Boston Common

Activity Overview

Boston Common is Boston, Massachusetts' most famous public park and the oldest city park in the United States, dating as far back as 1634. It includes 50 acres of open park space with sports fields, a wading pool & ice rink, a carousel and access to popular Boston locations. It is across the street from the Boston Public garden.

Fun Things to Do & See

• This centrally located public park is available for all to use. Visitors can enjoy concerts, carousel rides, shakespeare performances, softball & tennis games, frisbee throwing, strolling, sunbathing, keeping cool in the Frog Pond Wading Pool on hot summer days, which turns into Frog Pond Ice Skating Rink during the winter months.
• Adjacent to Frog Pond is a wonderful playground for children of all ages to enjoy. Turn around and you'll see the famous Gold Dome of the Massachusetts Statehouse across Beacon Street.
• The Boston Common is a quick walk to Charles Street, The Charles River Esplanade, and Beacon Hill. The Boston Common is also in close proximity to Chinatown, the Theater District, Shopping on Newbury Street and Downtown Crossing.
• You can walk The Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile, brick-lined route that leads you to 16 historically significant sites in Boston. Guided tours are available starting from the Visitor's Center on the Common; or just follow the trail yourself with a Freedom Trail map .

Boston Common Insider Tips

• The Common is bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charles Street, and Boylston Street. A visitors' information center for all of Boston is on the Tremont Street side of the park.
• To access the Boston Common by train, get off at Park Street on The Green and Red Lines; Boylston and Arlington on the Green Line. On the Orange Line, you can get off at Downtown Crossing and take the Washington Street Concourse to the Park Street stop and get off there as well.
• There is a spacious, state-of-the-art parking facility is located beneath Boston Common and provides clean, well-lit parking for 1,300 vehicles.
• A 10 minute walk down Charles Street will bring you to the Liberty Hotel, once the storied Charles Street Jail which underwent an extensive $150 million renovation and construction process. Among the other dramatic features that have been preserved are vestiges of jail cells within the hotel lobby bar and magnificent, oversize windows.
• Take a walk over the pedestrian bridge to the Charles River Esplanade.

You can find lots more ideas about things to do in Boston with Kids in this handy guide from our friends at BostonCentral.