10 Great Ways to Enjoy Spring In Boston

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Spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit Boston. After what is usually a long winter in Boston, the city starts to come alive. People venture outside more to take advantage of the warming temperatures and longer daylight. The trees, plants and flowers start to bloom, making the city so colorful and full of life. And there is just so much more to do in the city when you can enjoy more time outside.

Although the calendar changes to spring in mid March, Boston spring weather can be all over the place. The end of March and beginning of April weather in Boston can still feel like winter. It’s not unusual for it to feel like summer with temperatures in the 70s one day and then a few days later be 30 degrees and snowing. Luckily though once you get into April, any winter weather is short lived, normally not lasting for more than a day or two.

Once you get into mid-April, there is more consistent spring weather and the trees and flowers seem to bloom overnight making the city a beautiful sight!

Here are 10 Great Ways to Enjoy Spring in Boston:

Take a ride on the Swan Boats: These historic boats first took to the water in the Boston Public Garden Lagoon in the 1870s. The boats feature a foot propelled paddle wheel that is covered by a swan. Robert Paget got the idea for the swan from the opera Lohengrin in which the knight in this German story crosses a river by a swan to defend his innocence to Princess Elsa. The Swan Boats are still run by the Paget family today.

Each year in mid April, the swan boats open for the spring and summer season and run thru Labor Day. In 2022, they are opening on April 16th. Tickets are $4.50 for Adults, $4.00 for Seniors, $3.00 for Children 2-15 years old and Free for under 2 years old. It’s a nice relaxing, inexpensive ride that both adults and especially children will love.

Swan Boats in the Boston Public Garden

Enjoy the Boston Public Garden: The Swan Boats are located in the Boston Public Garden. This is the first public botanical garden in America and is the most perfect place to spend a spring day. In my opinion there is no better place to experience spring in the city of Boston. The flowers start to bloom and the whole park is just so colorful. It’s a nice place to take a walk or to have a picnic.

Boston Public Garden in Spring

Experience Duckling Day: Located in the Boston Public Garden is the Make Way for Ducklings Statue based on Robert McCloskey’s popular children’s book. Traditionally each year on Mother’s Day is considered Duckling Day in the Boston Public Garden. This is a great activity to enjoy with your children. The Duckling Day Parade is a fun procession for children to trace the steps of the ducks within the Garden. Children are encouraged to dress up like ducks for this fun event. Reservations are required and it costs $35 per family to take part in the parade. Of course watching the parade is free. For 202

Make Way for Ducklings Statue

See the Lilacs at Arnold Arboretum: Speaking of Mother’s Day events, this is also Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum. Celebrated since 1908, Lilac Sunday features guided tours of the collection of over 400 lilac plants and it’s the one day each year that you are allowed to have picnics in the Arboretum. What a great way to celebrate mother’s day! If you can’t make the event on Mother’s day,you can still head to the Arboretum between late April and mid to late May to experience these beautiful Lilacs. There is even a self-guided tour that you can take. The Arnold Arboretum is part of the Emerald Necklace which is an 1,100 acre park system and makes for a wonderful place to enjoy a spring walk.

Lilacs at the Arnold Arboretum

Enjoy the Charles River Esplanade: One of the top places to enjoy a nice spring day is the Charles River Esplanade. The Charles River Esplanade is most well known for the Hatch Shell where the Boston Pops perform each year on the 4th of July. Spring is an extremely popular time to enjoy this outdoor paradise. You can enjoy active spring activities like sailing, kayaking, biking, running and walking. It’s also another great place sit and have a picnic and you can walk over to the Cambridge side of the river for a beautiful view of the Boston skyline. When the trees are in full bloom, the esplanade is just gorgeous!

Spring on the Charles River Esplanade

Catch a Baseball Game at Fenway Park: Spring brings the opportunity to spectate outdoor sporting events and there is nothing more American than baseball. Whether you are a Boston Red Sox fan or not, there is no better stadium to watch a baseball game than the oldest major league baseball stadium in the country, Fenway Park. There is no better way to spend a spring afternoon or evening than catching a baseball game. And it’s also a time to take a tour of this historic stadium.

Fenway Park

Run or Spectate the Boston Marathon: Probably the biggest event of the year in Boston takes place on the third Monday in April, the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is one of the most prestigious marathons in the world and has been taking place for over 120 years. While the Marathon has had all sorts of weather, from temperatures in the 80s to a windy, rainy day in the 40s, alot of years the race coincides with the beginning of the nice spring weather. The city comes alive on Marathon weekend and runners and non-runners alike flock to the city to get involved with the excitement of the weekend. Even if you are not a runner, specatating the race is even more fun than you could imagine. It’s truly inspiring to see the runners and all the spectators definitely know how to have a good time, it’s like a big party for the city.

Boston Marathon Finish Line

Take a Boston Duck Tour: A sure sign of spring is when the Duck Boats come out of winter hibernation to take tourists on tours of the city via land and water. The Boston Duck Tours leave from three different departure locations: The Museum of Science, New England Aquarium and the Prudential Center. So no matter where you are staying in the city, there is a duck boat nearby to help you see the city. These amphibious landing vehicles will take you past all the popular sites of Boston like the Boston Common, North End and Faneuil Hall to name a few. But unlike other tours of the city, these vehicles can also go into the waters of the Charles River for breathtaking views from the water.

Boston Duck Tours Boats

Take a walk along the Freedom Trail: Looking to get a closer up tour of the city, take a walk along the Freedom Trail. This 2.5 mile long walk follows the red line thru the city and takes you past 16 stops that were significant in American History. It is definitely a must see for anyone visiting Boston, especially if you are a history buff and spring provides the perfect temperature to tackle this long walk.

Freedom Trail

Enjoy a meal or a drink outside: With the warm weather comes the beginning of patio season in Boston. While Boston has always had it’s fair share of outdoor restaurant patios and beer gardens, the one positive to the pandemic is the increase in amount of outdoor dining options. Just about every restaurant has outdoor seating now and what better way to enjoy the warm weather than dining al fresco!

Spring is definitely a wonderful time of year to visit Boston. If you are planning a trip to Boston in the spring, Beyond The Miles Travel can help you plan that perfect trip.

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44 thoughts on “10 Great Ways to Enjoy Spring In Boston”

  1. Pingback: Boston Marathon – Beyond The Miles Travel Blog

  11. Boston in the spring looks beautiful! I love how green and lush it looks with all the tulips! I’d love to do the freedom trail in the spring (versus the winter when I did it!) it would be so surreal to think about our founding fathers walking along the same area, enjoying a gorgeous spring too 🙂

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  12. I like going to baseball games and Fenway is on my bucket list. I’m dying to visit Boston because I’m a history buff. Seeing firsthand where it has taken place really brings it to life so I think the Freedom Trail would be a first-class experience.

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  16. Boston is such a great city. Love the Food and the Freedom Trail is not to be missed. Alas, it has rained on me some each time I have walked it. With the variation in the weather you describe during the Spring, I’ll bet it would happen to me again. But that’s what umbrellas are for….

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  17. I’ve always wanted to go to Boston and now I’m dying to go in the spring! Thank you for posting this and inspiring me to make Boston the next trip.

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  19. Boston in the spring looks wonderful! I have always wanted to go to Boston! I was hoping to enter for the marathon, and then everything in the world happened! Hopefully one day!

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  20. Boston in the spring looks wonderful! I have always wanted to go to Boston! I was hoping to enter for the marathon, and then everything in the world happened! Hopefully one day!

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  23. I had no idea that Boston has so many beautiful gardens that come to life in the springtime! It might be incredibly touristy, but I sort of like the idea of the Boston Duck Tour! 😉

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  25. I see you are a fan of this time of the year too. The colours are what amaze me, I think I’d love to see the lilacs there. I’ve known quite a few people that have gone to run the Boston Marathon, it’s a great race. Enjoy the next few weeks.

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  26. We had always thought of visiting Boston in the Autumn but Spring looks very colourful. Boston is on our must do in the not too distant future.

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  31. Boston looks so lovely in spring! it seems the best time to visit it! i can’t wait to go and enjoy the parks and maybe go to a baseball game! thanks for sharing this!

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