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Boston Common

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 Boston, 02111

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Call: +1 617-635-4505
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About

Boston Common dates from 1634, when Puritan colonists bought the land rights from William Blackstone, the first European settler on the peninsula, and the city calls it America's oldest park. For two centuries it was working ground: a pasture for the town's cows until about 1830, a militia training field, a place of public hangings and, from 1768, a camp for British troops.

It suits first-time visitors starting the Freedom Trail, families heading for the Frog Pond, and anyone who wants a free, open stretch of green between downtown and Beacon Hill. Park Street station, on the Red and Green lines, sits at the corner of Park and Tremont streets on the Common itself, and the visitor information center at 139 Tremont Street is where most walking tours begin. The Massachusetts State House faces the Common across Beacon Street, 0.2 miles or about five minutes on foot by the Freedom Trail Foundation's reckoning, and the Public Garden lies across Charles Street to the west.

Monuments worth finding

The most acclaimed is Augustus Saint-Gaudens' bronze memorial to Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, opposite the State House, unveiled in 1897 to honor the first all-Black volunteer regiment in the Union army. On Flagstaff Hill, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated in 1877, rises as a victory column, and the hill has long been a sledding slope. The Brewer Fountain, the Common's first piece of public art in 1868, is a bronze cast of a French original. The Boston Massacre Memorial of 1888 depicts Crispus Attucks, the first to fall, and The Embrace, Hank Willis Thomas's 20-foot bronze honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, was unveiled in 2023.

The Frog Pond through the year

The Frog Pond is one of the Common's original ponds, and it changes with the seasons: a spray pool for children in summer and, for a fee, an ice rink in winter. The Skating Club of Boston runs the pond and the carousel beside it, which turns from April to October when the weather allows.

A stage for public life

The Common has been Boston's place to speak up and gather. Charles Lindbergh promoted commercial aviation here, Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil rights rally, and Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in 1979. The Parkman Bandstand, a Greek temple dedicated in 1912, is the backdrop for the annual Shakespeare on the Common productions.

Practical notes

There is no parking on the Common itself; the Boston Common Garage sits underneath it, with its entrance on Charles Street. Public restrooms are at the visitor information center and, seasonally, at the Frog Pond. Food trucks may park at Brewer Fountain Plaza in summer, the Frog Pond café opens seasonally, and small carts sell food and drinks around the park.

Sources: City of Boston: Boston Common, Friends of the Public Garden: the Common, park FAQ, hours and directions, Freedom Trail: Boston Common. Checked September 27, 2026.

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Contact Information

Company Name
Boston Common
Phone Number
See Phone Number
Call: +1 617-635-4505
Location
139 Tremont Street
Boston, 02111
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About Boston Common

Boston Common dates from 1634, when Puritan colonists bought the land rights from William Blackstone, the first European settler on the peninsula, and the city calls it America's oldest park. For two centuries it was working ground: a pasture for the town's cows until about 1830, a militia training field, a place of public hangings and, from 1768, a camp for British troops.

It suits first-time visitors starting the Freedom Trail, families heading for the Frog Pond, and anyone who wants a free, open stretch of green between downtown and Beacon Hill. Park Street station, on the Red and Green lines, sits at the corner of Park and Tremont streets on the Common itself, and the visitor information center at 139 Tremont Street is where most walking tours begin. The Massachusetts State House faces the Common across Beacon Street, 0.2 miles or about five minutes on foot by the Freedom Trail Foundation's reckoning, and the Public Garden lies across Charles Street to the west.

Monuments worth finding

The most acclaimed is Augustus Saint-Gaudens' bronze memorial to Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, opposite the State House, unveiled in 1897 to honor the first all-Black volunteer regiment in the Union army. On Flagstaff Hill, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated in 1877, rises as a victory column, and the hill has long been a sledding slope. The Brewer Fountain, the Common's first piece of public art in 1868, is a bronze cast of a French original. The Boston Massacre Memorial of 1888 depicts Crispus Attucks, the first to fall, and The Embrace, Hank Willis Thomas's 20-foot bronze honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, was unveiled in 2023.

The Frog Pond through the year

The Frog Pond is one of the Common's original ponds, and it changes with the seasons: a spray pool for children in summer and, for a fee, an ice rink in winter. The Skating Club of Boston runs the pond and the carousel beside it, which turns from April to October when the weather allows.

A stage for public life

The Common has been Boston's place to speak up and gather. Charles Lindbergh promoted commercial aviation here, Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil rights rally, and Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in 1979. The Parkman Bandstand, a Greek temple dedicated in 1912, is the backdrop for the annual Shakespeare on the Common productions.

Practical notes

There is no parking on the Common itself; the Boston Common Garage sits underneath it, with its entrance on Charles Street. Public restrooms are at the visitor information center and, seasonally, at the Frog Pond. Food trucks may park at Brewer Fountain Plaza in summer, the Frog Pond café opens seasonally, and small carts sell food and drinks around the park.

Sources: City of Boston: Boston Common, Friends of the Public Garden: the Common, park FAQ, hours and directions, Freedom Trail: Boston Common. Checked September 27, 2026.

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Phone: +1 617-635-4505

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are Boston Common's hours?+
The Common is free and open 365 days a year. The parks open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 11 p.m., though pedestrians can pass through 24 hours a day.
Q. Is there an admission fee?+
No. The park is free. Ice skating at the Frog Pond in winter and the carousel are run by The Skating Club of Boston and charge a fee.
Q. Which T stations serve Boston Common?+
Park Street (Red and Green lines) is at the corner of Park and Tremont streets on the Common. Boylston (Green Line) is at Tremont and Boylston streets, and Downtown Crossing (Red and Orange lines) is also listed for the Common's Freedom Trail sites.
Q. Where do I park?+
There is no parking on the Common. The Boston Common Garage, Zero Charles Street, Boston, MA 02116, is underneath the park; the One Beacon Street Garage is another option. Street meters nearby have a two-hour maximum and fill early.
Q. When is the Frog Pond open for skating?+
Ice skating, with skate rentals for a fee, is generally available from November to March. In summer the pond becomes a spray pool for children, and the carousel runs from April to October, weather permitting.
Q. Are there restrooms on Boston Common?+
Yes, at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center, 139 Tremont Street, and seasonally at the Frog Pond.
Q. Is Boston Common part of the Freedom Trail?+
Yes. It is the first of the Freedom Trail's 16 official sites, and the Freedom Trail Foundation's Walk Into History tours depart from the visitor information center on the Common.
Q. Can I fly a drone on the Common?+
No. Drone photography is not currently permitted on Boston Common, the Public Garden or the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Handheld cameras and tripods need no permit; filming and larger shoots require a City of Boston permit.