Visitors relax on benches and at the InterContinental hotel’s outdoor 
café along the HarborWalk section in Downtown Boston.

The Boston Harbor Association played a crucial role in planning for the first-ever free HarborWalk audio tours (link to Audio tours page), developed and funded by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, thanks to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

The HarborWalk website provides updated information on the Harborwalk segments for the general public, with maps, site descriptions, transportation information, events, and resources for enhancing neighborhood advocacy. The site promotes Boston's Harborwalk as a resource for residents and visitors, encouraging them to take advantage of the many publicly accessible attractions along Boston Harbor.

The site is updated regularly, including new HarborWalk locations and amenities, new public art, and special events and activities of immediate interest occurring on the HarborWalk. Art lovers and the public will enjoy "Art on the HarborWalk" that showcases the unique sculpture, paintings, displays, and interpretive signage found along Boston's six waterfront neighborhoods.

The website can be found at www.bostonharborwalk.com.

HarborWalk Tours

TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li leads a HarborWalk tour group past the Gillette factory during the Rolling Bridge and South Bay Parks tour on 16 June 2009.

Participate in one of The Boston Harbor Association's free 2009 HarborWalk tours, including our 4 August “Environmental Sustainability along Boston’s Waterfront” tour, and our 10 September “Evolution of the Fan Pier” tour. Enjoy Boston's waterfront and scenic views while learning about developments along the South Boston waterfront which are helping to foster sustainability. On 10 September, learn about the changes on South Boston’s Fan Pier. Both residents and visitors are welcomed to attend these free tours.

From Grading the HarborWalk…

TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li points out signage at the 
Fort Point Channel section of the HarborWalk during a tour.

The New England Aquarium’s newest addition, the Marine Mammal Center on the HarborWalk.

Fur seal at the Mammal Center.

Boston’s HarborWalk network began in 1984, as part of an ongoing effort to revitalize and promote public access along the Boston waterfront. Today, more than 39 miles of the HarborWalk system is completed, in the waterfront neighborhoods of Dorchester, South Boston, North End, Downtown, Charlestown, and East Boston.

The HarborWalk is comprised of many sections, each owned and controlled by different private and public entities. The Boston Harbor Association assesses each section individually, looking at a set of criteria that includes maintenance and upkeep, accessibility, signage, and implementation of public amenities. 

…To HarborWalk Advocacy

Since 2000, TBHA has completed assessment reports of the Boston HarborWalk every year. TBHA also compiles progress reports that compare conditions and improvements to previous years by surveying the entire HarborWalk in Boston’s six waterfront neighborhoods.

Public Green.

The HarborWalk addition along the  John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.

The most recent HarborWalk improvements include the new HarborWalk segment and a new Public Green, both part of the Fan Pier development project. Along with a dramatic harbor vista, the Public Green offers something totally unexpected- seasonal music that is played 24/7. A public rest room and small sitting area are open to the public in the lobby of the One Marina Park Drive building.

The HarborWalk addition along the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum offers visitors even more ways to enjoy this scenic and historic section of the waterfront, featuring stunning views of the downtown skyline all the way to the UMASS campus. 

Interpretive markers along the HarborWalk.

470 Atlantic Avenue seating area.

Visitors walking along the Fort Point Channel can now enjoy new interpretive markers along the HarborWalk installed by the InterContinental Boston Hotel. The new markers tell the story of the Boston Tea Party, Fort Point Channel, and the InterContinental Hotel.

Immediately next door, the facility of public accommodation at 470 Atlantic Avenue provides a quiet respite on the HarborWalk. A seating area is available for families and visitors, together with educational displays about Independence Wharf (site of the Boston Tea Party) as well as a television monitor tuned to CNN news. Visitors can also enjoy the free 14th floor observation deck in the building, with views of Boston Harbor, the Harbor Islands, and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway (free telescope available).

Battery Wharf.

Battery Wharf.

Other recent HarborWalk additions include new docks at Russia Wharf and Battery Wharf and the newly relocated Louis Boutique at the Fan Pier, which features a small lookout for visitors and a new waterfront restaurant, Sam’s, on the second floor.

Be sure not to miss one of the most popular additions to the HarborWalk, completed in 2009, the segment at Fairmont Battery Wharf on the North End waterfront. The HarborWalk segment features interpretive signage, free binoculars, free public restrooms next to the HarborWalk, a new water transportation pavilion, and an outside terrace dining area. TBHA was the primary advocate for a free maritime museum and 24-hour observation deck as part of the Battery Wharf complex development. Both the pocket maritime museum and the observation deck are fully accessible to the general public and free.

Marine Mammal Pavilion at the New England Aquarium.

Also completed in summer 2009 is the exciting segment along the new Marine Mammal Pavilion at the New England Aquarium. The environment-friendly LED strips used to light this segment of the HarborWalk network make it one of the most unique in Boston, particularly during the evening.

New HarborWalk segments and amenities include open space at Atlantic Wharf (formerly Russia Wharf) along the Fort Point Channel, together with a new “Town Square” in the building, scheduled to open in March 2011. The first-ever HarborWalk segment at Liberty Wharf (site of former Jimmy’s Harborside Restaurant next to the Fish Pier) is set to open in April 2011, adjacent to four restaurants, a plaza with outdoor, and a public marina.  

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The Boston Harbor Association   -   374 Congress Street, Suite 307   -   Boston, MA 02210   -   617-482-1722 (P)   -   617-482-9750 (F)   -   mail@tbha.org