Van Cortlandt Park occupies 1,146 acres in the northwest Bronx and is New York City's third largest park. Van Cortlandt boasts the country's first public golf course, the borough's largest freshwater lake, and the oldest standing house in the Bronx. The wooded area was once the favored hunting ground of the Mohican Indians. The Van Cortlandt Mansion was once the scene of political intrigue as both American and British military commanders—including then general George Washington—used the house during the American Revolution as a headquarters.

Memorial Grove honors the American desire for freedom and commemorates Bronx citizens killed during World War II. A plaque bearing the name of a slain soldier was placed at the base of each tree. Indian Field was the site of a battle between British troops and a scouting team of Stockbridge Indians who were allied with the Continental army. A circle of stones with an accompanying plaque commemorates the slain Stockbridge Indians and their leader.

Tortoise and Hare, designed by Michael Browne in collaboration with fabricator Stuart Smith, celebrates the fable of the same name by bringing to life the race between the mild-mannered reptilian and overconfident and fleet-footed rabbit. Here the two are virtually neck-to-neck and seem to be striving towards the finish line. The work, which sits on a stone pedestal, lies just outside the finish line of the Van Cortlandt Park cross-country track, one of the best known in the country. The Tortoise and Hare was created as part of a recent capital project upgrading the track.

Sullivan Fountain in Van Cortlandt Park to the left of the Boat House is a granite and steel structure. Over the drinking fountain designed for horses is the inscription: "In honor of Algernon Sydney Sullivan: Jurist, Statesman, Orator. Born in 1825, Died 1887. An immaculate life devoted with never failing fidelity to public and private trusts." On the reverse side of the memorial, above the drinking fountain designed for people, the inscription reads: " He reached out both hands in constant helpfulness to his fellow men." On each side of the memorial are bronze medallions of Algernon Sydney Sullivan signed by the artist, Jonathan Scott Hartley.

The sculpture of Civil War hero Major General Josiah Porter by William Clark Noble stands near the Van Cortlandt Mansion. The statue was dedicated in 1902 and was sponsored by the New York State National Guard Association.