The Public Garden -

The Public Garden

Mailing Address:
Swan Boats, Inc.
PO Box 301487
Boston, MA 02130

Fax Number:
617-522-3968

617-522-1966 - general information
617-591-1150 - to be added to Groups List

lynp@mail.com

The Public Garden, established in 1837, is the first public botanical garden in the United States. Today, with its plant material chosen for ornamental excellence as well as its botanical diversity, it forms a green and flowering oasis in the heart of a great metropolis. No visit to Boston would be complete without a stroll in the Garden which is maintained by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in cooperation with the Friends of the Public Garden.

Its 24 acres, developed from what was once marsh land, is the landscape design of George V. Meacham, winner of a public competition for which he received an award of one hundred dollars. Through the years, modifications to accommodate the increasing traffic and availability of new plant material have been made with the initial design always in mind. Flower beds provide glorious color from early April until the frosts of October, and the thousands of plants grown in the city greenhouses maintain a continuous ever-refreshing variety. Numerous works of public art adorn its winding paths that skirt its three acre lagoon. In 1859, by an Act of the Massachusetts Legislature, the Public Garden was preserved forever as an open space for the citizenry.

The Swan Boats Story

The Swan Boats are as much a part of Boston as the bean and the cod. They are the harbinger of Spring to native Bostonians. Famed in the stories Make Way For Ducklings and The Trumpet of the Swan, the Swan Boats are the only boats of their kind in the world! To the delight of the young and old each April for over 120 years, the Swan Boats have appeared in the Public Garden Lagoon with preenly grace.

This Boston tradition dates back to the 1870's when Robert Paget, whose descendants continue to operate the business, was granted a boat for hire license by the City of Boston. In 1877, he capitalized on the bicycle principle and with the help of others, developed a catamaran which housed a paddle wheel arrangement that was foot-propelled. To cover the captain, Robert suggested a swan! The idea came to him from his familiarity with the opera Lohengrin. The opera is based on a medieval German story in which Lohengrin, a knight of the Grail crosses a river in a boat drawn by a swan to defend the innocence of his heroine, Princess Elsa.

Robert Paget lived only one year after the first Swan Boats were launched. He died in 1878 at the age of 42 and his wife Julia, a young widow with four children, assumed full management of the new enterprise. Initially, the fleet was comprised of single-seaters that could carry eight. The present boats are replicas of the originals, but have five or six benches, carrying up to 20 passengers.

In 1914, Julia's youngest son, John carried on the tradition for the Paget family. With increasing popularity of the Swan Boats, John started work on larger vessels with five benches on each boat. The current fleet consists of six boats, the oldest of which was built by John in 1918. John and his wife Ella raised six children, all of whom spent many summers working on the boats. Along with his father and mother, John loved nature and wildlife. To him, the Public Garden was a very special spot.

After 50 years of commanding the tiny fleet, John Paget died in 1969 and his son, Paul took over the helm. The tradition, which began over 120 years ago, has grown to become a symbol of Boston and the city's unique blend of history and beauty. Paul and his wife Marilyn maintain the charm and integrity of a vision that became a reality for a young boat builder and his wife many years ago.

The view while riding on the Swan Boats gives each passenger the opportunity to enjoy the natural splendor provided by the 24 acres of the Public Garden. This green and flowering emerald, in the middle of the bustling metropolis, provides a natural refuge for man and bird alike.

In describing the enchantment of old Boston, one local scribe wrote "The Swan Boats are cruising and the ducks are chasing peanuts. It will be just that way for a hundred springs from now, we hope. The New Boston is here and maybe some day there will be a new, New Boston, but good old Boston, like the Swan Boats, quietly glides on forever."