Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The Boston Public Garden has a variety of flora and is centrally located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

With four grandchildren four and under, there was no way we could head off to the Boston Freedom Trail to immerse ourselves in early American history and architecture and luminary leaders without first stopping by the Public Garden, founded in 1837.  It is centrally located in downtown Boston, adjacent to the well known Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods, adjacent to the intersection of Charles and Beacon Streets, and just west of the Boston Common (see our next blog post).

Boston Public Garden, founded 1837, is devoted to ornamental design, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

So, why would our grandchildren be interested in THIS garden?  In addition to the well known swan boats on the pond in the garden, our grandchildren know about  the Public Garden through Robert McCloskey’s wonderful illustrated book, Make Way for Ducklings, set in the garden. The duckling sculpture, pictured below, was created by Nancy Schon in 1987, based on the book.  The inscription by the ducks reads:  “This sculpture has been placed here as a tribute to ROBERT MCCLOSKEY whose story Make Way for Ducklings has made the Boston Public Garden familiar to children throughout the world; 1987.”

Ducklings Sculpture by Nancy Schon, 1987, based on Robert McCloskey’s book “Make Way for Ducklings”, Boston Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The Garden and the adjacent Boston Common are bordered by some beautiful residential buildings.

Typical residential housing, Beacon Hill (overlooking the Boston Public Garden), Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Before setting off on The Freedom Trail, which originates in Boston Common, we had a chance to view the sculpture below, illustrating the founding of the city in 1630 (old by American standards, but certainly recent history compared with Egypt, China, Greece, Italy, and Mesopotamia, for example).

The founding of Boston, 1630, sculpture, Boston Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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