Visit
Your day on the river starts here.
The Esplanade is free and open to all, every day of the year. Here's everything you need to plan a visit — when to come, how to get here, and what you'll find when you arrive.
- Park hours
- Open daily, dawn to dusk
- Campus & visitor center
- Charlesbank Campus & visitor center: 8 AM–8 PM (seasonal)
- Admission
- Always free
Getting here
By the river, by the T.
The Esplanade hugs the Boston bank of the Charles. Footbridges cross Storrow Drive at several points — the closest depends on where you're headed.
By public transit
- MBTA Red Line
- Charles/MGH station — a 5-minute walk across the Longfellow approach to the Fiedler Footbridge.
- MBTA Green Line
- Arlington or Hynes — 10–12 minutes on foot to the Arthur Fiedler footbridge or the Dartmouth Street ramp.
- Bus
- Routes along Beacon Street and Storrow-adjacent stops; see the MBTA trip planner.
- Bluebikes
- Stations at Charles Circle, Beacon/Arlington, and along the river path.
Driving & biking
Parking, bikes & drop-off.
There's no parking inside the park itself — but several options sit within a short walk of the footbridges.
- On-street (Back Bay / Beacon Hill)
- Metered street parking on the city side; limited and busy on event days.
- Public garages
- Boston Common Garage and Back Bay garages are a 10–15 minute walk to the footbridges.
- Accessible drop-off
- Accessible drop-off at the Charlesbank Campus entrance; accessible spaces at nearby garages.
Accessibility
A park everyone can enjoy.
The Esplanade is largely step-free, with accessible paths, bridges, and facilities. Our full accessibility statement covers the website itself.
- Paved, step-free paths along the full length of the river walk
- Accessible footbridges over Storrow Drive at multiple points
- All-gender and accessible restrooms at the Charlesbank Campus
- Accessible drop-off and nearby accessible parking
- Benches and shaded rest stops at regular intervals
- Service animals welcome throughout the park
WCAG 2.1 AA
Accessibility is a commitment, not a checkbox.
The new website is built to WCAG 2.1 AA — keyboard-navigable, screen-reader-friendly, and high-contrast by default. Read the full statement and how we got there.
On the ground
Food, water, restrooms & dogs.
Everyday amenities — most of them anchored by the new Charlesbank Campus.
- Restrooms
- Year-round accessible restrooms at the Charlesbank Campus visitor center; seasonal facilities elsewhere.
- Water & refill
- Drinking fountains and bottle-refill stations along the path and at the campus.
- Food & café
- The Charlesbank café plus seasonal food trucks on event nights.
- Dogs
- Leashed dogs welcome on paths and lawns; please clean up and use the waste stations.
Good neighbors
A few park rules.
The Esplanade is shared public parkland. A little courtesy keeps it welcoming for four million visitors a year.
- Keep dogs leashed and clean up after them
- Carry in, carry out — help us keep the park litter-free
- Amplified sound and large gatherings require a DCR permit
- Stay off the ice and out of the lagoons
- Bikes yield to pedestrians on shared paths
Opening late fall 2026
The park is getting a front door.
The Smith Family Pavilion & Charlesbank Campus brings a visitor center, café, courts, and a riverfront stage to a 1.9-acre gateway. Here’s what’s coming.