html|title=Terminals in Battery Park; Agnew Bill Would Permit One for the Elevated Lines Only.|last=Times|first=Special to The New York|date=February 28, 1903|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> The bill was not passed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1903/04/09/archives/battery-park-bill-killed-assembly-refuses-to-legalize-the-manhattan.html|title=Battery Park Bill Killed.; Assembly Refuses to Legalize the Manhattan Company's Occupation of Public Ground.|last=Times|first=Special to The New York|date=April 9, 1903|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> By that time, the [[IRT Lexington Avenue Line]], the [[Joralemon Street Tunnel]] to [[Brooklyn]], and the [[South Ferry loops|South Ferry]] subway terminal were being built directly under the park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1904/02/14/archives/tunneling-problems-under-battery-park-work-done-several-feet-below.html|title=Tunneling Problems Under Battery Park; Work Done Several Feet Below the Water Level|date=February 14, 1904|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> The South Ferry station opened in 1905,<ref name=":14">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1905/07/10/archives/subway-trains-running-from-bronx-to-battery-west-farms-and-south.html|title=Subway Trains Running From Bronx To Battery; West Farms and South Ferry Stations Open at Midnight|date=July 10, 1905|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> while the Joralemon Street Tunnel opened in 1908.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1908/01/10/archives/brooklyn-joyful-over-its-tunnel-borough-square-thronged-for.html|title=Brooklyn Joyful Over Its Tunnel; Borough Square Thronged for Celebration of First Official Trip Under the River|date=January 10, 1908|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref>

Another early method of transportation was by [[List of streetcar lines in Manhattan|streetcars]], which stopped at Battery Place and traveled up both sides of Manhattan Island.<ref name="Gilder pp. 213-215" /> These streetcar lines terminated at South Ferry and included what are now the {{NYC bus link|M7|M20|M55|M103|prose=y}} bus routes.{{efn|Respectively, the M7, M20, M55, and M103 were the streetcar lines running on [[Columbus Avenue (Manhattan)|Columbus Avenue]]/[[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], [[Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)|Eighth Avenue]], [[Riverside Drive (Manhattan)|Riverside Drive]]/Broadway, and [[Third Avenue]]/[[Lexington Avenue]].<ref name="Meyers 2005"/>}} The streetcars were eliminated by 1936, though only some were replaced by buses.<ref name="Meyers 2005">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTj1tGfHu4oC|title=Manhattan's Lost Streetcars|last=Meyers|first=S.L.|publisher=Arcadia|year=2005|isbn=978-0-7385-3884-6|series=Images of rail|location=|access-date=May 18, 2019|pages=52, 84}}</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Battery Park 002.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|The New York Aquarium used to be housed in [[Castle Clinton]] (image before 1923)]]
By the 20th century, the quality of Battery Park had started to decline, and several new structures were being proposed within the park itself, though most plans faced opposition and were not built.<ref name="Gilder pp. 240-241">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=240}}</ref> For instance, in 1901, a large memorial arch to honor [[United States Navy]] soldiers was proposed within the park.<ref name="Gilder pp. 240-241" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/03/06/archives/memorial-arch-in-the-battery-park-plans-of-the-great-monument-to-be.html|title=Memorial Arch In The Battery Park; Plans of the Great Monument to be Submitted.|date=March 6, 1901|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> Another monument, to steamboat operator [[Robert Fulton]], was proposed in September 1905 by Gustav H. Schwab.<ref name="Gilder pp. 240-241" /> There was also a bill to construct a playground in the park, which was vetoed in 1903.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1903/03/24/archives/mayor-turns-tables-on-finn-he-vetoes-a-bill-for-battery-park.html|title=Mayor Turns Tables On Finn; He Vetoes a Bill for Battery Park Playground|date=March 24, 1903|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> Opposition to structures in Battery Park was such that even the construction of the IRT subway under Battery Park was opposed by the Manhattan parks commissioner.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31424468/|title=Mr. Herrman Protests – Objects to Further Subway Encroachments on Battery Park|date=October 16, 1906|work=New-York Tribune|access-date=May 10, 2019|page=7|via=Newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> Other proposals included a 1910 plan to expand the Aquarium into Battery Park,<ref name="Gilder p. 241">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=241}}</ref> and a proposal for an athletic jogging field the following year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1911/10/12/archives/battery-park-and-athletics.html|title=Battery Park and Athletics|date=October 12, 1911|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> Furthermore, during World War I, there was a plan to construct a federal government building on the site, but this was withdrawn after the U.S. government found new premises following opposition to the project.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31424766/|title=Battery Park Is Saved By Women|date=August 14, 1918|work=New York Herald|access-date=May 10, 2019|page=12|via=Newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref>

Proposals to redesign Battery Park continued through the next decade. An expansion of the New York Aquarium within the park was announced in 1921,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1921/04/19/archives/aquarium-to-be-enlarged-monsters-of-sea-to-be-shown-in-new-tanks-at.html|title=Aquarium To Be Enlarged; Monsters of Sea to Be Shown in New Tanks at Battery Park.|date=April 19, 1921|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> and a new memorial plaque was unveiled the same year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1921/11/28/archives/east-side-heroes-honored-tablet-unveiled-in-battery-park-despite-in.html|title=East Side Heroes Honored; Tablet Unveiled In Battery Park, Despite Inclement Weather.|date=November 28, 1921|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> By 1926, a group called the Battery Park Association had formed a committee to study ways to improve the park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1926/12/04/archives/for-better-battery-park-association-calls-upon-wh-childs-to-name.html|title=For Better Battery Park; Association Calls Upon W.H. Childs to Name Committee.|date=December 4, 1926|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref> In 1928, it was proposed to remove the els from Battery Park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/05/16/archives/moves-to-raze-the-elevated-at-battery-park-herrick-says-it-is-there.html|title=Moves to Raze the Elevated at Battery Park; Herrick Says It is There by Permit Only|date=May 16, 1928|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref> The following year, an immigrants' memorial was proposed within Battery Park, and the park itself was proposed for reconstruction into a formal vista.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/02/03/archives/a-new-battery-park-as-designers-see-it-the-immigrants-monument.html|title=A New Battery Park as Designers See It; the Immigrants' Monument|last=Wilson|first=P. W.|date=February 3, 1929|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref>

In 1940, Battery Park was partially closed for the construction of the [[Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel]], and the aquarium was shuttered.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1941/05/13/archives/new-moses-plan-dooms-aquarium-he-also-would-take-2-more-acres-from.html|title=New Moses Plan Dooms Aquarium; He Also Would Take 2 More Acres From Sea for Battery Park as Tube Is Built|date=May 13, 1941|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> Subsequently, several plans to modify Battery Park were proposed. A design competition to rebuild Battery Park was hosted in 1941,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/07/11/archives/architects-to-compete-71-to-submit-their-plans-for-a-new-battery.html|title=Architects to Compete; 71 to Submit Their Plans for a New Battery Park|date=July 11, 1942|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> and a plan to replace Castle Clinton with a Fort Clinton memorial was also brought up.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/04/10/archives/a-proposed-improvement-for-the-citys-battery-park.html|title=A Proposed Improvement for the City's Battery Park|date=April 10, 1947|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref>  During the park's closure, its northern end was used to store debris.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/07/15/archives/facelifting-near-for-battery-park-northeast-part-now-cluttered-with.html|title=Face-Lifting Near For Battery Park; Northeast Part, Now Cluttered With Tunnel Job Debris, to Be Fixed Up by Autumn|date=July 15, 1950|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref> A second tunnel, the [[Battery Park Underpass]], started construction in 1949.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/02/01/archives/breaking-ground-for-9500000-battery-park-project.html|title=Breaking Ground for $9,500,000 Battery Park Project|date=February 1, 1949|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> The following year, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel opened,<ref name=":23">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/05/26/archives/brooklyn-tunnel-costing-80000000-opened-by-mayor-marking-opening-of.html|title=Brooklyn Tunnel Costing $80,000,000 Opened By Mayor|last=Ingraham|first=Joseph C.|date=May 26, 1950|newspaper=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|accessdate=March 6, 2010}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite news|url=https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53869494/|title=Boro-Battery Tube Opens|date=February 23, 1949|work=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]|access-date=March 22, 2018|pages=1, 5|language=en|via=Brooklyn Public Library; newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> and the South Ferry elevated station was removed after the closure of the last elevated line leading to the station.<ref name="NYT1950" /> After the underpass was completed in 1951,<ref name=":16">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/04/11/archives/city-opens-underpass-at-battery-10000000-link-in-express-route-new.html|title=City Opens Underpass at Battery, $10,000,000 Link in Express Route|date=April 11, 1951|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> the park was re-landscaped and expanded by {{convert|2|acre|ha}}, and it reopened in 1952.<ref name="Jackson p. 102" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/07/17/archives/battery-park-restored.html|title=Battery Park Restored|date=July 17, 1952|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 10, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In Battery Park's new layout, it contained a landscaped [[esplanade]], a raised waterfront terrace, and an oval lawn with a playground. Various statues, formerly scattered across the park, were rearranged in patterns. The reconstruction of Battery Park had cost roughly $2.38 million.<ref name=":4" />
[[File:Battery Park, Manhattan - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A tree in Battery Park]]
Several memorials opened through the mid-20th century. Peter Minuit Plaza and a [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] memorial were both dedicated in 1955,<ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1955/05/31/archives/memorial-honors-coast-guardsmen-statue-dedicated-in-battery-park-is.html|title=Memorial Honors Coast Guardsmen; Statue Dedicated in Battery Park Is Called Permanent Testimony to Arm's Valor|date=May 31, 1955|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref> and the [[#East Coast Memorial|East Coast Memorial]] was dedicated in 1963.<ref name=":3" /> Additionally, a {{Convert|2500|ft|m|-tall|abbr=|adj=mid}} "space needle" with office and commercial space, twice the height of the [[Empire State Building]], was proposed for the Battery in the 1960s, while discussions were ongoing on where to put the additional earth created from the [[construction of the World Trade Center]]. The building would have been placed partially on landfill adjacent to the Battery.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/06/11/archives/a-halfmilehigh-needle-proposed-in-battery-park.html|title=A Half-Mile-High Needle Proposed in Battery Park|date=June 11, 1967|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4SY5KxTWrSIC&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=%22battery+park%22+%22needle%22+1967&source=bl&ots=nkRVxxnC56&sig=ACfU3U1F9rfoWkDrFxDRHxH0cmupyXXVzQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiGx8XpmJHiAhWkg-AKHVEUDOsQ6AEwCnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22battery%20park%22%20%22needle%22%201967&f=false|title=Battery Park City: Politics and Planning on the New York Waterfront|last=Gordon|first=David L. A.|date=November 12, 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781136647604|language=en}}</ref> The "needle" was never built, and the earth was used as landfill for the creation of [[Battery Park City]], just to the north of Battery Park.<ref name=":5" /> By 1971, Battery Park was so dilapidated that a U.S. representative from Missouri, [[Richard Howard Ichord Jr.]], called the litter-ridden park "a national disgrace" and proposed that two [[National Park Service]] employees be hired to clean up the park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/04/archives/missourian-asks-us-hand-in-cleanup-of-battery-park.html|title=Missourian Asks U.S. Hand In Cleanup of Battery Park|last=Hudson|first=Edward|date=August 4, 1971|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> Castle Clinton was restored several years later, and reopened in 1975.<ref name=":30">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/21/archives/castle-clinton-reopens-as-national-monument.html|title=Castle Clinton Reopens As National Monument|date=June 21, 1975|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref>

In 1982, Battery Park and multiple other "historic waterfront sites" were designated by the government of New York State as part of a zone called "Harbor Park".<ref name="Battery Highlights"/><ref name="Jackson p. 102" /> The other sites included [[South Street Seaport]] in Manhattan, Liberty and Ellis Islands in New York Harbor, [[Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn|Fulton Ferry]] in Brooklyn, and [[Sailors' Snug Harbor]] in [[Staten Island]], which were to be linked by new ferry routes. The Harbor Park legislation was part of a city proposal to create a larger tourist destination out of these sites, focused chiefly around New York Harbor's history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/16/nyregion/city-seeking-to-link-6-sites-as-a-harbor-park.html|title=City Seeking to Link 6 Sites as a Harbor Park|last=Carmody|first=Deirdre|date=December 16, 1984|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref> The "park" was opened in July 1984.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31591583/|title=New park opens|date=July 12, 1984|work=New York Daily News|access-date=May 10, 2019|page=449|via=Newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref>

=== Restoration and 21st century ===
Battery Park City was constructed as a luxury waterfront neighborhood through the 1970s and 1980s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/20/magazine/battery-park-city-new-york-s-newest-neighborhood-to-the-heights-of-simplicity.html|title=Battery Park City: New York's Newest Neighborhood; To the Heights of Simplicity|last=Goldberger|first=Paul|date=November 20, 1988|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref> The success of the development resulted in attention and new funding for Battery Park projects, such as $5 million for a garden near Castle Clinton.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/19/realestate/battery-park-city-a-new-phase-begins.html|title=Battery Park City: A New Phase Begins|last=Peterson|first=Iver|date=June 19, 1988|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref> In 1988, governor [[Mario Cuomo]] and mayor [[Ed Koch]] announced a $100 million plan to construct two new parks in Battery Park City and rearrange the park at the Battery as part of a new Hudson River waterfront park system. Part of the waterfront park system had been completed previously, but the new proposal would complete the system of parks. Within Battery Park, the Battery Park City Authority would add new entrances and redesign the park to give clearer views of the Hudson River.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/05/nyregion/new-plans-for-parks-at-battery.html|title=New Plans For Parks At Battery|last=McGill|first=Douglas C.|date=May 5, 1988|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref>

However, by the 1990s, Battery Park was worn down, and many of the nearby residents and tourists shunned it altogether, except when taking boats to the [[Statue of Liberty]] and Ellis Island. ''The New York Times'' said of the park, "Some benches are broken, all need repainting. Where grass should be, there is dirt and litter. A sign with a map and guide is so smeared with graffiti it is unreadable. There are potholes on the asphalt where people line up for boats to the Statue of Liberty."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/01/nyregion/a-critical-tour-of-the-empire-battery-park-to-high-bridge.html|title=A Critical Tour of the Empire: Battery Park to High Bridge . . .|last=Martin|first=Douglas|date=May 1, 1994|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref> The nonprofit Battery Conservancy was created in 1994,<ref name="Jackson p. 102" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://commercialobserver.com/2016/03/warrie-price-is-remaking-the-tip-of-lower-manhattan/|title=Warrie Price is Remaking the Tip of Lower Manhattan|last=La Guerre|first=Liam|date=March 16, 2016|website=Commercial Observer|language=en|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref> and one of its first actions was to create an architectural plan for the park, and renovating it for $30 million.<ref name=":0" />  In 1998, the administration of mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]] announced a $40 million initiative to renovate Battery Park. The restoration project, based on similar successful projects at [[Bryant Park|Bryant]] and Central Parks, called for the relocation of the Battery's 23 statues, as well as an expansion of Castle Clinton. Much of the funding was to be raised privately, and at the time, this was thought to be a minor obstacle since Battery Park was neither as high-profile as Central Park, nor as worn-down as Bryant Park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/09/nyregion/making-battery-park-a-place-to-linger.html|title=Making Battery Park A Place to Linger|last=Lueck|first=Thomas J.|date=May 9, 1998|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref>

One of the first renovation projects to commence was the reconstruction of the park's seawall and promenade at a cost of $5.5 million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/02/realestate/postings-concert-mark-start-5.5-million-restoration-recharging-battery-park-s.html|title=Postings: Concert to Mark Start of $5.5 Million Restoration;Recharging Battery Park's Seawall and Promenade|date=June 2, 1996|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref> Although Battery Park was used as an emergency staging site following the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, construction on the upper promenade continued largely uninterrupted, and it opened in December 2001.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/09/nyregion/the-battery-is-up-for-once-with-a-remade-park.html|title=The Battery Is Up, for Once, With a Remade Park|last=Stewart|first=Barbara|date=December 9, 2001|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> The Battery Bosque, a new landscaped garden, opened in 2005.<ref name=":27">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/02/garden/grove-at-the-battery-is-ready-to-reopen.html|title=Grove at the Battery Is Ready to Reopen|last=Raver|first=Anne|date=June 2, 2005|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/news/press-releases?id=19611|title=Press Releases : NYC Parks: Castle Garden Celebrates its 150th Year With New Battery Bosque and Launch of Castlegarden.org|date=August 1, 2005|website=New York City Department of Parks & Recreation|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:EHB 9126 (21727591991).jpg|left|thumb|SeaGlass Carousel, opened 2015]]
Some restoration projects were undertaken in Battery Park in the 2010s, including the addition of a community garden, the renovation of a promenade, and the construction of the [[SeaGlass Carousel]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thevillager.com/2012/06/digging-big-in-battery-park/|title=Digging big in Battery Park|date=June 13, 2012|website=The Villager|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref> By June 2012, a third of the park was being cordoned off for these construction projects, though the park itself remained open, serving 10,000 to 15,000 daily visitors.<ref name=":2" /> In October of that year, [[Hurricane Sandy]] caused [[Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New York|severe damage]] to the area, submerging the park under salt water for several hours. the Battery Conservancy restored the wooded areas within Battery Park, as well as added gardens and green patches to mitigate the effects of future storms.<ref name=":1" /> Though the SeaGlass Carousel was left largely intact during Hurricane Sandy, its opening was delayed. Following the storm, the attraction was supposed to open in late 2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thevillager.com/2013/05/carousels-on-track-as-battery-park-recovers-from-sandy/|title=Carousel's on track as Battery Park recovers from Sandy|date=April 1, 2013|website=The Villager|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref> but did not actually open until August 2015.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Dunlap" />

The [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]] restored the park's original, historical title of "The Battery" in 2015.<ref name="Transformation" /> By the following year, the Battery Conservancy had raised $46 million in private funding over its 22-year existence, as well as $92 million in city funding. The conservancy planned to use these funds to make additional improvements to the park.<ref name=":1" /> These projects included the Battery Oval, which opened in 2016,<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2016/06/25/relax-at-the-lush-new-battery-oval-downtown-this-weekend/|title=Relax at the lush new Battery Oval downtown this weekend|last=Borrello|first=Michael|date=June 25, 2016|website=New York Post|language=en|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":18">{{Cite web|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2016/6/24/12022624/battery-park-new-lawn-financial-district|title=Battery Park's New Lawn, Battery Oval, Debuting This Weekend|last=Walker|first=Ameena|date=June 24, 2016|website=Curbed NY|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>  as well as a {{convert|1.4|acre|ha|adj=on}} playground called the Playscape, which has been proposed to open in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amny.com/news/battery-nyc-park-1.18221625|title=5 things to know about The Battery|date=April 23, 2018|website=am New York|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebattery.org/in-design/playscape/|title=The Playscape – New York City Playgrounds|website=The Battery|access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref>

==Notable attractions==
[[File:Bowling Green-Battery Pk 33 - Korean War Memorial.jpg|thumb|Korean War memorial in the Battery]]
The Battery contains multiple attractions and points of interest. [[Castle Clinton]], a former fort,<ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90" />{{Rp|91}}<ref name="Transformation" /><ref name="Jackson p. 102" /> lies near the northwestern corner of the Battery and serves as the park's main attraction.<ref name=":19" /> To its north is the former fireboat station, [[City Pier A|Pier A]],<ref name=":19" /> which since 2014 has been used as a restaurant.<ref name="Amato 2014" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tribecacitizen.com/2014/11/15/pier-a-is-now-open-and-its-gorgeous/|website=Tribeca Citizen |title=Pier A Is Now Open—and It's Gorgeous||language=en-US|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> Another eatery, the Battery Gardens restaurant,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/opportunities/concessions/listing?id=671|title=Concessions Directory |website= NYC Parks|date=June 26, 1939|publisher=New York City Department of Parks & Recreation|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> is located next to the United States Coast Guard Battery Building.<ref name=":19" />

Located nearby is a {{Convert|4|acre|ha|abbr=|adj=on}} garden called the Battery Bosque, which was designed by Dutch landscape architect [[Piet Oudolf]] and is centered around a grove of 140 [[Platanus|plane trees]].<ref name=":27" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebattery.org/destinations/gardens/|title=Battery Gardens – New York City Gardens|date=December 30, 2017|website=The Battery|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> An additional grove of 15 trees was dedicated at the park in 1976 as a gift from the city of [[Jerusalem]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/09/archives/jerusalems-mayor-gives-15-trees-to-battery-park.html|title=Jerusalem's Mayor Gives 15 Trees to Battery Park|last=Shenker|first=Israel|date=July 9, 1976|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> This area, located northwest of Castle Clinton, is called Jerusalem Grove.<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/814|title=The Battery Monuments – Jerusalem Grove|website= NYC Parks|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> The northeastern corner hosts a lawn called the Battery Oval.<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/map|title=The Battery Map |website= NYC Parks||publisher=New York City Department of Parks & Recreation||access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> The {{Convert|90000|ft2|m2|abbr=|adj=on}} lawn opened in 2016 as part of a major restoration of the park,<ref name=":17" /><ref name=":18" /> and contains turf made of [[Kentucky bluegrass]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thevillager.com/2016/04/oval-reveal-the-batterys-new-lawn-to-open-in-june/|title=Oval reveal: The Battery's new lawn to open in June|date=April 21, 2016|website=The Villager|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> Along the waterfront, [[Statue Cruises]] offers [[ferry|ferries]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]] and [[Ellis Island]].<ref name=":19" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/directions.htm|title=Directions – Statue Of Liberty National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)|website=nps.gov|publisher=National Park Service|language=en|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>

The southwestern corner of the Battery contains the SeaGlass Carousel, an attraction with [[bioluminescent]] design<ref name="Dunlap">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/arts/design/new-yorks-new-carousel-puts-you-in-a-whirling-school-of-mechanized-fish.html|title=New York's New Carousel Puts You in a Whirling School of Mechanized Fish|date=August 13, 2015|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last=Dunlap|first=David|authorlink=David W. Dunlap|accessdate=August 14, 2015}}</ref> that pays homage not only to the carousel's waterfront site, but also to Castle Clinton's former status as an aquarium.<ref name="Transformation">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/nyregion/a-transformation-21-years-in-the-making-at-the-battery.html|title=A Transformation at the Battery, 21 Years in the Making|date=May 27, 2015|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last=Dunlap|first=David|authorlink=David W. Dunlap|accessdate=August 14, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Dunlap" /> The southeastern corner contains [[Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal|Peter Minuit Plaza]], an [[intermodal passenger transport]] hub. The plaza hosts a bus terminal for the {{NYC bus link|M5|M15 SBS|M20|prose=y}} buses, an entrance to the [[Staten Island Ferry]]'s [[Whitehall Terminal]], entrances to the [[New York City Subway]]'s [[South Ferry/Whitehall Street (New York City Subway)|South Ferry/Whitehall Street]] station, and taxi stands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thevillager.com/2011/05/peter-minuit-plaza-opens-with-dutch-feeling/|title=Peter Minuit Plaza opens with Dutch feeling|date=May 18, 2011|website=The Villager|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://therealdeal.com/2011/05/26/new-amsterdam-pavilion-adds-excitement-to-peter-minuit-plaza-according-to-james-gardner/|title=New Amsterdam Pavilion adds excitement to Peter Minuit Plaza|date=May 26, 2011|website=The Real Deal New York|language=en-US|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":28">{{Cite web|url=http://thebattery.org/about-us/peter-minuit-plaza/|title=Peter Minuit Plaza|website=The Battery|language=en-US|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> The plaza also includes the [[New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion]], a pavilion gifted by the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], which displays art, design, and horticulture.<ref name=":28" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gothamist.com/2009/09/09/new_amsterdam_pavilion_unveiling_an.php|title=New Amsterdam Pavilion Unveiling And Preview Today|last=Signore|first=John Del|website=Gothamist|access-date=May 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514213511/http://gothamist.com/2009/09/09/new_amsterdam_pavilion_unveiling_an.php|archive-date=May 14, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archinect.com/news/article/6557014/ben-van-berkel-unstudio-s-new-amsterdam-plein-pavilion-opened-in-new-york|title=Ben Van Berkel/UNStudio's New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion Opened in New York|last=Walter|first=Alexander|date=May 16, 2011|website=Archinect|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>

The park is also the site of numerous memorials and monuments placed there over the years.<ref name=":20" /><ref name=":21" /> {{As of|2010||df=}}, the park saw over five million annual visitors.<ref name="Jackson p. 103">{{harvnb|ps=.|Jackson|2010|p=103}}</ref> In 2016, the Battery Conservancy said that the park saw 600,000 visitors a month, which amounted to about 7.2 million visitors per year.<ref name=":26">{{Cite web|url=https://www.amny.com/news/battery-park-monument-restoration-nearly-complete-1.12193048|title=Battery monument restoration nearly complete|date=August 18, 2016|website=am New York|language=en|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>

=== Castle Clinton ===
[[File:Castle Clinton National Monument, Battery Park, Manhattan, New York (7237097294).jpg|thumb|Castle Clinton National Monument]]
Castle Clinton was originally called the West Battery, it was built as a fort just prior to the War of 1812.<ref name="Steinberg 2015 p. 90" />{{Rp|91}}<ref name="Transformation" /><ref name="Jackson p. 102" />  It was renamed Castle Clinton in 1815 after the war, in honor of mayor [[DeWitt Clinton]], and became property of the city in 1823.<ref name="Battery Highlights" /> When leased by the city, it became a popular [[promenade]] and [[beer garden]] called Castle Garden. Later roofed over, it became one of the premier [[Theater in the United States|theatrical venues in the United States]] and contributed greatly to the development of New York City as the theater capital of the nation.<ref name="Jackson p. 102" /> In the early 1850s alone, the venue hosted such acts as Swedish [[soprano]] [[Jenny Lind]],<ref name="Gilder p. 188">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=188}}</ref> European dancing star [[Lola Montez]],<ref name="Gilder p. 194">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=194}}</ref> French conductor [[Louis-Antoine Jullien]],<ref name="Gilder p. 194" /> and the [[Max Maretzek Italian Opera Company]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gMxQrkQTLHYC&pg=PA12|title=Strong on Music: The New York Music Scene in the Days of George Templeton|author=Brodsky Lawrence|first=Vera|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=1995|isbn=|location=|pages=314|ref=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vEYA8_RARL0C&pg=PA81|title=Verdi in America: Oberto Through Rigoletto|last=Martin|first=George Whitney|publisher=University of Rochester Press|year=2011|isbn=978-1-58046-388-1|series=Eastman studies in music|location=|pages=184|ref=}}</ref><ref name="Gilder p. 195">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|p=195}}</ref>

The migration of the city's elite uptown increased during the mid-19th century, and in 1855, Castle Garden was closed and made into the world's first immigration depot.<ref name="Gilder p. 198">{{harvnb|ps=.|Gilder|1936|pp=196–198}}</ref> The immigration center operated until 1890, just before the offshore immigration facility at [[Ellis Island]] opened. An estimated 7.7 million immigrants passed through the center during its operation.<ref name="Jackson p. 102" /><ref name="Gilder p. 198" /> The structure then housed the [[New York Aquarium]] from 1896 to 1941, when it was closed as part of Triborough Bridge Authority commissioner [[Robert Moses]]'s plans to build the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.<ref name="Battery Highlights" /><ref name="tb" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":29">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31592156/|title=Castle Clinton Monument Waits on Tunnel|date=August 18, 1946|work=New York Daily News|access-date=May 10, 2019|page=3|via=Newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> Moses wanted to create a Fort Clinton memorial on the site, but would only keep Castle Clinton if the federal government agreed to pay for its restoration.<ref name=":7" /> Ultimately, Castle Clinton was preserved as part of a [[National Monument (United States)|National Monument]] in 1946.<ref name="tb" /><ref name=":29" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1946/08/13/archives/aquarium-block-made-a-monument-truman-signs-bill-designating-castle.html|title=Aquarium Block Made A Monument; Truman Signs Bill Designating Castle Clinton, Battery Park, a National Shrine|date=August 13, 1946|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=March 22, 2018}}</ref>

The structure was restored in 1975.<ref name="tb" /><ref name=":30" /> Today, Castle Clinton retains its original name and is managed by the [[National Park Service]]. It contains a small history exhibit and ticket booths for the ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; in addition, it occasionally hosts concerts.<ref>{{cite web | title=Basic Information | website=Castle Clinton National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) | date=March 7, 2016 | url=https://www.nps.gov/cacl/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm | access-date=June 17, 2019}}</ref> As the site of the ferry ticket office, it recorded nearly 4.08 million visitors in 2009. According to data from the National Park Service, the [[Statue of Liberty National Monument]], which includes Castle Clinton, was the most popular national monument in the United States that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://batteryparkcity.com/news/castle-clinton-and-statue-of-liberty-most-popular-monuments/|title=Castle Clinton, Statue of Liberty Are Most Popular US Monuments|work=Battery Park City News|date=June 1, 2010|access-date=September 5, 2019}}</ref>

=== Memorials ===
Battery Park contains over 20 monuments,<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/page/1|title=The Battery Monuments : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":21">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/nyregion/dotting-the-parks-monuments-to-the-famous-or-forgotten.html|title=Dotting the Parks, Monuments to the Famous or Forgotten|last=Foderaro|first=Lisa W.|date=January 9, 2014|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> many of which are clustered in an area called "Monument Walk".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thebattery.org/destinations/monuments/|title=Monuments in The Battery – NYC Monuments|website=The Battery|language=en-US|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>[[File:KoenigSphereJuly2007.JPG|thumb|upright|''[[The Sphere]]'' and [[eternal flame]] 9/11 memorial|alt=]]

====''The Sphere'', Hope Garden, and flagpole====
Five months after being damaged in the [[September 11 attacks]], [[Fritz Koenig]]'s ''[[The Sphere]]'', which once stood at the center of the plaza of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] a few blocks away, was reinstalled in a temporary location in the northern section of the park. It was located near the Netherlands memorial flagpole in the northeast corner of the park<ref name="Jackson p. 103"/> before being moved to [[Liberty Park]] in the new [[World Trade Center (2001–present)|World Trade Center]] in late 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/nyregion/911-memorial-sphere-sculpture.html|title=Battered and Scarred, 'Sphere' Returns to 9/11 Site|last=Otterman|first=Sharon|date=November 29, 2017|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> ''The Sphere'', standing {{Convert|25|ft|m}} high, was meant to symbolize world peace through world trade, and was, at its original location, in the center of a ring of fountains to mimic the Masjid al-Haram, [[Great Mosque of Mecca]]; ''The Sphere'' had stood at the place in the World Trade Center where the [[Kaaba]] was in the Masjid al-Haram.<ref name="Mosque of Commerce">{{cite news|last=Kerr|first=Laurie|title=The Mosque to Commerce: Bin Laden's special complaint with the World Trade Center|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2060207/|publisher=[[The Washington Post Company]]|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=December 28, 2001|accessdate=January 27, 2009|quote=}}</ref> After 2001, it became a World Trade Center memorial as well; a plaque alongside ''The Sphere'' reads as follows:{{quote|For three decades, this sculpture stood in the plaza of the World Trade Center. Entitled ''The Sphere'', it was conceived by artist Fritz Koenig as a symbol of world peace. It was damaged during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, but endures as an icon of hope and the indestructible spirit of this country. ''The Sphere'' was placed here on March 11, 2002, as a temporary memorial to all who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.{{paragraph}}This eternal flame was ignited on September 11, 2002, in honor of all those who were lost. Their spirit and sacrifice will never be forgotten.<ref name="Plaque">{{cite web | date= May 11, 2007 | title= Memorial Plaque at Battery Park, beneath ''The Sphere'' Sculpture, now a Temporary Memorial| work=photo | publisher=Flickr| url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/mapplegate/493397789/| accessdate= March 24, 2010}}</ref>}}

{{Anchor|Hope Garden}}Within the park is Hope Garden, a memorial dedicated to [[AIDS]] victims,<ref name="wad">{{Cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4202658.html|title=World AIDS Day Urges More Public Awareness|author=Laura King|date=December 1, 1993|work=Chicago Sun-Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021190406/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4202658.html|archive-date=October 21, 2012|url-status=dead|accessdate=October 1, 2008}}</ref> where ''The Sphere'' had been exhibited at times.<ref name="nyu">{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1387529/New-York-unveils-memorial-to-Twin-Towers-victims.html|title=New York Unveils Memorial to Twin Towers Victims|accessdate=October 1, 2008|date=March 11, 2002|author=Sam Leith|work=The Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/dailyplant/13406|title=The Battery News – THE "SPHERE" IN BATTERY PARK : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref> The garden has also been used as a site for environmental demonstrations due to its fragility and the Battery's status as a [[tourist attraction]].<ref name="green">{{Cite web|url=http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_185/greensayarising.html|title=Greens Say a Rising Tide May Sink Downtown's Boat|accessdate=October 1, 2008|date=November 24, 2006|author=Sara Stefanini|work=Downtown Express|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212191641/http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_185/greensayarising.html|archive-date=February 12, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Netherlands flagpole was dedicated on December 6, 1926, as a gift from the Dutch in honor of the establishment of New Amsterdam three centuries prior.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1926/12/07/archives/holland-presents-fagpole-to-city-indians-24-sale-to-the-dutchman.html|title=Holland Presents Flagpole To City; Indian's $24 Sale to the Dutchman Recalled at Exercises at Battery. MINUIT'S GHOST RETURNS But Red Wing Tells St. Nicholas Society Peter|date=December 7, 1926|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref> It was originally located south of Castle Clinton, but during the 1940–1952 renovation, the flagpole was relocated to the northeast entrance of the Battery, where it still stands. It was renovated and rededicated in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1092|title=The Battery Monuments – Netherland Monument : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref>

====East Coast Memorial====
{{multiple image
| width = 180
| direction = vertical
| title = East Coast Memorial
| image1 = New York City Battery Park War Memorial 01.jpg
| caption1 = Eagle statue
| image2 = Names on the East Coast Memorial.jpg
| caption2 = Some of the names engraved on the memorial.
}}
A World War II [[war memorial]], the East Coast Memorial is one of three war memorials in the United States administered by the [[American Battle Monuments Commission]]; the others are the [[West Coast Memorial to the Missing of World War II]] in [[San Francisco]] and the [[Honolulu Memorial]]. The memorial commemorates U.S. servicemen who died in coastal waters of the western [[Atlantic Ocean]] during the [[Battle of the Atlantic]]. A total of 4,609 names are inscribed on both sides of eight 19-foot-tall granite pylons. The pylons are arranged in two rows of four each. Between the two rows stands a bronze statue of an eagle, erected on a black granite pedestal. The eagle faces the [[Statue of Liberty]] in [[New York Harbor]].<ref>"[http://www.abmc.gov/memorials/memorials/ec.php East Coast Memorial] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121195725/http://www.abmc.gov/memorials/memorials/ec.php|date=January 21, 2014}}," American Battle Monuments Commission website</ref><ref name=":31">{{cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1929|title=The Battery Monuments – East Coast Memorial : NYC Parks|date=June 26, 1939|website=New York City Department of Parks & Recreation|access-date=May 15, 2019}}</ref>

The memorial was designed by the architectural firm of Gehron & Seltzer, while the eagle statue was created by [[Albino Manca]], an Italian-born sculptor. The granite slabs were set up in October 1959; the sculpture was installed in February 1963, and the memorial was dedicated by President [[John F. Kennedy]] that May.<ref name=":3">{{cite web | last=Kihss | first=Peter | title=Kennedy, In City, Honors War Dead | website=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331 | date=May 24, 1963 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/05/24/archives/kennedy-in-city-honors-war-dead-at-dedication-of-memorial-to-men.html | access-date=February 26, 2019 }}</ref><ref name=":31" />

{{Clear|left}}

====American Merchant Mariners' Memorial====
[[File:Battery Park 2012 05 04 0186.jpg|thumb|left|American Merchant Mariners' Memorial]]
{{distinguish|American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial}}

The American Merchant Mariners' Memorial sculpture, located in the [[Hudson River]] west of the park, is sited on a stone breakwater just south of [[City Pier A|Pier A]] and connected to the pier by a dock. It was designed by the sculptor [[Marisol Escobar]] and dedicated in 1991. The bronze sculpture depicts four merchant seamen with their sinking vessel after it had been attacked by a [[U-boat]] during [[World War II]]. One of the seamen is in the water, and is covered by the sea with each high tide. The sculpture is loosely based on a real photograph of crewmen of the SS ''Muskogee'' that was taken by the commander of an attacking submarine, all of whom died at sea.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/12/nyregion/fyi-599093.html|title=F.y.i.|last=Steinhauer|first=Jennifer|date=December 12, 1993|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1939|title=The Battery Monuments – American Merchant Mariners Memorial : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> The memorial was commissioned by the American Merchant Mariners' Memorial, Inc., chaired by [[AFL–CIO]] president [[Lane Kirkland]].<ref name=":9" />

{{Clear}}

====Other memorials====
{{Multiple image
| image1 = John Ericsson Battery Park.jpg
| caption1 = Statue of [[John Ericsson]], holding a model of [[USS Monitor|USS ''Monitor'']]
| image2 = Giovanni da Verrazzano by Ximenes, Battery Park, NYC.jpg
| caption2 = ''[[Giovanni da Verrazzano]]'' by [[Ettore Ximenes]] (1909)
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}}
{{Multiple image
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| image1 = The Immigrants - Battery Park NYC.jpg
| width1 = 3090
| height1 = 2060
| image2 = The Immigrants-Luis Sanguino-Battery Park NYC.jpg
| width2 = 1024
| height2 = 757
| footer_align = center
| footer = ''The Immigrants'' by Luis Sanguino
| align =
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}}
The park also contains several other memorials, including:
* ''The Immigrants'' (1983, rededicated 2005)&nbsp;– Located south of Castle Clinton, this statue by Luis Sanguino depicts multiple types of immigrants that would have passed through Castle Clinton in the late 19th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/765|title=The Battery Monuments&nbsp;– The Immigrants : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
* ''Korean War Memorial'' (1991<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/26/nyregion/a-korean-war-parade-decades-late.html|title=A Korean War Parade, Decades Late|last=Barron|first=James|date=June 26, 1991|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>)&nbsp;– Located at Battery Place just northeast of Castle Clinton and designed by [[Mac Adams]], it is a black granite obelisk dedicated to veterans of the [[Korean War]].<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1930|title=The Battery Monuments&nbsp;– New York Korean War Veterans Memorial : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> It was intended as one of the United States' first [[List of Korean War memorials|Korean War memorials]].<ref name=":13" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/05/17/Stock-exchange-donates-to-nations-first-Korean-War-memorial/2184579844800/|title=Stock exchange donates to nation's first Korean War memorial|date=May 17, 1988|website=UPI|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
* [[John Ericsson]] statue (1903)&nbsp;– Located near the center of the park, the statue was designed by [[Jonathan Scott Hartley]]. It commemorates Ericsson, a designer and innovator of [[ironclad warship]]s, and depicts him holding a model of the {{USS|Monitor|3=}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/454|title=The Battery Monuments&nbsp;– John Ericsson : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
* ''Walloon Settlers Memorial'' (1924)&nbsp;– Located at Battery Place, the memorial was designed by [[Henry Bacon]]. The monument is a [[stele]] dedicated to [[Jessé de Forest]] for his contributions to the founding of New York City.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/nyregion/what-happened-to-walloon-park.html|title=What Happened to Walloon Park?|last=Gorce|first=Tammy La|date=December 8, 2016|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1647|title=The Battery Monuments&nbsp;– Walloon Settlers Memorial : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
* ''[[Giovanni da Verrazzano]]'' (1909)&nbsp;– Located at Battery Place, the memorial was designed by [[Ettore Ximenes]]. It is a statue of Verrazzano, the first European to sail into [[New York Harbor]], on a pedestal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1628|title=The Battery Monuments&nbsp;– Giovanni da Verrazzano : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
* ''World War II Coast Guard Memorial'' (1955<ref name=":8" />)&nbsp;– Located at the extreme southeast end of Battery Park, this memorial was designed by [[Norman M. Thomas]] and depicts three figures on a pedestal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/277|title=The Battery Monuments&nbsp;– Coast Guard Memorial : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>
* ''Wireless Operators Memorial'' (1915,<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1715|title=The Battery Monuments&nbsp;– Wireless Operators Memorial : NYC Parks|website=www.nycgovparks.org|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> rededicated 1952<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/05/13/archives/shaft-for-heroes-again-at-battery-park-gets-marine-wireless.html|title=Shaft For Heroes Again At Battery; Park Gets Marine Wireless Operators Monument That Was Shifted in 1939|date=May 13, 1954|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>)&nbsp;– Located near the center of the park, the monument consists of a [[cenotaph]] commemorating [[Wireless telegraphy|wireless telegraph]] operators who went down with their ships.<ref name=":11" />

Temporary monuments have also been installed in the Battery, such as the ''[[Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Museum]]'', a 2016 piece memorializing a fake octopus attack on the Staten Island Ferry,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/01/new-york-staten-island-ferry-octopus-attack-fake-monument|title=New York monument honors victims of giant octopus attack that never occurred|last=Press|first=Associated|date=October 1, 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=May 14, 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/09/26/staten-island-octopus-fake-story/|title=Man Plays Joke On New York With Fake Staten Island Ferry Octopus Attack Story|date=September 26, 2016|website=CBS New York|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> as well as a "[[Unidentified flying object|UFO]] Tugboat Abduction Memorial" from the same sculptor as the ferry "memorial".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/nyregion/alien-monument-hoax-nyc.html|title=U.F.O. Over the Statue of Liberty? 'The Banksy of Monuments' Strikes Again|last=Kilgannon|first=Corey|date=November 19, 2018|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref>

At least ten monuments, including the Verrazzano, Coast Guard and Wireless memorials, were stored in the park behind a temporary fence from the mid-2000s until 2016. Controversy over the statues' integrity arose in 2015 after renovations took longer than expected. Representatives of NYC Park Advocates and the Italian-American organization [[Unico National|UNICO]] expressed concern about the statues' condition, although experts said there should be no long-term physical harm.

===Under the park===
[[File:Bowling Green station 1.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Bowling Green (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)#Control house|Battery Park control house]], a landmark subway entrance at the edge of the park, which provides an entrance to the Bowling Green subway station]]

The Battery is surrounded by several pieces of transportation infrastructure:
* The [[Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel]], opened 1950,<ref name=":23" /><ref name=":15" /> carries vehicular traffic to [[Brooklyn]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2015-06-08-truck-map-combined.pdf|title=New York City Truck Route Map|last=|first=|date=June 8, 2015|website=[[Government of New York City|nyc.gov]]|publisher=[[New York City Department of Transportation]]|access-date=September 12, 2017}}</ref>
* The [[Battery Park Underpass]], opened 1951, carries vehicular traffic from the West Side Highway to the [[FDR Drive]].<ref name=":16" />
* At the [[New York City Subway]]'s old [[South Ferry loops (New York City Subway)|South Ferry station]], opened 1905,<ref name=":14" /> the former [[Interborough Rapid Transit Company]]'s [[IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line|Broadway–Seventh Avenue]] and [[IRT Lexington Avenue Line|Lexington Avenue Lines]] have a [[balloon loop]] to enable trains to turn around and switch between the two lines.<ref name=":123">{{NYCS const|trackref|trackbook}}</ref> It closed in 2009 following the opening of a replacement subway station,<ref name=":25">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mta-opens-new-530m-south-ferry-station-easing-commuters-hassle-article-1.372235|title=MTA opens new $530M South Ferry station|last=Donohue|first=Pete|date=March 17, 2009|website=New York Daily News|publisher=|access-date=July 21, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":62">{{Cite news|url=http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/south_ferry_station_opening_to.html|title=South Ferry station opening to Staten Island commuters|last=|first=|date=March 16, 2009|work=|newspaper=SILive.com|access-date=December 17, 2016|via=}}</ref>  but was temporarily placed back into operation between April 2013<ref>{{cite press release|title=Old South Ferry Station to Reopen for Service in early April|url=http://mta.info/nyct/service/SouthFerryStationReopenApril2013.htm|publisher=New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority|date=March 8, 2013|accessdate=March 8, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312015054/http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/SouthFerryStationReopenApril2013.htm|archivedate=March 12, 2013}}</ref><ref name=":42">{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/south-ferry-subway-station-reopens-public-sandy-damage-article-1.1307488|title=South Ferry subway station reopens to public after Sandy damage|last=Donohue|first=Pete|date=April 4, 2013|work=|newspaper=NY Daily News|access-date=December 17, 2016|via=}}</ref> and June 2017.<ref name=abcny-sf/>
* The [[South Ferry (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)|South Ferry]] subway station on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line ({{NYCS trains|Broadway-Seventh South Ferry}}), opened 2009, created a new free connection with the [[BMT Broadway Line]]'s [[Whitehall Street (BMT Broadway Line)|Whitehall Street]] station ({{NYCS trains|Broadway Whitehall}}), which was formerly a separate station.<ref name=":25" /><ref name=":62" />  The two stations comprise the [[South Ferry/Whitehall Street (New York City Subway)|South Ferry/Whitehall Street]] subway complex.<ref name=":24" /><ref>[http://forgotten-ny.com/2009/07/new-and-old-downtown-wall-street-and-south-ferry/ New and Old Downtown: Wall Street and South Ferry]. Forgotten NY. Retrieved June 11, 2014.</ref> The new Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station was closed and sustained severe damage following [[Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New York|Hurricane Sandy]] in October 2012.<ref name=":42" /> The new station did not reopen until 2017, during which time the old loop station was used.<ref name="abcny-sf">{{cite web |url=http://abc7ny.com/news/south-ferry-subway-station-in-manhattan-reopens/2153353/ |title=South Ferry subway station in Manhattan reopens |publisher=ABC 7 New York |date=June 27, 2017|access-date=June 27, 2017}}</ref>
* The [[Bowling Green (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)|Bowling Green]] subway station, opened 1905<ref name=":14"/> and serving the {{NYCS trains|Lexington south}}, is at the northeast corner of the park.<ref name=":24" /> Its original entrance, or "[[Battery Park Control House|Control House]]", is an official city-designated landmark. Tracks leading south of the station go to both the old South Ferry station and to the [[Joralemon Street Tunnel]], which skirts the park before traveling under the [[East River]].<ref name=":123" />

====Discovery of wall====
[[File:South Ferry artwork 3 vc.jpg|thumb|A piece of the old wall, used as artwork in the new South Ferry subway station|alt=]]

In late 2005, New York City authorities announced that builders working on the new South Ferry station had found a {{Convert|45|ft|m|-long|abbr=|adj=mid}} remnant of a stone wall dating to at least the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/08/nyregion/found-old-wall-in-new-york-and-its-blocking-the-subway.html|title=Found: Old Wall in New York, and It's Blocking the Subway|last=McGeehan|first=Patrick|date=December 8, 2005|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref> After archeological analysis, the wall was widely reported to be the oldest man-made structure still in place in Manhattan. Four walls and over 250,000 individual artifacts were found, and a portion of one wall was placed on temporary display inside Castle Clinton. Another, long portion of the wall was embedded permanently into the entrance to the newly constructed station, at the same depth below street level as originally discovered.<ref name="amny 201002263">{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/unearthing-colonial-new-york-south-ferry-project-yields-65k-artifacts-1.1779218|title=Unearthing colonial New York: South Ferry project yields 65K artifacts|last=Haddon|first=Heather|date=February 24, 2010|website=Newsday|access-date=February 18, 2018}}</ref>

Robert Tierney, chairman of the [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]], said that the wall was probably built to protect the park's original artillery batteries. The remains were described as "an important remnant of the history of New York City".

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book | last=Gilder | first=Rodman | title=The Battery: the story of the adventurers, artists, statesmen, grafters, songsters, mariners, pirates, guzzlers, Indians, thieves, stuffed-shirts, turn-coats, millionaires, inventors, poets, heroes, soldiers, harlots, bootlicks, nobles, nonentities, burghers, martyrs, and murderers who played their parts during full four centuries on Manhattan Island's tip | publisher=Houghton Mifflin | year=1936 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0n8MAAAAYAAJ | ref=harv }}
* {{cite enc-nyc2}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/elis/cacl_hsr_1.pdf|title=Historic Structures Report, Part I, Castle Clinton|publisher=National Park Service|date=May 10, 1960|ref={{harvid|National Park Service|1960}}}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Battery Park, Manhattan|Battery Park}}
* [https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/ NYC Parks]
* [http://www.thebattery.org/ The Battery Conservancy]

{{Protected areas of New York City}}

[[Category:Parks in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Financial District, Manhattan]]
[[Category:New York State Heritage Areas]]
[[Category:Battery Park City]]
[[Category:South Ferry, Manhattan]]