This stunning urban green space is the oldest park in the United States. Elegantly landscaped, Boston Common provides a beautiful setting for a leisurely stroll, a picnic or a place to relax and unwind with a good book or friends. As in much of Boston there is a great deal of history attached with the park and it is fitting that the Freedom Trail history walk begins from here.
Boston Common (often referred to as ‘the Common’) is a 50 acre park that dates as far back as the early to mid 1600’s. In its earliest existence, the area was mostly used as a cow pasture. Before the American Revolution in the early 1770s the Common was a large camp site for the British. The Common was even the site of public executions throughout the 1700s and early 1800s, but by 1830 the site had become a true park.
Today Boston Common makes up the southern edge of Beacon Hill. Filled with beautiful gardens and historic statues and fountains, the park is a prime spot for photography or for bird watching. The lovely natural setting also hosts concerts and other public events from time to time and in winter the Frog Pond features ice skating. The park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Boston Common is boarded by Tremont, Beacon, Charles, Park and Boylston Streets and the nearest subway or T stations are Park Street, Boylston and Arlington Stations.
