• The Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Public Walking & Bike Tours

From May through October, the Conservancy offers a series of guided walking and bike tours led by Emerald Necklace Conservancy docents. Visitors can stroll among scented blooms, take a walk into history, discover the hidden gems of the Back Bay Fens landscape or ride along the bicycle paths to explore more of the Necklace.

Guided walking tours are free, but a suggested $10 donation is requested. All tours start from the Shattuck Visitor Center unless otherwise noted. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a refillable water bottle. In the event of inclement weather, registrants will be notified of tour cancellations by email.

Private Walking Tours

Looking for a fun and educational activity for your book club, garden club, class or church group? The Conservancy is pleased to offer privately-led interpretive tours of the Back Bay Fens. For more information, please contact Marketing and Communications Manager Declan Battles at dbattles@emeraldnecklace.org. (Note: at this time, private tours must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.)

Shattuck Visitor Center

125 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115

About the Shattuck Visitor Center

Tour schedules are subject to change! Check back before your tour or call 617.522.2700 for updates.

History and Landscape of the Back Bay Fens
A walk through the centuries of a historic landscape. Hear the story of how Frederick Law Olmsted transformed an area of polluted waterways and mudflats into a scenic fens and the later 20th century revisions that resulted in the landscape we see today.

Emerald Necklace Bike Tours
The best way to see the Emerald Necklace is to breeze through it by bike with a Conservancy docent! Join us for a tour of the parks from the Fens to the Arnold Arboretum. Must be 14 years or older.

Evening Garden Stroll
Enjoy a leisurely walk through the gardens of the Fens. You’ll take in the sights and scents of the historic Kelleher Rose Garden with its more than 1,500 roses and recently reconstructed fountain, and meander the paths of the oldest continually operating Victory Garden in America.



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