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Yelp Review 2026 #215: Across the street from Four Seasons Hotel is Boston Public Garden which also happens to be right next to Boston Common. Here you'll find picnics areas, walk/ play with your dogs, a quiet place to read a book or just relax or see little sculptures, monuments/ statues, and Good Will Hunting bench. On the opposite end of the garden is Cheers - the bar made famous by an old show. They have ducks swimming in the lake where you can also be on a paddle boat shaped like a duck. At night, there's some lighting but the trees kind of mask the light. But it's nice to watch the reflection of the buildings on the water. I went here in the summer. There's a lot of bugs! Some clung on to my clothes and I brought them to my hotel. Ugh!
One of the best city gardens I've ever been! If you're a tourist in Boston, this is a must-go. It's free; it's near a lot of other great sites (eg Boston Common, which is right next to it) and it's free. Full of photo opportunities! Great for kids and family too. Very easy to walk around and enjoy! For children's books lovers, this is THE place to visit as it is the home of the duck family in " Make Way for Ducklings" - a classic 1941 children's picture book by Robert McCloskey about the Mallard Duck family's search for a home in Boston's Public Garden. The beautiful charcoal illustrations won the Caldecott Medal. In the garden there is a statue of Mrs. Mallard as she raises her eight ducklings (Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack)!
What a welcoming pretty green space that is clearly well cared for and landscaped. It's simply delightful. Lots of benches and shady trees, and swan boats for the pond (not sure when they operate, maybe later in the summer). Just an idyllic respite from the city bustle. Highly recommend!
We entered the Boston Public Garden from the Beacon Hill area. You can tell immediately this garden is well loved. There were people strolling, sitting on benches and lying in the sun. There were also plenty of children run around playing. We passed one you woman taking pictures in a beautiful dress for her quinceañera. They were also setting up for an event, although I don't know which one. We strolled for a little while and enjoyed the green space. This garden is a nice respite in the middle of a busy city.
What a beautiful place to walk around. There are trails to walk and beautiful scenery to enjoy. The greenery, trees, and peaceful atmosphere make it a great place walk around and take in the beauty in the middle of the city. Definitely would say it is a place to visit when you are in town!
If you've looked up things to see in Boston the Public Garden will most likely be on every list and with 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.
After doing the swan boats, I checked this out. Didn't have time to check out the whole thing, as I would've went into the next hour of parking and paid a lot more. But from the little I did see, it was well maintained and pretty. A little oasis in the city, if you will.
Maybe it was the springtime weather, but this is the prettiest free park that I have ever been to. 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.
Gorgeous lake :). Theres a lot to see here. Plenty of flowers, easy to access via the metro, great place for a picnic or relaxing. A lot of geese!
One of the places not to be missed if you are visiting Boston. This is a great looking public garden/park. We were there for a short visit but boy, what a nice and peaceful place. Lots of people sitting around, walking their dogs, enjoying a little picnic. Even saw a wedding party here taking photos. There is a little lake in the center. You could also go on one of the boat rides for a small fees. We didn't get to try that since we were just passing through. In the middle of the lake is a bridge. The bridge is a perfect location to take in those selfies or family photos. Very scenic and peaceful. If you ever visit Boston, don't miss the opportunity to visit the Boston Public Garden. Great place to relax, stroll around, and reflect on life.
I can't decide which one I like more, the Boston Public Garden or the Boston Common? Do I have to? Nice problem to have! Boston Public Garden is adjacent to the Boston Common park, you cross the street and you have two beautiful parks near each other! Can't get any better. The Public Garden was meant to be the 1st Botanical Garden in America. And it was! Established 1837! It still beautiful, elegant, charming, full of gorgeous flower arrangements, nice statues (George Washington, George Robert White Memorial, Ether Monument), it has a regal, European feel. Yes, it is crowded, but I didn't mind it since everyone was just walking, exploring, taking photos like we were. It was still nice and relaxing, great to stroll around. Great views of the city! I love the bridge with the Japanese style decor, a cute pond, lots of photo ops! A must visit when in Boston!
Gorgeous all year around but I love spring flowers! I was so happy to catch the end of cherry blossoms and the colorful display of tulips. I enjoyed a peaceful walk around the gardens. The area was full of people enjoying the day and taking pictures of the flowers. Highly recommend walking through these gardens when you're in Boston!
Beautiful park. We walked through and the place is well maintained. There were Swan boats you could go on.
Take a break from exploring the city with a stroll through the Boston Public Garden! Established in 1837, it was America's first public botanical garden and is such a beautiful, peaceful spot right in the middle of Boston. Pack a picnic, wander the paths or simply relax for a bit. We also stopped at the iconic Cheers bar right next to the gardens, making it easy to pair the two while exploring the area. Definitely a must-visit in Boston! read more
Great to walk around and enjoy a beautiful day in Boston! Lots of lush green space to walk around and enjoy. Peaceful sounds of birds and the city. They do have a boat ride in the waterways, but it was for a cost and we didn't feel the need to pay for it since walking around did the job. There is usually a person on the bridge that will take pictures of you and put them on a piece of paper that looks like an old timey news paper! Super cool! The garden is accessible from most areas of the city in about a 10-15 minute walk or less depending on where you are. read more
1 month ago
When mom goes on vacation, she always wants to see gardens, flowers and nature. Can't blame her! It's always a peaceful and beautiful experience! This garden is massive! There were plenty of flowers, birds and squirrels to see! This garden was massive and beautiful! We went on a Saturday, so there was an event going on, which was nice to check out! read more
Yelp Review 2026 #215: Across the street from Four Seasons Hotel is Boston Public Garden which also happens to be right next to Boston Common. Here you'll find picnics areas, walk/ play with your dogs, a quiet place to read a book or just relax or see little sculptures, monuments/ statues, and Good Will Hunting bench. On the opposite end of the garden is Cheers - the bar made famous by an old show. They have ducks swimming in the lake where you can also be on a paddle boat shaped like a duck. At night, there's some lighting but the trees kind of mask the light. But it's nice to watch the reflection of the buildings on the water. I went here in the summer. There's a lot of bugs! Some clung on to my clothes and I brought them to my hotel. Ugh! read more
4 months ago
One of the best city gardens I've ever been! If you're a tourist in Boston, this is a must-go. It's free; it's near a lot of other great sites (eg Boston Common, which is right next to it) and it's free. Full of photo opportunities! Great for kids and family too. Very easy to walk around and enjoy! For children's books lovers, this is THE place to visit as it is the home of the duck family in " Make Way for Ducklings" - a classic 1941 children's picture book by Robert McCloskey about the Mallard Duck family's search for a home in Boston's Public Garden. The beautiful charcoal illustrations won the Caldecott Medal. In the garden there is a statue of Mrs. Mallard as she raises her eight ducklings (Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack)! read more
What a welcoming pretty green space that is clearly well cared for and landscaped. It's simply delightful. Lots of benches and shady trees, and swan boats for the pond (not sure when they operate, maybe later in the summer). Just an idyllic respite from the city bustle. Highly recommend! read more
We entered the Boston Public Garden from the Beacon Hill area. You can tell immediately this garden is well loved. There were people strolling, sitting on benches and lying in the sun. There were also plenty of children run around playing. We passed one you woman taking pictures in a beautiful dress for her quinceañera. They were also setting up for an event, although I don't know which one. We strolled for a little while and enjoyed the green space. This garden is a nice respite in the middle of a busy city. read more
1 month ago
What a beautiful place to walk around. There are trails to walk and beautiful scenery to enjoy. The greenery, trees, and peaceful atmosphere make it a great place walk around and take in the beauty in the middle of the city. Definitely would say it is a place to visit when you are in town! read more
If you've looked up things to see in Boston the Public Garden will most likely be on every list and with 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. read more
After doing the swan boats, I checked this out. Didn't have time to check out the whole thing, as I would've went into the next hour of parking and paid a lot more. But from the little I did see, it was well maintained and pretty. A little oasis in the city, if you will. read more
Maybe it was the springtime weather, but this is the prettiest free park that I have ever been to. 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. read more
3 months ago
Gorgeous lake :). Theres a lot to see here. Plenty of flowers, easy to access via the metro, great place for a picnic or relaxing. A lot of geese! read more
One of the places not to be missed if you are visiting Boston. This is a great looking public garden/park. We were there for a short visit but boy, what a nice and peaceful place. Lots of people sitting around, walking their dogs, enjoying a little picnic. Even saw a wedding party here taking photos. There is a little lake in the center. You could also go on one of the boat rides for a small fees. We didn't get to try that since we were just passing through. In the middle of the lake is a bridge. The bridge is a perfect location to take in those selfies or family photos. Very scenic and peaceful. If you ever visit Boston, don't miss the opportunity to visit the Boston Public Garden. Great place to relax, stroll around, and reflect on life. read more
1 month ago
I can't decide which one I like more, the Boston Public Garden or the Boston Common? Do I have to? Nice problem to have! Boston Public Garden is adjacent to the Boston Common park, you cross the street and you have two beautiful parks near each other! Can't get any better. The Public Garden was meant to be the 1st Botanical Garden in America. And it was! Established 1837! It still beautiful, elegant, charming, full of gorgeous flower arrangements, nice statues (George Washington, George Robert White Memorial, Ether Monument), it has a regal, European feel. Yes, it is crowded, but I didn't mind it since everyone was just walking, exploring, taking photos like we were. It was still nice and relaxing, great to stroll around. Great views of the city! I love the bridge with the Japanese style decor, a cute pond, lots of photo ops! A must visit when in Boston! read more
5 months ago
Gorgeous all year around but I love spring flowers! I was so happy to catch the end of cherry blossoms and the colorful display of tulips. I enjoyed a peaceful walk around the gardens. The area was full of people enjoying the day and taking pictures of the flowers. Highly recommend walking through these gardens when you're in Boston! read more
1 year ago
" My childhood park " I been coming to this park since I was a child . It's a beautiful open space that's just divine to walk in . Whether it's a seasonal change this doesn't affect the luster of enjoyment. Definitely come here if you haven't your missing out . read more
1 year ago
I am absolutely in love with Boston Public Garden. I think that if I lived here, I would end up in this garden multiple times per week. Coming from Boston Common (which was a bit underwhelming), I was in awe of the beauty of this park. We walked through gorgeous old gates and strolled along a beautifully manicured pathway, lined with differing beds of flowers. Each bed was unique and I couldn't help but stop at each one and take a look. This path led to a bridge over the pond, which is a nice place to take a selfie. The path then led to a large statue of George Washington and a nice area to sit and enjoy with dual fountains shouldering the other set of gates to the park. The park has a lot of different features, like paved walking paths and dirt paths. You can walk around the perimeter of the garden, the interior around the pond and through other various routes. There are big trees to find shade under and I lot of fountains and statues to look at. There were also a lot of benches to hang out at, eat lunch, relax or people watch. There was a lot of wildlife in the park, including ducks that walk up to you for food, squirrels that scream at you like they're a crow and even hawks hunting high in the sky. Absolutely a must see destination in Boston. read more
The Boston Public Garden is worth the visit, even in the winter. I have always visited right before Thanksgiving and I love the varied paths, horticultural diversity, beautiful statues, and atmosphere. A great surprise are the ducking statues from Robert McCloskey's children's book "Make way for the Ducklings." read more
Our last cruise took us to Boston, where we arranged our own excursions, with the help of local Uber. After going to Harvard (highly recommend if you like seeing a gorgeous campus from the outside, and especially if you're into American history), we came here, in a rather circuitous manner, since we have to good fortune of being here for their annual women's 5 K. The closest we could get was something like 10 blocks away. Oh well - more steps right? This is one of the prettiest urban parks you'll ever see - not the size of Central Park, let's say, but really picturesque. The day we were here, mid-October, we were blessed with perfect weather, and thanks to the 5K, it was packed with people. Highly recommend. We then took a walking tour. read more
Beautiful gardens to visit and walk through. You will see a lot of people using this beautiful backdrop for taking special pictures of special events. Each day we visited there were usually several brides and a number of graduates in the park as well as new parents and couples taking special pictures. The Swan boats were all chained up and not in use when we visited as it may have been the cold or the rain preventing them from opening up. Flowers and trees are all beautiful and it's great to have the signs telling you what the different plants are in the event that you want to plant one in your own home. read more
Absolutely beautiful. Loved strolling through here and seeing everyone having a great day in the park. I would love to come back and bring a blanket and a book. So peaceful and loved all the fall leaves. I came here when I was little and took a pic of the duck statues so I had to recreate it! read more
7 months ago
Boston Public Garden is one of the most beautiful and peaceful spots in the city. Known for its colorful flower beds, winding pathways, and picturesque lagoon, it's a perfect place to relax, take photos, or just enjoy a quiet moment away from the bustle. In spring and summer, the gardens are especially vibrant, with carefully maintained flowers creating stunning displays. The iconic Swan Boats add a charming touch, and there are plenty of benches where you can sit and soak in the scenery. Whether you're going for a walk, meeting friends, or just taking a break from the busy city streets, Boston Public Garden offers a calm, scenic escape right in the heart of downtown. Overall, it's a must-visit landmark that captures the classic beauty and charm of the city. read more
A must visit park when you're in downtown Boston. It's very scenic and well taken care of. Supposedly there are trees from every state planted here. The famous Swan Boat Lagoon is located here however the swan boats are removed during Fall/Winter. This is a perfect place for a stroll or just to relax. Many plants, trees and sculptures around the garden to see including the George Washington statue and the 'Make Way for Ducklings' statues. read more
1 year ago
I was very impressed with the beauty of this area, especially for a big city park. It was clean, monitored and had beautiful natural plants. I'd recommend for a nice walk, family outing, and date night. read more
So peaceful and lush! We went for a walk a few hours before our flight back home and I am so glad we were able to spend some time here. Very well maintained public garden with a ton of weeping willows, squirrels and geese. read more
2 years ago
What a beautiful place to spend an afternoon in Boston. Upon walking to this place, I felt automatically at peace. It was so serene and a great place to people watch and spend the afternoon. There is a cute little bridge in the center and on the bridge there was someone playing music. There's a big lake in the middle and because it was fall season the colors of the trees looked so beautiful against the shadows that hit the water. It felt pretty safe here and there were also lots of places to sit. Side note: this is where they filmed one of the scenes from Goodwill hunting with Robin Williams and Matt Damon. You'll find a ton of squirrels here and I think they're pretty domesticated because they were fearless when we brought out some of our food they came running toward us. read more
2 years ago
This is one of Boston's most beautiful parks. It's a large area with nice views to the pond, several jogging paths and benches for people to sit and enjoy nature. It's a very busy park but because of all the space there's room for everyone. Many of the animals aren't afraid of humans either, probably because they're so used to seeing people. Squirrels may come up to you--cute to me but not for everyone. read more
"Picturesque" doesn't cut it. Boston Public Garden is the urban green space that most cities wish they had. When I visited, it was vibrant and teeming with people without feeling crowded. It boasts lakes and bridges and so many public sculptures. The leaves turning colors for fall were putting on a show of their own. It also doesn't hurt that I visited on maybe the last warm day of fall, just before the weather would undoubtedly turn chillier. During my recent Boston visit, I passed through Boston Public Garden on my way from Newbury Street to Beacon Hill. (Hat tip to Yelp Boston community manager Sophie T for recommending that I add it to my route!) The level walking path made getting through the park a breeze, and the ample shade helped me stay cool despite the 80-degree temps. Boston Public Garden also has prime people watching. From families of all types enjoying the day to people relaxing and reading by the lake to a meditation class, there was a lot to look at. It also contains the park bench where Robin Williams delivered his memorable monologue in "Good Will Hunting," so you can't go wrong with that. #RIP The garden also felt very safe, which as a woman traveling by myself, I very much appreciated. I only wish I had walked over to Boston Common while right next door, geographically speaking. I'll just have to do that the next time I visit. read more
1 year ago
How serene! I loved the gated entry, green spaces,water, swan boats, families and friends exploring, willow trees, statues (including Make Way for Ducklings). The foot bridge was neat to walk over to truly see all sides of the garden. While there are flowers, I rate this a 4 because there could have been way more. Regardless, make sure to visit if you're on the fence. It's worth understanding history as not only is it free, it was founded in 1837. Enjoy! read more
Boston has, like, the oldest everything in the country, doesn't it? The oldest restaurant (Union Oyster House - review: https://yelp.to/9giBjnePlb). The oldest tavern (The Bell in Hand Tavern). And with the Public Garden, the oldest botanical garden. However, that doesn't mean there are cobwebs amid the flora. It just means the park has a level of manicured lushness that makes it most enticing on a balmy Wednesday afternoon. Technically it's a small rectangle of greenery, just 24 acres, though it seems bigger because it abuts Boston Common at Charles Street. Jamie W and I walked into the park and immediately felt immersed in a landscape that the city maintains beautifully like it's the grounds of a palatial estate. The four-acre pond with the ornate foot bridge and pedal-driven swan boats is the centerpiece. RELATED - Exploring Boston? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3XtfnFc read more
1 year ago
It's a beautiful place to seat and relax and enjoy your lunch. It's MBTA access to Green-line and Blue-line, line Orange line, and Red Line. A lot of flowers and trees and a lot of tourists. Location near Beacon Hill, Downtown Crossing, and Back Bay. read more
Loved the garden, having 74 hectares of green space in the middle of the city is awesome. However, the homeless were fully hogging every chair in the park and the urine smell was terrible, especially around the lake. I couldn't believe how that was possible. I wish they cleaned it better. The view is spectacular though. The embrace sculpture is a wonderful idea. read more
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More info about Boston Public Garden
4 Charles St
Boston, MA 02116
Back Bay
Directions
(617) 635-4505
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https://www.boston.gov/parks/public-garden
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