The area, in that the Monument of Antonio Maceo stands today, was a desolate beach along the Caleta de Juan Guillén (current cove of San Lázaro) until the Torreón de San Lázaro was built here in 1665.  Torreón means a large tower, built for the defense of a fortification or a square. Towards the end of the 17th century, patients, particularly the leper patients, were treated in some huts in this extramural area. Thus, during the period of 1744 and 1760 the Real Hospital de San Lázaro was built and subsequently, in 1781 the leprosium was completed in this region. Even though, the building of the Real Hospital invigorated the life around the San Lázaro street, the area was still a deserted urban fragment on the transition between the old and new expanding city. Thus, in 1806 the first public cemetery of Cuba, the Cementerio de Espada, was inaugurated close to the Torreón de San Lázaro, bordered by the Aramburu, the Vapor and the San Lázaro streets. For a long time, the land, embracing the cove of San Lázaro, stayed a section of the city that was not preferred as the residential area. Not only the Cementerio de Espada, but also the the Batería de la Reina (or Batería de San Lázaro) that was built during the period 1856 and 1861, played a great role in this hesitation. The Batería de San Lázaro that occupied a circular large square with 44 cannons and a garrison of about 250 soldiers, was designed to protect the shore outside of the Havana Bay by a crossfire with the Batería de Santa Clara that was built in the place of the current Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

When the Batería de San Lázaro was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century, its area stayed abandoned for a while. In the meantime, the idea to open a park, dedicated to Antonia Maceo, one of the leaders of the Cuban Liberation Army, was added to the agenda of the government, so that in 1911 a contest was held by inviting prestigious sculptures and architects. 26 projects were presented. The commission entrusted the Italian sculptor to make the sculpture of Antonio Maceo and the architect Francisco Centurion to design the park around the monument.

The monument of Antonio Maceo was unveiled in 1916, but the place around the monument that was conceived to be a park, stayed abandoned for years. The Real Hospital de San Lázaro was demolished in 1916, so that the soulless square around the monument continued to be surrounded by the Torreón de San Lázaro, the Casa de Beneficencia (House of Beneficence), the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Manhattan Hotel. The indifference of the rulers in building a park around the monument of the hero, led to great protests. Finally, when Carlos Miguel de Céspedes that would have great urban works in Havana in the future, was assigned as Secretary of Public Works, the Parque Antonio Maceo could be inaugurated in 1925. However, objections went on incessantly, as everybody wished to build a park that would deserve the name of Antonio Maceo, a park that would befit the dignity of Havana. Thus, several modifications were done in the park until 1960s, when its area was increased to 30.000 m2 and a tunnel that connected the park with the wall of the pier was built. In 1996, on the occasion of the centenary of the death of the Major General in the fight, the lighting system of the park was revised, a flagpole was erected close to the monument, the deteriorated pavement was renewed, new seats were installed and new vegetation was planted. The park underwent the last restoration in 2018.