Community Corner

So Long, Teddy: Famed UWS Roosevelt Statue Removed Overnight

The Teddy Roosevelt statue is on its way to North Dakota after being removed Wednesday night from in front of the Museum of Natural History.

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The statue of Theodore Roosevelt is prepped to be taken down outside the American Museum Of Natural History on the Upper West Side.
The statue of Theodore Roosevelt is prepped to be taken down outside the American Museum Of Natural History on the Upper West Side. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The saga of the controversial Theodore Roosevelt statue in front of the American Museum of Natural History has officially come to an end, as it was dismantled and taken away Wednesday night.

The bronze monument of the former president on horseback — with a figure of a Native American man and a Black man on either side of him — is now on its way to North Dakota, where the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is slated to open in 2026.

Workers prepare to take down the Teddy Roosevelt statue. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

The Instagram account Danny Daly posted photos and a video of the Roosevelt statue being hauled away around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday.

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The bronze sculpture has sat in front of the Upper West Side museum since 1939.

Critics of the statue said that the piece of art puts forth an image of racism and colonization, and does not align with the American Museum of Natural History's mission.

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The Roosevelt family, the museum and now-former mayor Bill de Blasio supported the removal of the statue.

The bronze figure of Roosevelt won't be replaced by another statue but rather with subtle text carved into the plaza with a brief history of the "Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt." A set of stairs from the sidewalk level will also be connected with the main staircase to the entrance doors.

Most of the restoration isn't expected to take place until late spring.

In terms of why the removal of the famed statue took place in the middle of the night, the American Museum of Natural History told the WestSideRag that "this type of work" done by the Department of Transportation is standard to take place during nighttime hours "for safety reasons and to minimize disruptions to traffic."

Social media posts show a small group of people gathering around the statue to watch the bronze Roosevelt come down from its perch.

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