Visiting Boston's Public Garden with Children

In the heart of historic Boston, the Public Garden has been delighting children and adults for over 170 years. The park, reclaimed marshland adjoining Boston Common, combines with its much older neighbor to offer over 120 acres of lush greenery in the middle of the bustling city.

Established More than 200 years after the Common was set aside for public use, the Public Garden was designed and planned by Boston officials as America's first botanical garden. Paths were laid out, formal plantings of flowers and shrubs were pre-determined, and an artificial lake was dug. Today, that pond is the centerpiece of the Public Garden, and the source for a number of activities for children.

The Bridge

Spanning the narrowest point of the pond is a footbridge, designed in 1867 and completed two years later. The Lagoon Bridge has laid claim as the smallest suspension bridge in the world. Its three separate sections stretch out across the pond, making it a picturesque spot for children and their parents to look out over the Public Garden landscape and the towering skyscrapers of Boston beyond.

The Ducklings

The Public Garden contains a number of statues honoring famed figures from Boston's past. But at the western edge of the park, by the Beacon and Charles Street entrance, is the sculpture that children love the most. It's a bronze mother duck, flowed by eight tiny bronze ducklings, as made famous by the beloved children's book Make Way for Ducklings. Robert McCloskey's 1941 classic won a Caldecott Medal for its illustrations. It's the story of Mrs. Mallard and her flock, their adventure making their way to the Public Garden to meet up with Mr. Mallard, and the help they get from a friendly Boston police officer who helps make way for the ducklings! Millions of copies of the book have been sold since its publication, and children of all ages will immediately recognize Mrs. Mallard and little Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack.

The Swan Boats

The most famous attraction in the Public Garden - and the feature that originally drew the fictitious Mr. and Mrs. Mallard in the first place - is the Swan Boats. The catamarans are named for the carved swan outline at the back of the boat. Every year since the 1870s, the boats have ferried passengers around the Public Garden pond. From April through September, parents and children can ride the paddle-wheeled boats on a leisurely ride around the pond and under the Lagoon Bridge. The oldest of these pontoon boats, powered and steered by a pedal-pushing young person at the stern, has been in operation for 100 years. The 15-minute trips operate seven days a week, weather permitting. The figure-eight voyage around the pond costs less than $3.00 per person, half that amount for children.