Boston Common is the central public park located in the heart of downtown, the oldest city park in the nation, and offers 50 acres of green space for recreational use. This park is a historic site that contains burial sites of important figures, including Revolutionary War veterans. The park is a designated Boston Landmark.
Boston Common (sometimes mistakenly called Boston Commons) hosts several regular events every year. These include the Boston Tree Lighting, Boston First Night celebrations, live plays, musical events, and political rallies. The park is a family-friendly place where you can see elegantly-tended lawns and see historical memorials, statues, monuments, and artwork. It's also a place to just escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Boston Common - one of the highlights of 11 Best Things to Do in Boston and 10 Things to Do in Massachusetts (Read all about Boston here)
What are the highlights of Boston Common?
Highlights of Boston Common include the regular events held here all year every year. These include the Frog Pond Skating Spectacular, the Boston Tree Lighting, First Night Boston with a fireworks display, Shakespeare on the Common, the Outdoor Opera Series, the regular Cannabis Reform Coalition Freedom Rally, Brewer Fountain, Parkman Plaza, and the Parkman Bandstand, where you can see live music and theater.
The park also houses several historic structures, including the Boston Common Tablet, the Declaration of Independence Tablet, a plaque dedicating the Great Elm Tree, a memorial to the Afro-American 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the Boston Massacre Monument, and others. Just a few steps away, bordering the Common, you can visit the Massachusetts State House, the Boston Public Garden, the Masonic Grand Lodge, Emerson College, and Suffolk University. The park is 44 acres of peaceful historic land with astounding cultural and historical significance.
A brief history of Boston Common
The history of Boston Common stretches back to 1634, when the first European Settler in Boston originally owned it, before being purchased by the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. By the 1630s, it was used as a cow pasture. In 1713 it was the site of a food riot, during which the lieutenant governor was shot.
By the American Revolution, the Common was used as a British encampment until they departed for the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Through the early 1800s, it was used for hangings. By the 1830s, it became a formal park. It has since seen protests against the Vietnam War, been the site of political rallies, and has seen public speeches by figures like Martin Luther King, Jr, Pope John Paul II, and Mikhail Gorbachev and concerts by stars like Judy Garland. By 1987 it became a National Historic Landmark.
What else is good to know about Boston Common?
Boston Common is a public park bound by the same rules and regulations as other parks. Visitors are expected to be respectful to others while here and to keep the parks clean. In addition, giving public speeches or distributing leaflets, flyers, and other printed materials is forbidden except with a permit. Boston parks are also dry places, meaning you cannot have alcoholic beverages on your person while visiting. Dogs are permitted as long as they are on a leash not exceeding 8 feet, and are not permitted in designated Dog Free zones.
Skating, boating, cycling, and the like are not permitted, nor are sports except in specific designated areas. Boston Common is part of the Freedom Trail, an important site of historic interest related to the founding of our nation. It is accessible to people with disabilities, and the park offers restrooms.
Boston Common
Location: 139 Tremont St 1B Charles St 38 Beacon St 167 Tremont St, 115 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
Phone: +1 617-635-450
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