LOCATION:
Erie Blvd. West & North Salina Street

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Acreage: .553
Downtown Park

FEATURES:
Events
Taste of Syracuse
Polish Festival
Juneteenth
The Empire State Brewing & Musical Festival
New York State Rhythm & Blues Festival
Latin American Festival
Irish Festival
The Great Syracuse Oktoberfest
Family Friendzy

Ice Skating Rink

Directions to Clinton Square
From the North – Route 81 southbound and exit at Clinton Street. Follow Clinton Street to Clinton Square.

From the South – Route 81 northbound. Exit at Adams Street and continue north to East Washington Street. Take a left onto East Washington Street and continue west on East Washington Street to South Salina Street. Take a right onto South Salina Street, and Clinton Square will be in the next block.

From the West – Route 690 eastbound to West Genesee Street street exit. At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn left onto West Genesee Street, and continue eastbound on West Genesee Street to Clinton Street. Clinton Square is bounded on the north by West Genesee Street.

From the East – Route 690 westbound to Townsend Street exit. Take a left onto Townsend Street and continue south on Townsend Street to East Washington Street. Turn right onto East Washington Street, and continue west to South Salina Street. Take a right onto South Salina Street, and Clinton Square will be in the next block.

HISTORY:

Clinton Square, in the heart of downtown Syracuse, has a long and rich history as the center of the Central New York community.

When the construction of the Erie Canal came through downtown Syracuse in the mid-1800s, the Square quickly became a center for trading and business.

Dedicated in 1910, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, on the northern side of the Square, honors the Civil War veterans from the area. On the western side of the Square sits the Jerry Rescue Monument, which commemorates the rescue of a fugitive slave by citizens in 1851.

The Square has undergone several redesigns over the years, and in 2001, the Square was transformed into a wonderful venue that is reflective of its history. During the spring, summer and fall months, thousands of people attend a wide variety of festivals, all celebrating the diversity, culture and talents of Central New York. During the winter months, the reflecting pool in the center of the Square, which symbolizes where the Erie Canal once ran, is a skating rink, reminiscent of the years when Syracusans skated on the canal waters.