The Obelisk was created around 1425 BCE in Heliopolis, Egypt, an area north of modern-day Cairo. It sits on a rocky hill known as Greywacke Knoll, across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Your donations, membership, volunteering, and stewardship of the Park keep it a vital public treasure.

The most famous ancient Egyptian obelisk, often simply called "The Obelisk," is the Luxor Obelisk located in the center of the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France. It was originally one of a pair standing at the entrance of the Luxor Temple; the second one remains in Egypt. There are also two other famous obelisks known as "Cleopatra's Needles": one stands on the Victoria Embankment in London, and the other is in Central Park, New York City, situated directly behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These 3,000-year-old monoliths were transported from Egypt in the 19th century as diplomatic gifts and remain some of the oldest outdoor monuments in their respective world-class cities.