The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is a roughly 1.5-mile chain of contemporary parks running through the heart of downtown Boston. Built atop the buried highway that the Big Dig replaced underground, the 17-acre linear park officially opened in 2008 and stitches together neighborhoods that were once divided by the elevated Central Artery.
Today the Greenway is a free, walkable ribbon of landscaped gardens, fountains, food trucks, public art, and rotating murals stretching from Chinatown through the Financial District and the Wharf District to the North End. A favorite stop is the Greenway Carousel near the waterfront, featuring hand-carved creatures drawn from local wildlife and designed to be among New England’s most accessible. Seasonal programming, the carousel, and food vendors operate on schedules that vary through the year, so check rosekennedygreenway.org for current details.
Good to know
- Free public park, about 1.5 miles and 17 acres, opened in 2008
- Built over the highway tunnel created by the Big Dig
- Features rotating public art, fountains, food trucks, and gardens
- The Greenway Carousel is a highlight; seasonal hours apply
Getting there
- Address: Atlantic Avenue / Surface Road corridor, Boston, MA 02110 (carousel near Atlantic Avenue and State Street)
- Neighborhood: Downtown (Chinatown, Financial District, Wharf District, and North End)
- Nearest T: Aquarium (Blue Line), Haymarket (Orange/Green Line), and South Station (Red/Silver Line) all serve different sections