Strawberry Fields Memorial, Central Park

Strawberry Fields is a 2.5-acre triangular landscape in Central Park, directly across the street from the Dakota apartment building where John Lennon lived and was shot on 8 December 1980. The memorial was created at the request of Yoko Ono, who donated $1 million toward its restoration and landscaping. It was dedicated on what would have been Lennon's 45th birthday, 9 October 1985. At its centre is a circular mosaic inlaid into the footpath, designed in the style of a Roman floor mosaic, bearing a single word: IMAGINE.

The Dakota, where Lennon and Ono had lived since 1973, remains one of New York's most famous residential buildings. It was at the 72nd Street entrance that Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman as he returned home from a recording session. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Roosevelt Hospital. The area around the Dakota became a gathering point for mourners overnight and has retained that character ever since.

Strawberry Fields is maintained by the Central Park Conservancy and designated as a quiet zone — no cycling or organised entertainment is permitted. The IMAGINE mosaic is surrounded by fresh flowers year-round, replaced daily by vendors and volunteers. It is one of the most visited spots in Central Park and one of the most recognisable music memorials in the world. The Dakota itself is a private residential building and is not open to visitors.