Boston’s Back Bay Fens, located within the city’s Fenway / Kenmore neighborhood, is a beautiful outdoor destination filled with formal and community gardens, sports fields, monuments, and historic landmarks.
Back Bay Fens was established in 1879 by a man named Frederick Law Olmsted. The year before, there was a public health threat in Back Bay caused by a flooded and stagnant waterway. Olmsted put in place a plan to revitalize the swamp area into something beautiful with his creative landscape architecture. It changed the name of the Back Bay Fens area at that time.
In 1910 came the damming of the Charles River, resulting in the Back Bay swamps turning into a freshwater swamp, which the Olmsted plantations unfortunately could not survive. Only two of the original bridges remained, along with the park boundaries and some trees. That’s when another landscape architect, Arthur Schurcliff, came in and revitalized the Back Bay Swamps with additions including sports fields and the Kelleher Rose Garden.
Back Bay Fens is part of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, a non-profit organization run by Bostonians that works to protect and maintain many of the city’s parks.
What to do and see
Fenway’s Victory Gardens are the oldest “Victory Garden” planted during World War II in 1941, when food was required to be exported and President Roosevelt asked citizens to help grow vegetables. Boston had 49 of these gardens then, and this is the only one that has continued, although today it is a 7.5 acre community garden with more than 500 gardens.
Kelleher Rose Garden is so beautiful that not only do people come to enjoy it, but many choose to have their weddings there. In the 1900s, rose gardens were incredibly popular, and this garden has been around since 1931, designed to face the Museum of Fine Arts, then expanded in 1932. It was officially named the James P. Kelleher Rose Garden in 1975.
There are a variety of athletic fields throughout the Back Bay Fens, so bring a ball, a few friends, and play on the basketball and tennis courts or on the baseball, soccer, and football fields for a game of collecting. You can also jog the track at Clemente Field or walk the Fens loop for some exercise. If you visit children, they will love spending time on the playground.
While at the Back Bay Fens, you will also see the WWII, Korean, and Vietnam memorials. Lastly, bird lovers often come here to see the unique variety of bird species.
How to get there and location
The official address for the Back Bay Fens is 100 Park Avenue, so you can use it as a GPS destination if that’s how you prefer to get from place to place by car.
Another option is to opt for Boston’s public transportation via MBTA trains and buses, as there are a variety of ways you can get to the Back Bay swamps. On the train, take either the Green to Hynes Convention or Green Line E to the Museum of Fine Arts or Northeastern University stops. You will have to walk from each stop, but not too far. Or take MBTA bus # 39 or # 1.
Nearby activities and places of interest
Since Back Bay Fens is in the Fenway neighborhood, you can probably guess what you’re close to: Fenway Park! Go ahead and walk down to Lansdowne Street and catch a Red Sox game or concert while in town. Even if you don’t go inside, there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and even a bowling alley around Fenway Park that are guaranteed to have a good time.
Two of the city’s most popular museums, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, are within walking distance of the Back Bay Fens. Both museums are the best places for those who appreciate and love art.
Boston is home to many beautiful college campuses, several of which line the Back Bay swamps. Nearby colleges and universities include Emmanuel College, Simmons University, Northeastern University, and Berklee College of Music.
The Back Bay neighborhood isn’t too far away either, and it’s Boston’s best shopping destination, home to the city’s famous Newbury and Boylston streets.
