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Sport & OutdoorFamily FavoriteIconicDate Night

Boston Public Garden & Swan Boats

Bounded by Arlington, Boylston, Charles & Beacon Streets · Boston, MA

Why you should go…

America's first public botanical garden is 24 acres of Victorian loveliness: weeping willows over a lagoon, formal flower beds, and the bronze Make Way for Ducklings statues that every child in Boston has ridden. In warm months, the pedal-powered Swan Boats have been gliding across the lagoon since 1877 for pocket change. Pure, free, postcard Boston.

  • #park
  • #gardens
  • #swan boats
  • #photo spot
  • #picnic

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Boston Public Garden & Swan Boats, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Eat & Drink
    Iconic

    Cheers Beacon Hill

    $25–$50

    The real Beacon Hill bar whose exterior inspired the TV sitcom Cheers, tucked beneath the historic Hampshire House.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    The Freedom Trail

    Free

    Follow the famous red brick line past 16 Revolutionary landmarks, from Boston Common to Bunker Hill.

    0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square

    Free

    A free 1895 'palace for the people', Bates Hall's barrel-vaulted reading room, Sargent murals, and a serene Italianate courtyard in Copley Square.

    0.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park

    Under $25

    Ferry from Long Wharf to Civil War-era Fort Warren on Georges Island or Spectacle Island's beaches and skyline-view trails. Ferries run mid-May to October.

    1.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Myopia Polo Club

    Under $25

    Storied polo club on Boston's North Shore hosting Sunday matches open to spectators.

    21 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Nashoba Valley Ski Area

    $25–$50

    A family ski and snowboard area near Boston with 17 trails, a terrain park and a tubing park.

    23 mi awayMore like this