Grizzly Bear @ the George Washington Monument - Philadelphia, PA - Bear Statues on Waymarking.com

This single bronze Grizzly bear is sprawled out, prone to the ground, head cocked up with front pays over a huge fish caught presumable for a snack. He is menacing yet cute. It is located at the very bottom of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and can be easily seen from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. it is on a piece of real estate called Eakins Oval. Thee is a huge parking lot to the rear of this where you can stow your car while you wonder around the area and look at all the other fantastic sculptures and monuments. parking is $12.

Although the traffic patterns have changed dramatically over the last century, this amazing monument is still a very popular roadside attraction for tourists and still for locals. The monument is located at the southwest entrance to the Art Museum. The bears are at the base of the monument, which is three tiered, and represent the wild life present in America at the time of George Washington's presidency. Apparently they were a common sight back then.

I saw alligators, pike fish, buffalo, moose (meese?), elk, deer, eagles and of course this big ole bear. Most of the animals come in pairs. All of this are on stairs which lead up to the central shaft hoisting Washington in the air. Fountains are on the four corners. They were not on when I visited, due to the winter weather. The figures including the bear are allegorical representations of Washington's era in American history. The groups arranged around the lower level show Native American people as well as animals and plants of the period.

The bear is made of bronze. It is about 6 feet long and several feet high. The sculptor was Rudolf Siemering (1835-1905) and the monument was founded by Gegossen Lauchhammer. The monument is 44 feet high. The base is granite and all the critters and George are bronze. The monument was dedicated May 15, 1897 and relocated 1928. This piece was erected by the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania. It was originally installed at the Green Street entrance to Fairmount Park, but when the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was finished in 1928, the monument was moved to its current site at the end of the parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Officially, this part of town is known as Eakins Oval (west end).

The monument was donated to the City of Philadelphia by the State Society of the Cincinnati of Pennsylvania, a group of descendants of Revolutionary War officers. Restoration of this astoundingly complex and detailed monument was completed in June of 1997.