The Boston Swan Boats are one of among the most iconic sites in the city. The pond and the boats are found in Boston's gorgeous public gardens, which many Bostonians consider their favorite part of the city.
In the springtime when the weather warms up, you can spot students, kids and families lounging in the grass, enjoying the beauty of the Swan Boats in the Boston Public Gardens, bordering the beautiful neighborhoods of Beacon Hill and the Back Bay!
The Boston tradition of the Swan Boats dates back to the 1870s when Robert Paget was granted a boat for hire. In 1877, he capitalized on the technology of the newly popular bicycle and with the help of others, developed a catamaran that housed a foot-propelled paddle wheel arrangement. To cover the mechanism, Paget suggested a swan, such as the one that guided the knight to Princess Elsa in the opera Lohengrin.
The Swan Boats have become a Boston tradition and are still run by Paget's descendents more than 130 years later! Made famous in stories like Make Way for Ducklings and The Trumpet of the Swan, the Swan Boats are the only vessels of their kind in the world.