Bremen Street Park facts for kids

Bremen Street Park is a large green space in East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It covers about 18 acres, which is like 18 football fields! The park runs alongside Bremen Street and a major road called Route 1A. It acts as a helpful green barrier between Logan International Airport and the homes in East Boston.

MassPort (the Massachusetts Port Authority) owns and takes care of the park. It's also part of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, which is a long path for walking and biking. Bremen Street Park is open all year round. It has lots of cool features like big grassy areas, a path for walking and biking, a splash fountain, a community garden, playgrounds, an outdoor stage, and East Boston's only dog park. You can get to the park easily by public train on the MBTA Blue Line at Airport Station. There isn't a special parking lot, but you can find parking on Bremen Street.

Park History

Bremen Street Park wasn't always a park. The land used to be a parking lot for people going to Logan International Airport. The City of Boston bought the land to create a park. This was part of a big construction project called the Big Dig. The park was meant to help balance out some of the environmental changes from that project.

In the 1970s, a railroad company stopped using the train tracks in this area. The old rail yards then became a private parking lot for the airport. In 1989, the state began plans to turn the land into a park. This was partly to make up for Wood Island Park being used for airport expansion in 1969. MassPort bought the land in 2001. The park was designed by Brown, Richardson & Rowe and opened in 2007. MassPort has been in charge of the park ever since.

Fun Places to Visit

Map of Bremen Street Park with Points of Interest

Splash Fountain and Pavilion

Right across from Airport Station is a big splash fountain. It's a great place to cool off during the summer months. Next to the fountain is a building called a pavilion. This building has restrooms and offices for park security.

Community Garden

Along one side of the park, you'll find a community garden. Here, local residents can grow their own flowers, vegetables, and plants. The gardening season usually runs from early spring until Thanksgiving.

When the garden first opened in 2007, it had 46 plots. In 2010, MassPort made the garden bigger, adding 27 more plots. Now there are 73 plots! People on a waiting list get these plots first. The Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN) helps set up and manage the garden. Gardeners pay a small yearly fee to help cover costs for tools and maintenance.

Playgrounds for Kids

There are three playgrounds in Bremen Street Park. One is at the far end of the park, next to the YMCA. The other two are in the middle, near the splash fountain. These playgrounds are open during daylight hours in the spring, summer, and autumn.

Boston Public Library Branch

At the northern end of the park is the East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library. This library opened in 2013. Its glass walls give visitors a great view of Bremen Street Park. MassPort even donated money to help fund programs at the library.

East Boston YMCA

At the southern end of the park, you'll find the East Boston YMCA. This building has an interesting history! It was built in 1909 and used to be a place where train engines were repaired. Later, it became a factory. By the 1990s, the building was empty. Now, it's a busy YMCA!

Dog Park

In 2014, MassPort announced plans for East Boston's first dog park. It opened in 2015 and is a special place for dogs to play. The Bremen Street Dog Park is located at the park's southeast end. It's divided into two fenced areas: one for larger dogs and one for smaller dogs. Each area has fun features like agility courses, benches, and water fountains for both dogs and their owners. The rest of Bremen Street Park does not allow dogs.

Outdoor Performance Amphitheater

In the middle of the park, there's an outdoor performance amphitheater. This is a grassy area with steps, perfect for events and performances. In the center of the amphitheater, there's a cement platform with a map of East Boston. It shows how the area used to look with its original islands.

Donald McKay Sculpture

You'll also find a monument to Donald McKay in the park. He was an East Boston resident famous for building clipper ships. These were very fast sailing ships, like the famous Flying Cloud. The park designers worked with a local artist to include this sculpture in the park.

Nearby Attractions

East Boston Memorial Park is right next to Bremen Street Park to the south. This park also has the East Boston Memorial Stadium.

The East Boston Greenway Connector is at the northern end of Bremen Street Park, near the Boston Public Library. This path connects Bremen Street Park to Wood Island Bay Marsh. This marsh is another park along the waterfront in East Boston.

At the southwest end of Bremen Street Park is the start of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway. This shared use path continues south towards Boston Harbor. It eventually leads to Maverick Square and the Jeffries Point neighborhood.

Images for kids

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  A flag pole in Bremen Street Park.