World's Fair Mosaics Removed from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens

At David Dinkins Circle in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the ground bears little evidence of the five tile mosaics that were recently removed. The Passarelle Plaza mosaics were installed in 1997 to commemorate the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World's Fairs. Now, they are another lost relic of World's Fair history.

In November 2024, The New York Post broke the news that the New York City Parks Department planned to remove the mosaics. Gloria Nash, author of Looking Back At The Future and an advocate for preserving the mosaics, shared photos with us in July 2025 of the spaces where the medallions used to be. At that time, the mosaics had been excavated and the holes they left were covered by cement.

By August, once the U.S. Open arrived, the holes had been filled in with pavers, leaving barely a trace of what was once there.

The Parks Department attributes the significant deterioration of the mosaics to natural weather conditions. Because loose and missing tiles can lead to trips and falls, the works of art were deemed a safety hazard. A representative for the Department says, "The decision to remove the mosaic medallions was made after several attempts at repair, in consultation with specialists, and with the support of the original designer. We are dedicated to preserving historic objects and structures and hope the removal of these mosaics might enable their future preservation as well as ensure the safety of park patrons."

Michael Perlman—a 5th-generation Forest Hills resident, author of Legendary Locals of Forest Hills and Rego Park, Chairman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, and longtime member of the Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance—has been campaigning to save the Passarelle Plaza mosaics since 2022.

"I am hopeful that a permanent accessible home can be secured in the near future," Perlman says of the missing mosaics. "My colleagues and I would be very interested in assisting with the restoration process and finding a space." Perlman suggests the medallions should be restored and "resurrected in an upright position on a pan-like structure. Then they can be placed outdoors, and the Parks Department can have confidence that they will not have to be stepped on."

The Passarelle Plaza Mosaics depicted various elements of the two World's Fairs in Queens. It is believed that some of the original mosaics have been lost, two covered by cement, and the final five recently removed. Elsie the Cow (1939), a smiling portrait of Robert Moses by Andy Warhol (1964), the New York Hall of Science and Rocket Park (1964), Fountain of Planets (1964), and Venus by Salvador Dali (1939) make up the five that survived the longest.

Known missing medallions include mosaics depicting a work called EAT by Robert Indiana (1964), the Billy Rose Aquacade (1939), the New York State Pavilion (1964), New York City Pavilion (1939) (now the Queens Museum), and two medallions about the Westinghouse time capsules from each fair (1939 & 1964).

"They were beautiful and rare works of mosaic art that communicate our history in a unique manner," says Perlman, "There are very few mosaic works of art throughout our borough." 

When we initially covered the news of these mosaics being removed, Michael Golden, a specialist in custom and high-end mosaics, reached out to us. Golden worked on some of the mosaic designs with the park's landscape architect. His illustrations were then sent to the mosaic company to be produced. He dug up some of the original drawings to share with Untapped New York.

"There are many things big and small that make our city rich with culture and meaning," Golden says, "I was proud to have a part in designing and facilitating these mosaics. I miss them, as I know others will as well."

While we wait to learn the final fate of the mosaics, the Parks Department has committed to prioritizing Dinkins Circle as a location for at least one public art installation each year through the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park's Art in the Park Grant.

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