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    Boston Common

    4.4 (554 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.

    A brick church with arched windows and a tall white steeple, surrounded by trees and modern buildings, under a bright blue sky.
    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 - A collage of photos from Boston Common features monuments, sculptures, park pathways, and visitors enjoying the outdoor space.
    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

    A black sign with gold lettering displays Boston Common's founding year, 1634, along with official seals and the mayor's name, Michelle Wu.
    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.

    Kandice Z.

    Pokémon Go had a major sponsored event for the Go Wild Area 2024, officially sponsored by the local Ambassadors for the game. The weather was horrible. But, I'm hardcore. Good thing the Public Garden was included because I had a far better experience over there.

    Embrace - Bronze sculpture of two hands clasped together, located in a park with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

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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

    (100 reviews)

    Beacon 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.

    Boston Common - parks - Updated May 2026

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