Childrens Wharf Harborwalk
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Childrens Wharf Harborwalk (also known as Richard Martin Park) is a exceptionally well-designed, children-centric park located on the Boston harbor. It offers a variety of engaging play structures for kids and a beautiful, clean environment for families, ideal for creating lasting memories.
Key Highlights
- ✓Park design is centered around children, creating 'core memories'
- ✓Multiple, diverse play areas to prevent boredom (e.g., fast metal slides, pirate ship, water play, huge dodecahedron jungle gym)
- ✓Metal slides are covered by awnings to prevent them from getting too hot
- ✓Offers spectacular views of the harbor and downtown Boston
- ✓Clean, well-kept walking space with benches and landscaping
- ✓Features beautiful plantings throughout the play space
Standout Features
- ⭐Abundant seating for adults, making it suitable for parents to relax
- ⭐Spectacular views of Boston Harbor and the downtown skyline
- ⭐Drinking fountain available for refilling water bottles
- ⭐Excellent for picnics due to ample seating and proximity to numerous food options
- ⭐Close to a variety of eateries and convenience stores (e.g., Bon Me, Boloco, Flour, Starbucks, convenience stores)
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Consider visiting on a windy day, especially during warmer months, to mitigate the heat and lack of breeze in play areas.
- →Bring water bottles as a drinking fountain is available for refills.
- →It's an excellent spot for a picnic; bring your own food or utilize the many nearby food establishments.
- →Aim to visit during sunset or sunrise for potentially stunning sky colors reflecting on the harbor, weather permitting.
- →For parking, utilize the Parking Whiz app and look for spots at the Necco St Garage.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Can be very hot on sunny days, particularly midday in August, with limited shade in the play areas
- ⚠Lack of breeze directly in the play areas, even when a breeze is present along the water
- ⚠Parking is reported as 'tough' in the immediate vicinity
Price & Value
Likely free entry as a public park/harborwalk, offering extremely high value for diverse, well-maintained play structures and scenic views. The primary potential cost would be for parking.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility features or accommodations mentioned in the reviews, beyond being a walking space with benches.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Outside food is permitted and encouraged for picnics, with ample seating available.
- •Convenient access to a wide array of nearby food vendors and convenience stores for purchasing snacks and meals.
🚗Parking Info
- •Parking is tough to find directly at the location.
- •Recommendation: Use the Parking Whiz app to locate spots, specifically mentioning the Necco St Garage as an option.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Not too crowded on a weekday in August, middle of the day. This suggests that peak times (e.g., weekend afternoons) might be busier, but it's not explicitly stated.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Metal slides are covered by awnings to ensure they don't get too hot, preventing burns.
- •No other specific staff monitoring or security features are mentioned in the reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Midday visits on extremely hot, non-windy days, particularly in summer, due to limited shade and potential discomfort.
- • Expecting easy, free parking; it can be challenging.
Pricing/Package/Events
What People Say
What's Great
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 5 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Victoria Vaden
2 years agoWhat a cute area with an even more amazing story of its creation. It’s so impressive how well this park was thought out with children at the center of its design. I wish more states dedicated space to kids like Boston does because this park gave my three small kids core memories that won’t be easily replicated.
Milton Reyes González
a month agoBeautiful place to share with your children in Boston! Photos updated: September 25, 2024
Kat Hajduk
5 years agoAwesome playground! Several play areas so kids won't get bored. Fast metal slides (covered by awnings so they don't get too hot), pirate ship, water play, and a huge dodecahedron jungle gym. Lots of seating for adults and the harbor view is spectacular.
Lindsey Itamoto
2 years agoOverlooking the harbor/downtown Boston is a clean walking space with benches and landscaping Heard that sunset and sunrise was beautiful here so came to see for myself. Unfortunately went on a cloudy morning but hoping to go back to see the beautiful colors in the sky reflecting on the harbor soon! Very clean and well kept!:)
Syrah M
5 years agoThis is also called Richard Martin Park. It’s a wonderful play space with beautiful plantings and a variety of ways for kids to play including slides, a giant pirate ship, water elements , and much more. We were there on a weekday in August, in the middle of the day. It was not too crowded but it was very hot. Not a ton of shade. Also there didn’t seem to be a breeze where there was a breeze along the water when walking back to the car. So maybe this is good place to visit on a windy day. Drinking fountain available to fill up water bottles. Lots of seating - great place for a picnic. Lots of food options nearby as well - very close to a Bon Me, Boloco, Flour, Starbucks, convenience stores, etc. Parking is tough. We got a spot at the Necco St Garage using the parking whiz app.