8. Strawberry Fields

Imagine mosaic memorial

Strawberry Fields is a section of Central Park that serves as a memorial for John Lennon. Designed by landscape architect Bruce Kelly, Strawberry Fields takes its name from the Beatles hit “Strawberry Fields Forever,” the song itself named for the Liverpool children’s home Strawberry Field, where Lennon played as a child. The section of Central Park where Yoko Ono scattered Lennon’s ashes was dedicated to him in April 1981. Just a few months later, it was announced that Strawberry Fields would be renovated, and Ono took the lead in requesting that the memorial be rebuilt as a “living memorial” and not just a statue.

The memorial itself is typically covered with flowers and other belongings left by Lennon’s fans. At Imagine Circle, people pay tribute to the legendary musician on his birthday and death date, as well as celebrations for the birthdays of other Beatles members. Imagine Circle was also the site of numerous memorial events following 9/11. The “Imagine” mosaic is based on a Greco-Roman design and was inspired by Lennon’s most famous song of the same name. While die-hard Beatles fans continue to visit the site, perhaps the most famous visitor was Gary dos Santos, who installed flower designs around the mosaic and was deemed the “Mayor of Strawberry Fields,” visiting the memorial daily for almost two decades.