Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway

Enjoy the 1.5 mile stretch of greenspace that makes up the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

NPS Photo/Witham

Quick Facts

Location:

Boston, Massachusetts

Significance:

Public park

MANAGED BY:

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is a 17-acre park stretching 1.5 miles across Boston’s Chinatown, Financial District, Wharf District, and North End neighborhoods. Almost 900 trees line the Greenway’s boulevard. The Greenway provides important habitat to native species and space for humans to play and relax.

The Central Artery/Tunnel Project, best known as the “Big Dig,” began construction in 1991. The project replaced Boston’s elevated highway with an underground highway. As part of the project, more than 300 acres of open land reconnected Boston’s downtown to its waterfront, resulting in 45 greenspaces and public plazas. Opened in 2008, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway runs the same path as the original John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, the central artery demolished in the Big Dig.¹

The non-profit Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy stewards the park. The Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Center is located on the Greenway near Long Wharf.²

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Footnotes

1. Massachusetts Department of Transportation, “The Big Dig: project background,” Accessed August 28, 2024, The Big Dig: project background | Mass.gov.
2. The Greenway, “History,” Accessed August 28, 2024, History - The Rose Kennedy Greenway.