Local News

Main entrance of Boston Public Garden reopens after renovations

The year-long construction project aimed to make the park "more welcoming to people," the Friends of the Public Garden said.

The new Arlington Street entrance of the Public Garden was intended to make the park more accessible to visitors. David L Ryan/The Boston Globe

By Eva Levin

September 17, 2024

1 minute to read

After a year of construction, the main entrance of the Boston Public Garden on Arlington Street is again open to the public.

The Friends of the Public Garden held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday celebrating the project’s completion.

A statement from the Friends of the Public Garden outlined the new upgrades and renovations to the park. They said the goal of the restoration project was to make the Arlington Street entrance “more welcoming to people.”

The Arlington entrance had been closed since September of last year. Fences surrounded the entrance, including the George Washington statue and the “Boy and Bird” and “Small Child” fountains.

This fountain, “Boy with Bird,” now has a new water system. – David L Ryan/Globe Staff

The statement said construction on the two fountains now allows for more “sustainable and conservation-focused” water flow, while a new leveled plaza can let guests see the fountains up-close.

Other upgrades include redesigned granite around the fountains, the Friends said. Also new are benches and lighting to provide “comfort and safety” to park visitors, the statement said.

This restoration was one of three major projects in the Public Garden undertaken to celebrate the Friends of the Public Garden’s 50th anniversary.