Harbor Seal Bench
The Greenway Carousel
Next time you visit Boston, don’t miss taking a ride on The Greenway Carousel! The carousel is located near the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion, across from Faneuil Hall and Christopher Columbus Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston. The mile and a half of green-spaces and parks that make up the Rose Kennedy Greenway were created after the completion of the Big Dig. The carousel opened for public enjoyment in late-August of 2013. This work of public art features 14 different characters native to Massachusetts including a cod, a peregrine falcon, a grasshopper, a harbor seal, a fox, a skunk, a whale, butterflies, a barn owl, and our favorite, of course, a sea turtle!
Sea Turtle handcrafted character, Greenway Carousel
The characters were inspired by drawings done by Boston school children. The artist who brought the design to life is sculptor Jeff Briggs. Much of his work focuses on creating life-like representations of animals, and his skill in doing so really shows in the Greenway Carousel. The colors, textures and workmanship are delightful to behold, and succeed in their goal of making people more aware of their environment.
The carousel design is iconic, providing something truly unique to the heart of Boston. A ride on the carousel is very reasonably priced at $3, or you can buy a book of 10 tickets for $25. The carousel is open daily from Sunday through Thursday from 11am-7pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am-9pm. There is also family-friendly entertainment like magic and clown shows on weekends at 2 and 4 pm.
Lobster and Barn Owl
I love the story behind the carousel–school children, native to Massachusetts, and so colorful. How appropriate that you hopped on the turtle! Fun! Fun!
On the website for the non-profit associated with the Greenway there are a few of the original photos the kids drew…so cute! I always loved the historic 1908 carousel at Heritage Plantation in Sandwich, on Cape Cod, and this reminded me of it a bit. That one features an ostrich, frog, zebra, cat and deer!
OMG… I heart the bajinkas out of Boston, I visited in 2003 and have put on the travel bucket list to get back to before I die. How beautiful, love the story behind the carousel, we have one in the centre of our city too, but it isn’t as pretty as this one.
I (Tamara) grew up on Cape Cod, so Boston was the closes “city” as kids. We revisited the aquarium, the wharf, Faneuil Hall and lots of other places I remember from long ago. It’s nice spending some time here as an adult, and getting a better appreciation. Boston has always been a great city, but it’s fun to see all of the changes like the Greenway and surrounding areas in the heart of the city!