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Boston Common

4.4 (555 reviews)

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Jason B.

The famous boston common. Another small little park located near/in the north shore. Plenty of room to move around, and a small little escape from the city.

These birds are well fed
Keith F.

Boston is an awesome city! I love how much history and green space is preserved. The statues and historical plaques are found all over this town. The Boston Common is one such place where you can stretch your legs, people watch and then grab a delicious coffee or bite to eat in a nearby cafe. The squirrels and birds at this park are very accustomed to humans to the point of coming up to you. That was different. The squirrels were huge. We also saw a lot of off leash dogs which was fine with us but if you are apprehensive about dogs you might want to keep that in mind. I would definitely recommend this place!

Jo S.

I loved Boston Common. Since it's in the middle of everything, I visited it 3 times during my stay. It has a T stop near by- named after it- Park, a great Visitor Center, and this is where the Freedom Trail starts! Boston Common is the oldest public park in the USA. It has a very European look, and I'd say it's one of the prettiest in the country! It's hard to believe it used to be a cow pasture! Now the city spreads all around it and it's a nice refuge from its hustle and bustle. Boston Common is a nice mix of everything: nice sculptures and monuments, they have events here - plays, outdoors screening, street fair, a Chinese parade while I was in town (Chinatown is next by) with dragons- fun! People have small gatherings, walk, sightsee. But there are many peaceful spots where you can relax, have a snack, read a book. Lots of seating on the grass, lots of benches - people are friendly here, greet you - at least in my case! There's a cute carousel and restrooms (at the Visitor center also) - just follow the signs! Nice vegetation, cute oasis in the middle of the city. Lots of historic sites: Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Boston Massacre Memorial. You can see the Dome of the Massachusetts State House from here! I loved Boston Common, I'd come here often if I would live in Boston! Lots of activities, people watching, you are in the middle of everything, but far away too. Great views of the city!

Christina R.

I enjoyed visiting Boston Common. The history is interesting and you can do a lot here with that in mind. You can also just stroll through the park, enjoying the late summer sunshine. This park isn't as big as I thought it would be and it's a super easy stroll. There are a lot of sites/artwork to look at as you make your way through. It's also a very nice detour if your hotel is on the other side. There seem to be a lot of event that happen here and there was even a food truck court sponsored by a college that was open to the public. Very cool. We didn't do the carousel or any of that. We just looked at art and took a stroll. We also found some benches to sit at and people watched for a minute. Although this was nice, I will say that if you want to sit, take a minute walk across the street to Boston Public Garden. It's a bit cuter, sorry to say.

Leslie C.

Beautiful park! Lovely green space with art and plenty of places to sit and relax. Every summer there is a free Shakespeare show performed. My friend is in it and it's "As You Like It, performing thru August 10. There are food trucks concessions too.

Jill G.

Beautiful historical park. We met here to go on the freedom trail tour. It was beautiful.

Aruna K.

The park is just soo big and beautiful and historic. It like an open air free museum with fall trees, the frog pond, the freedom monument, a gazebo, little food carts and so much more. The frog pond however eluded me. I put it on GPS and as soon as I reached the gazebo it said that I had reached my destination. I went around in circles for quite some time then gave up so I could see the rest of the huge park and enjoy the only red tree I had come across which was picture proper .. lol. There were a lot of evening walkers including the last of the walking trip group. The sun gave out the perfect lighting for photos. I was warned about keeping my jewelry away. Now, was that just a passing concern, or a real threat, I will never know, but that made me very hesitant to go exploring a little further where there were hardly any people. That might be why I missed the frog pond too. I profusely apologize to the great artist who made the unification embrace sculpture, no offense please.... but two beautiful hands joined together, but ONLY hands, they kept reminding me of gory mutilated bodies out of brutal crime series.... it kind of freaked me out !!! I wanted to get away from it as far as I can as soon as possible, but people who know it would be aware how big it is so it kept falling into my line of vision and making me uneasy.... .

John C.

This is the big park area near the north end. There are plenty of sidewalks and brick walking paths. Plenty of grass for kids and dogs . A large "frog" pond in the middle that was drained for the season when we visited. There is a massive garage system under the park and the small building are elevators to get to and from. Bathrooms were a mobile trailer with an attendant sometimes to let those with mobility issues into the handicap bathroom. If he is not there then you are out of luck.

Kristen S.

A must see while walking around Boston. Safe and well decorated during the holidays. Plenty of entrances/exits.

Montage of images from Boston Common
Ed U.

Well, of course it's America's oldest city park. Where else would it be but Boston? Founded in 1634, it's only fifty acres, but the park is still twice as large as the adjoining Boston Public Garden (review: https://yelp.to/shmOSjmJUr). What also struck us was that it wasn't as bucolic or manicured either. It's more of a historical green space with ballfields, statues, and the Frog Pond which operates as a skating rink in the winter. The most arresting sight is 'The Embrace', an art piece of intertwined arms by Hank Willis Thomas, a tribute to the love between MLK and Coretta Scott King (photo: https://yelp.to/3ckU6IbAcz). However, we came here to begin the Freedom Trail. RELATED - Exploring Boston? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3XtfnFc

James R.

Another great park. There is a lot of history as you walk through the park. The old WW1 mines used in the North Sea for one. This is also the start of the Freedom Trail. This is another great place to take your time and walk through. Unfortunately, the carousel was closed. It looked like it would be fun to ride.

Kim V.

Funny story about the first time going to the Boston Common. We walked through on 4/20 at 4:10 pm amazed at how vast the park was. We didn't realize after seeing a group of people and smelling something skunky; there was a countdown to 4:20 pm, then loud cheering, and a cloud of smoke. Apparently there was a 4/20 marijuana celebration. We walked out of there pretty fast since we had our children with us. A funny and memorable story to share going forward LOL. This land is 50 acres and established as a public park in the 1830s. At one point, they held public executions there. Central Burying ground is also located on the property. We also walked by a very busy playground. This is a great open space for the people of Boston; also a solemn reminder of those who used to walk these grounds.

Embrace
Jason M.

I stayed pretty close to Boston Common during my most recent trip to the city, and frequently passed it when walking downtown. Honestly, it's hard to miss - you may need to cut through it or walk around it to get from one side of downtown to the other. What it Boston Common? Essentially it's a public park, and in fact is the oldest park in the United States. In addition to the multitude of green, there are also statues, a pond, sports fields, a carousel, and the Granary Burying Ground which is one of the oldest cemeteries in the city. I cut through the Common while walking downtown and it was a welcome change to the relative congestion on the streets. A few reviews here compare it to Central Park - I can see the comparison but I think each of them hold their own (I'm partial to CP since I'm a New Yorker). In any case, the Common is a clean, well-maintained park and something to definitely check out if you're in the area.

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I know there's one on the other side across the street from the lake side.. The side with the merry go round and the park playground.

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Review Highlights - Boston Common

On a hot Summer day the sunbathers are all out, kiddies jumping in the frog pond, and frisbee s flying about.

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The Esplanade - Nighttime

The Esplanade

4.8(99 reviews)
0.4 miBeacon Hill

The Esplanade was a revelation, one of the highlights of my trip to Boston!…read more We took the T-red, got off Charles/MGH and it was a short walk to the Esplanade, a few miles alongside Charles Rivers with beautiful views of the river, wild life, the bridge and the city! We went on a Saturday morning, locals were walking, jogging, sitting on a bench drinking their coffee. Teams were out in the water roving, a nice visual Boston cliche that you see in movies, but I got to see for real. You can walk for miles here, till you get to the BU Bridge in parallel with the beautiful houses of Beacon Hill. Nice nature, cute bridges, birds, peaceful spots to stop by and look at the water, enjoy a book or a coffee. Nice locals offered to take our photos and we enjoyed chatted with. Beautiful sculptures, clean restrooms, lots of greenery. Great spot for a picnic also. I am sure it's pretty here at sunset. I am sure they have events here as well. My husband regrets not knowing about it. He went to Boston University and walked the BU Beach and the Bridge, but wasn't aware of this part. He would have loved to come here for peaceful walks and some reading. We didn't want to leave. A must see place in Boston!

" Definitely come " Been coming here since I was a kid . I…read moredefinitely recommend coming here . If visiting and especially if you live in Boston . Parking is very difficult. You can google how to transport by public transit. Or google a parking lot but it will be pricey.

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The Esplanade
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Boston Public Garden - 7.4.2025

Boston Public Garden

4.8(471 reviews)
0.2 miBack Bay

Maybe it was the springtime weather, but this is the prettiest free park that I have ever been to…read more It's directly across the street from Boston Commons so it feels like 1 park but since they had separate signs and had a public street between them, I will treat it as 2. This place is landscaped amazingly with perfectly manicured shrubs, tons of beautiful flowers, interesting statues/monuments and fields for frolicking. Do people still frolic? There were tons of high school and college student taking graduation pics here which makes a ton of sense. There were duck boats to ride around the pond, but it looked like 10-15 people were on the boats and you can't exactly go far. This place doesn't need words. It needs pictures or better yet the human eye. So, grab a picnic basket, enjoy a nice lunch, take a walk around the park but be aware of the thieving squirrels. I had one run up my leg on a park bench to steal my cookie.

If you've looked up things to see in Boston the Public Garden will most likely be on every list and…read morewith good reason. This is a beautiful garden, nice walkway throughout the area and the garden is right between the Commonwealth Ave Mall & Boston Commons. It's in a great location to do a lot of walking and sightseeing in the city, easy was to spend an hour or so.

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James P Kelleher Rose Garden

James P Kelleher Rose Garden

4.9(21 reviews)
1.8 miFenway

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO MUST DO! 4 & 1/2 STARS! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING if you come here on…read moreSundays & Park at the meters at the Museum. It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to 1930 in the town of Boston MA @ The James P Kelleher Rose Garden. This is one of Boston's Secret Hidden Gems that is right in the heart of the city but off the beaten path. It is completely Hidden from view that passerby's on foot & by car don't see. This place is part of what's called the Emerald Necklace. It is a great spot to relax, check out the flowers & have a picnic on green grass & trees which are right next door. The Kelleher Rose Garden is located just a few minutes walking distance behind Boston's Museum of Fine Arts in the Back Bay Fens section. You can park at the meters all around the museum for Free there on Sunday. Park & walk across the street behind the museum, across the Bridge & the River & in a few minutes you are there. This is a beautiful medium size Formal English Flower Garden with more than 1500 Roses that was established in 1930. It was designed by Arthur Shurcliff, a Boston landscape architect who had worked for Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed the Fens as well as New York's Famous Central Park. Be sure to check out the wide variety of roses, the greenery, the Arches, the Fountain, & the view of the Museum. There's also a reproduction of the famous Desconsol Statue - a gift from Boston's sister city Barcelona in Spain. It was designed by Catalan sculptor Josep Llimona. Also scope out the Julia Child Flower the famous chef who lived in Boston. She's got her own flower as well as The Home Run flower dedicated to Baseball. You can walk all around the perimeter & see pretty much everything even when the gate is closed. This is a great place to bring a picnic basket or cooler & blanket & have a Spring, Summer or Fall Picnic. There's also a great view of The Prudential Building & The John Hancock Tower 2 of the tallest buildings in Boston. There's green grass & trees you can sit under too - what a picturesque natural setting. You can also walk to the George Robert White Veterans Memorial Park that is a tribute to our fallen soldiers which is right next door which is also a Freebie. And if you want to walk a bit farther down there's the Fenway Victory Gardens which is also another place to check out that's also another Freebie in the Fenway area. Also check out the Agassiz Bridge a beautiful old arched bridge. And yes that's Free too! Check out my individual reviews of each of those places as well. You'll experience Hours of Relaxing, Picnicking, Looking at Beautiful Flowers & Nature Walking for Zero Dollars for the whole day. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

I had a lovely visit here! The blooms were great today (June 15). I love that it's totally free and…read moreeven has little benches where you can sit and hang out. It's very picturesque, I'm a little sad it's not friendly but I understand.

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James P Kelleher Rose Garden
James P Kelleher Rose Garden - Fountain

Fountain

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Boston Common - parks - Updated May 2026

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