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Boston Common

Parks ·Boston
4.745.6K
#1Parks in BostonTravelers' Choice 2026
  • Ideal for friends, solo
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About

Boston Common is the oldest city park in the United States, in downtown Boston. Boston Public Garden lies west across Charles Street.

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Boston Common — Boston Common lawn and trees with the downtown skyline behind

Boston Common — Boston Common lawn and trees with the downtown skyline behindBoston Common — The Common's pond and trees beneath the downtown skylineBoston Common — Fountain and willow trees beside the Common's pondBoston Common — Pink flowering tree beside a pond in the CommonBoston Common — Curving pond edge beneath leafy trees in the CommonBoston Common — Tree-lined walkway crossing the Common's open lawnsBoston Common — Shaded park path beneath autumn trees in the CommonBoston Common — Common lawn and autumn trees at sunsetBoston Common — Snow-covered park entrance and nearby buildings at nightBoston Common — Historic view of crowds gathered on the CommonBoston Common — Bronze statue on a turtle-shaped base in the Common

Why go

  • Start the Freedom Trail near Park Street Station.
  • Catch the annual Shakespeare on the Common performances by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.
  • See the Christmas tree near Brewer Fountain, donated by Halifax in thanks for Boston’s help after a 1917 explosion.

Don't miss

  • Robert Gould Shaw MemorialHonors Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment.At Beacon and Park Streets, opposite the State House.
  • Soldiers and Sailors MonumentCommemorates Civil War dead.Flag Staff Hill.
  • Oneida Football Club MonumentMarks the site of the first organized football games in the United States, played here in 1862.
  • Brewer FountainPair a stop at Brewer Fountain with the nearby Parkman Bandstand, which hosts music and theatrical productions.Corner of Park and Tremont Streets, near Park Street Station.
  • Central Burying GroundThe graves of painter Gilbert Stuart and composer William Billings are here.Along Boylston Street.
  • Pope John Paul II visit markerA granite slab marks the Pope’s 1979 visit, when he celebrated Mass for about 400,000 people.

With kids

  • Frog Pond has winter skating and lessons, a seasonal reflecting pool, a summer spray pool and a children’s carousel.
  • The park also has a tot lot and softball fields in its southwest corner.

Shorts

History

The Common later became a venue for free speech and public assembly, including civil rights rallies led by Martin Luther King Jr.

  1. 1634Puritan founders bought the land from William Blaxton, establishing Boston’s town common.
  2. 1660Mary Dyer was hanged on the Common for defying the colony’s ban on Quakers.
  3. 1768British Redcoats began an eight-year encampment here; troops later departed from the Common for Lexington and Concord.
  4. 1830sCattle grazing was formally banned in 1830; the Common developed into a public park during the 1830s.
  5. 1836By 1836, an ornamental iron fence enclosed the grounds and five perimeter promenades; Tremont Mall dated from 1728. On July 4, a restriction barring Black and Indigenous people was lifted after community resistance.
Show all
  1. 1860sCivil War recruitment and anti-slavery meetings took place here.
  2. World War IIThe Common donated most of its iron fencing for scrap metal.
  3. 1969A Vietnam War protest drew 100,000 people to the Common on October 15.

Sources: Boston Common - Wikipedia · Boston Common - Wikipedia (part 2) · Boston/Back Bay-Beacon Hill - Wikivoyage (see) · Boston Common | Boston.gov · Boston Common - Wikipedia · Boston Common - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026

Where
139 Tremont St, MA, Boston Massachusetts

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

What are Boston Common’s opening hours?

Boston Common is open daily from 06:00 to 23:30.

How do you get to Boston Common by subway?

Park Street and Boylston stations are beneath the park’s eastern and southern corners.

Where can I get visitor information at Boston Common?

Boston’s visitor center is on the Common’s Tremont Street side.

What address should I use for Boston Common?

139 Tremont St, Boston, Massachusetts.

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