Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Did You Know About This "Whisper Bench" In Central Park?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 14, 2016
Modified Jan 14, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 14, 2016
Modified Jan 14, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
(Courtesy of the Parks Dept)
Everyone knows about the Whisper Wall in Grand Central, but did you know there's a Whisper Bench in Central Park? Out of the park's 9,000 benches, it's the only one of its kind.
The bench—named for Charles B. Stover—sits inside the 4-acres of Shakespeare Garden. It works similarly to the Grand Central wall, you can whisper into one end, and the sound travels to the other end.
Unlike the wooden benches found all over the park, this is a 20-foot, curled granite piece, which doubles as a memorial for Stover, former New York City Parks Commissioner. It was dedicated back in 1936, about seven years after his death. According to the Parks Department, Robert Moses had a hand in making it all happen:
A group of prominent citizens, concerned with preserving the memory of Stover and his deeds, formed the Charles B. Stover Memorial Association and commissioned this monument through private donations. The bench is not of the standard wrought iron or cast-concrete variety, but a curved 20-foot exedra of Deer Isle granite. On November 5, 1936, Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, Dr. John H. Finley, and the associate editor of the New York Times gathered in the Shakespeare Garden to dedicate the memorial.
The bench is situated on a natural rock outcropping. At the time of the unveiling, it was noted that the location was apt, since during Stover’s time as Parks Commissioner, he had changed this place “from a dilapidated stone mass covered with poison ivy to a rock garden with an artificial stream of water and pools of water lilies.”
And now, your Moment of Zen:
Shakespeare's Garden is on the West Side of the park, between 79th and 80th Streets.
Tagged
bench
central park
whisper bench
whispering bench
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .