Welcome to Boston Common and Public Garden

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Boston Common - Park Street Entrance

Tour stop audio transcript

The starting point of the Freedom Trail, Boston Common is the oldest park in the country. The park is almost 50 acres in size. Today, Boston Common is the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks that winds through many of Boston's neighborhoods. The "Common" has been used for many different purposes throughout its long history. Until 1830, cattle grazed the Common, and until 1817, public hangings took place here. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution and left from here to face colonial resistance at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775. Celebrities, including Martin Luther King Jr., Pope John Paul II, and Gloria Steinem (advocate of the feminist revolution), have given speeches at the Common.

Brewer Fountain

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One of the most conspicuous objects on Boston Common, standing near the corner of Park and Tremont Streets, is the Brewer Fountain. The fountain was a gift to the city by Gardner Brewer, which began to function for the first time on June 3, 1868. It is a copy, in bronze, of a fountain designed by French artist Liénard. The fountain was sculpted for the Paris World's Fair of 1855, where it was awarded a gold medal. The great figures at the base represent Neptune [Roman God of water and sea] and Amphitrite [Greek sea Goddess], Acis [spirit of Acis River by Roman Poet Ovid] and Galatea [Roman sea nymph].

Frog Pond

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The Boston Common Frog Pond sits at the heart of Boston Common, the oldest and most treasured public park in the U.S. With a winter ice rink and skating school, a reflecting pool in the spring and fall, and a summer spray pool and children’s carousel, there are always fun and exciting activities for residents and tourists alike. Or just stop by to enjoy the scenery, complimentary Wi-Fi and something delicious from the cafe.

Soliders and Sailors Monument

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The Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Boston Common at Boston, in the U.S. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, was erected in memory of Massachusetts soldiers and sailors who died in the U.S. Civil War. Designed by Martin Milmore, construction began in 1874 and the monument was dedicated on September 17, 1877. Union Generals George B. McClellan and Joseph Hooker were among the estimated 25,000 people attending the dedication on Boston Common.

State House Entrance

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Built in 1798, the "new" State House is located across from the Boston Common on the top of Beacon Hill. The land was once owned by Massachusetts first elected governor, John Hancock. Charles Bullfinch, the leading architect of the day, designed the building. The dome, originally made out of wood shingles, is now sheathed in copper and covered by 23 karat gold which was added to prevent leaks into the State House.

Carousel

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Built in 1947 by the Allan Herschell Company of North Tonawanda, NY. The Allan Herschell Company, the most prolific maker of carousels, specialized in producing portable machines which could be used by traveling carnival operators.

Parkman Bandstand

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The Parkman Bandstand was built in 1912 from a design by Derby, Robinson & Shephard at a cost of $1 million on the site of the Cow Pond (also known as the Horse Pond), which had been filled in 1838 after cattle-grazing had been outlawed on the Common. Named for George F. Parkman, the bandstand was constructed following his death in 1908, in honor of a $5 million donation he had willed for the care of the Boston Common and other city parks. Parkman was the son of George Parkman, a doctor who had donated land for Harvard Medical School's first campus a few years before his murder and dismemberment at the hands of Harvard Medical School professor John Webster in 1849. In 1996, the bandstand was restored and is used today for concerts, rallies, and speeches. Recent notable gatherings include the Boston Freedom Rally and a 2007 Presidential Primary rally in which both Barack Obama and Deval Patrick gave speeches from the bandstand.

Playing Fields

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The Common is home to two softball fields and tennis courts that are open to the public.

Public Garden - Charles Street Entrance

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Two centuries separate the creation of the Boston Common and the Public Garden, and what a difference that period made. In 1634 the Common was created as America’s first public park; it was practical and pastoral with walkways built for crosstown travel. In contrast, the Public Garden was the first public botanical garden in America. It was decorative and flowery from its inception, featuring meandering pathways for strolling.

Make Way for Ducklings Statue

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The city of Boston, the setting of the book Make Way for Ducklings, has whole-heartedly embraced the story. In the Public Garden, where the Mallards eventually settled, a bronze statue has been erected of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings. While the tallest statue stands only 38 inches (.97 meters) tall, the caravan of bronze ducks set in Boston cobblestone spans 35 feet (10.67 m) from front to back. The statue, installed October 4, 1987, was a tribute to Robert McCloskey "whose story ... has made the Boston Public Garden familiar to children throughout the world.

Pond

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During the warmer seasons, the 4 acres (16,000 m2) pond is usually the home of one or more swans and is always the site of the Swan Boats, a famous Boston tourist attraction, which began operating in 1877. For a small fee, tourists can sit on a boat ornamented with a white swan at the rear. The boat is then pedaled around the lake by a tour guide sitting within the swan.

Lagoon Bridge

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The bridge crossing the lagoon, designed by William G. Preston, opened in 1867. It was the world's shortest functioning suspension bridge before its conversion to a girder bridge in 1921. Its original suspension system is now merely decorative.

Equestrian Statue of George Washington

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The magnificent equestrian statue of George Washington was the second monument to arrive in the Garden. Thomas Ball, a little-known sculptor from Charlestown, received the commission in 1857 after the first choice died. Ball worked single-handedly on the plaster cast for four years, mixing the plaster a bucket at a time. His primary model for the horse was a local charger named Black Prince. The piece could not be cast until after the Civil War because bronze was needed for the war effort. On July 3, 1869, the statue was unveiled in a grand ceremony with a thirteen-gun salute. It was a moment of intense local pride. A poor Charlestown boy had sculpted the statue, Boston masons had raised the granite base, and a Massachusetts foundry had successfully cast the giant piece.