Beacon Street is one of Boston’s storied thoroughfares, beginning downtown beside Boston Common and climbing a block up Beacon Hill to meet Park Street directly in front of the Massachusetts State House, with its gleaming gold dome. From there the street runs west for miles, threading through the Back Bay, Fenway-Kenmore, the Boston University campus, and on into Brookline and Newton. Its Beacon Hill stretch is the most famous, lined with elegant nineteenth-century brick row houses, gas-style lamps, and brick sidewalks.
The name recalls a colonial-era beacon that once stood atop the hill to warn residents of danger. Today the Beacon Hill section is prized for its architecture and atmosphere, an easy and rewarding walk for visitors exploring downtown and the State House area. Because Beacon Street is a long public road rather than a single site, there are no admission fees or hours; nearby museums and the State House maintain their own schedules, so check their official sites.
Good to know
- Runs from Beacon Hill beside Boston Common west through Back Bay, Fenway-Kenmore, and into Brookline and Newton
- Meets Park Street in front of the Massachusetts State House
- Beacon Hill section is known for historic brick row houses and gas-style lamps
- A public street, so there is no admission; nearby sites keep their own hours
Getting there
- Address: Beacon Street begins at Beacon Hill near the Massachusetts State House, Boston, MA 02108 (street runs west through several neighborhoods)
- Neighborhood: Beacon Hill (eastern end), Boston
- Nearest T: Park Street (Red & Green Lines) for the Beacon Hill / State House end