People from New York, how many pillars are there in Bethesda Fountain in Central Park?

No pillars.

Are you just referring to the ornamental pillars beneath the statue or all the pillars in the plaza?

Under the statue there is a central support pillar and 16 ornamental pillars which support the bowl.

The history of Bethesda Fountain is that it was the first structure commissioned for Central Park and it remains much as it did when built.

It was the only structure in the park today that was in the original plans in 1858.

It is my favorite fountain- it is majestic and serene. If you have not seen it in person put it on your bucket list.

I found out some very interesting additional history here

The angel was historically significant because it was the first work commissioned by a woman artist.

I reccomend reading the link above. It has a lot of historical information about the structure and design of the fountain.

In the documentary series New York City by Ken Burns, Tony Kushner, the playwright discusses his affection for the statue of the angel in Bethesda Fountain and how she was the inspiration for his monumental work Angels in America. It’s a lovely segment.

Behind the fountain closer to the water there are two iron pillars that normally have banners on them during the summer. My father is a welder and the company he worked for was commissioned to rebuild them in the early 80’s. The previous pillars were rotting because they were made out of wood.