Boston HarborWalk is a public walkway that follows the edge of piers, wharves, beaches and shoreline around Boston Harbor

Boston Harbor

Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...

. Plans call for it to extend a distance of 46.9 miles (75.5 km) from Chelsea Creek

Chelsea Creek

Chelsea Creek, shown on federal maps as the Chelsea River, is a waterway that runs along the shore of Chelsea, Massachusetts and separates that community from the cities of Boston and Revere as well as feeding part of the current Belle Isle Marsh Reservation that separates Boston from Revere...

 to the Neponset River

Neponset River

The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...

, and it is about 80% complete. http://www.bostonharborwalk.com/about_harborwalk/

History

Creation of the HarborWalk is a long-term cooperative project between the City of Boston, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, MassDEP, and the Boston Harbor Association to maintain a walkable waterfront in the city as public access areas. Since 1984, the project has established parks, walking paths, educational sites, transportation facilities, and other amenities along the harbor, stretching from East Boston to Dorchester. Sections of the Harborwalk are made possible by the provisions of Chapter 91 of the M.G.L. that protects the public’s rights and access to private and public Commonwealth tidelands.

Pedestrian Connections

The HarborWalk also leads into other pedestrian walking trails including the South Bay Harbor Trail

South Bay Harbor Trail

The South Bay Harbor Trail is a mixed-use path in Boston, Massachusetts. Construction began in 2008, and is expected to be completed in 2010. The trail extends from Ruggles Station along Melnea Cass Boulevard, across Massachusetts Avenue, along Biosquare Drive near the Massachusetts Avenue...

; Rolling Bridge Park, along Fort Point Channel

Fort Point Channel

Fort Point Channel is a maritime channel separating South Boston from downtown Boston, Massachusetts, feeding into Boston Harbor. The south part of it has been gradually filled in for use by the South Bay rail yard and several highways...

; and Miller's River Littoral Way under the Zakim Bridge that follows from Paul Revere Park in Charlestown to Rutherford Ave. Many of these pedestrian connections were made as part of the Boston's BIg DIg

Big Dig

The Central Artery/Tunnel Project , known unofficially as the Big Dig and as the Big Dug since completion, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery , the chief highway through the heart of the city, into a 3.5-mile tunnel...

 Highway Project and contribute to Boston being one of the most walkable cities in the country. http://www.walkscore.com/MA/Boston

Public Art

Along many parts of the HarborWalk sculptural artwork is placed and serves as way finding landmarks. Playful fish sculpture benches by Judy Kensley McKie have been created for Eastport Park, South Boston; sculptures by Tony Smith, Willem deKooning, Luis Jimenez, Dennis Oppenheim, William Tucker, and Sol LeWitt

Sol LeWitt

Solomon "Sol" LeWitt was an American artist linked to various movements, including Conceptual art and Minimalism....

 are located on the University of Massachusetts Boston Campus on Columbia Point in Dorchester. In South Boston between the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Federal Courthouse a series of artworks by Ross Miller

Ross Miller (artist)

Ross Miller is an American visual artist.Ross Miller is a visual artist whose work integrates art into the public landscape. Through site-based projects his work reinforces community identity in outdoor spaces, and create places for private reflection within public environments.-Beginnings:Miller...

 evoke moments in the history of Fan Pier. Memorial sculptures found along the HarborWalk include a Memorial to Robert Greene, Firefighter at Castle Island; a Korean War Memorial at Shipyard Park in the Charlestown Navy Yard. A Native American Memorial is in development for Deer Island (Massachusetts)

Deer Island (Massachusetts)

Deer Island is a peninsula in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. Since 1996 it is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Although still an island by name, Deer Island has been connected to the mainland since the former Shirley Gut channel, which once separated the island from the...

In the North End's Langone Park’s is a memorial dedicated to the U.S. Maritime Service from the people of Boston.

Historical Exhibitions

Along the HarborWalk are several indoor displays of historical materials that are available for view 24 hours a day. A selection from the archive of Norman B. Leventhal’s collection of Maps of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay is located in the lobby of the Boston Harbor Hotel; and in the lobby of Building 114 at the Charlestown Navy Yard is an exhibition of boat models, photographs and boat building tools.