Gate of the Exonerated
The first entrance to be named since 1862, the Gate of the Exonerated commemorates the experience of the Exonerated Five and honors all of those wrongly convicted of crimes.
Dedicated on December 19, 2022—the 20th anniversary of the Exonerated Five’s vacated convictions—the Gate of the Exonerated is the first and only addition to Central Park’s official entrance names since the 19th century. It is the product of an extensive, in-depth dialogue with the Harlem community and a response to their desire for healing and belonging in the aftermath of the case and its impact on Black and Latino New Yorkers.
In partnership with the City of New York, NYC Parks, and Manhattan Community Board 10 (representing Central Harlem), the Conservancy unveiled the Gate as a way to permanently commemorate the struggle of individuals wrongfully convicted and the Exonerated Five’s story.
Discover How the Gate of the Exonerated Came to Be
Located on 110th Street between Malcolm X Boulevard and Fifth Avenue (near the neighborhood where the Exonerated Five, formerly known as the Central Park Five, once lived), the Gate of the Exonerated reflects the ideal that inspired the Park’s entrance names in the 1860s: to acknowledge the City’s people, their work, and their stories.
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Park History
The Gate of the Exonerated: How the Park’s Newest Named Entrance Came to Be
Three decades after the Central Park Jogger case inflamed tensions and racial rifts in the City, a significant new commemoration in the Park—the Gate of the Exonerated—has brought a marker of healing and history for the community.
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Restoration and Maintenance
Hand-in-Hand with Harlem: The Conservancy's Four-Decade Restoration of Central Park's North End
In the 1980s, the Conservancy turned its attention to the Harlem Meer and went on to address the needs of Central Park’s north end over the next four decades. Throughout all of this work, the communities surrounding the Park have been vital partners in the care and maintenance of their backyard.
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About the Conservancy
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Tags: Conservancy Staff / Rustic Architecture / History / Highlights / Staff Picks / Art Lovers / Architecture / Landscapes