Franklin Park

Wander Olmsted’s “jewel” of the Emerald Necklace • Visit the Franklin Park Zoo to see gorillas at play • Climb the “99 Steps” twice! • Watch a Sunday afternoon cricket game • Picnic next to ballfields • Play a round of golf on the second oldest public 18-hole course in the U.S. • Transport yourself while hiking The Wilderness

Treasures abound throughout Olmsted’s “country park” and at 527 acres, it is the largest park in the Emerald Necklace. Named for Benjamin Franklin, the park brings together rural scenery, spectacular rock outcroppings, a woodland preserve, expansive pastoral vistas and an area for active recreation and sports. The park has six miles of roads and fifteen miles of pedestrian and bridle paths. With an annual children’s festival and special events throughout the year, the park is a popular destination for area residents, school children and visitors from across the region.

Recreation facilities include tennis and basketball courts, baseball fields, a cricket pitch, the region’s premier cross-country track and the 18-hole William J. Devine golf course. The Franklin Park Zoo, completed in 1912, is open seven days a week. The park has miles of some of the best walking trails in the city. Scarboro Pond, Ellicott Arch and the Wilderness, a historic forest, are special places to visit. White Stadium hosts Boston public schools Friday night and Saturday football games in the fall, and track and field events in the spring. Schoolmaster Hill offers a spectacular view of the Blue Hills.

Navigating Franklin Park



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