The Charging Bull

See the Most Famous Bull in New York: Charging Bull

One of the most famous sights in New York’s Financial District is Charging Bull, a large bronze sculpture in Bowling Green, a park not far from Wall Street. It’s one of the most popular works of art with tourists, and it’s easy to see along our Downtown Tour. Learn more about this famous statue here, then book your tickets and see it for yourself!

Where Is the Bull Statue in New York Located?

To see Charging Bull, New York, NY, visitors should go to the north end of Bowling Green, near the intersection of Broadway and Morris Street. This location is just a few blocks’ walk from the Battery Park stop on our Downtown Tour.

What Does the Wall Street Bull Represent?

Charging Bull is intended to represent prosperity and strength and an optimistic future for the American economy. The power and vitality of a bull market is represented in the bull. Financial District visitors flock to the statue in droves to take a picture with this iconic work of art or even rub it for luck.

Where Did the New York Financial District Bull Come From?

The statue was originally a piece of guerrilla art and was so popular that it was allowed to stay. The bull cost $360,000 to create and was made to encourage Americans and be a symbol of financial optimism following the stock market crash of 1978. The artist was Arturo Di Modica, an Italian sculptor who immigrated to the U.S. in 1973. It took him two years to construct the bull, and he placed it under a Christmas tree in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Broad Street.

Di Modica had only a short amount of time to install the bull before police patrols spotted it, which was no easy task. Just like a real bull, this statue has some heft to it: It weighs in at 7,100 pounds and is 16 feet long.

At first, the NYSE called the police and had the sculpture seized, but public outcry led to the statue’s return, though not to the exact same location: The bull, NYC officials decided, would be better placed in Bowling Green, where people could see it without creating a traffic hazard.

The statue does have some detractors who see the bull as a sign of greed. In response to the lack of gender diversity on Wall Street, in 2017, Fearless Girl was installed, a small statue of a brave little girl facing down the bull. Originally, she was only going to be installed for a week, but she caused a viral sensation and was allowed to stay for more than a year. However, Fearless Girl’s permanent home will be a location Charging Bull once occupied: outside the New York Stock Exchange.

Visit the Famous Charging Bull Sculpture

NYC tourists remain enamored with Charging Bull, and New York, NY, bus tours are a great way to see this work of art as well as the rest of the city’s most well-known sights. Our Downtown Tour offers people the chance to hop off at Battery Park, walk over to see Charging Bull up close (and perhaps even rub it for luck), then hop back on the next bus to continue their Manhattan sightseeing adventure. And when you book your tour online now, you’ll lock in the best price and get a voucher that can be redeemed in six months, so you’ll have plenty of time to use it. To see all of the city’s top attractions, including the Charging Bull sculpture, NYC’s best option is a TopView tour!