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Wards Pond
park

Olmsted Park

address

42.322202, -71.117958

Neighborhood

Jamaica Plain/Brookline

Hours

Dawn to dusk

Accessibility

The pond can be viewed from paths around its shoreline. Some paths in this section of Olmsted Park have natural or uneven surfaces, so accessibility may vary by route and conditions.

Where the River Begins

About

Like Jamaica Pond, its larger neighbor to the south, Ward's Pond is a glacial kettle pond, formed by melted ice left behind by a retreating glacier. At 2.5 acres in size, this roughly-circular pond is the second-largest of the four found in Olmsted Park. This shallow and calm waters of the pond make it a popular spot for fishing and photography. Keep an eye out for a small cascade of water- the start of the Muddy River- along the pond's southern edge.

explore for

Watch a River Begin

Picturing the Past

Spotting the Swans

did you know?

Ward’s Pond has welcomed a resident family of swans in recent years. In 2025, two adults raised four cygnets here before the family began moving toward Jamaica Pond later in the season.

  • Ward's Pond in April.

  • Ward's Pond in 1920s.

  • Swans in Ward's Pond.

    Credits:

    Will Serber

  • Ward's Pond in April.

  • Ward's Pond in 1920s.

  • Swans in Ward's Pond.

    Credits:

    Will Serber

  • Ward's Pond in April.

  • Ward's Pond in 1920s.

  • Swans in Ward's Pond.

    Credits:

    Will Serber

faqS

Last updated:

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Land & water
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The world didn't start with Olmsted. For millennia before and in the centuries since Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace park system for a rapidly industrializing city and metropolitan area, the lands and waters of and around Greater Boston have served as a site of exchange among communities including the Massachusett, Pawtucket, Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy acknowledges the Greater Boston region as their unceded ancestral territories. This acknowledgement is a starting point toward right relations with Indigenous neighbors and their understandings of land stewardship.

People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

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Shattuck Visitor Center

125 the Fenway
Boston, MA 02115

Year-Round

Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5pm

May-October

Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm

Learn More

Mailing address

350 Jamaicaway
Boston, MA 02130

+1 (617) 522–2700

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-3414988.

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Partner & Volunteer

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Land & water
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The world didn't start with Olmsted. For millennia before and in the centuries since Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace park system for a rapidly industrializing city and metropolitan area, the lands and waters of and around Greater Boston have served as a site of exchange among communities including the Massachusett, Pawtucket, Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy acknowledges the Greater Boston region as their unceded ancestral territories. This acknowledgement is a starting point toward right relations with Indigenous neighbors and their understandings of land stewardship.

People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Subscribe for Necklace news, community events, and to enliven the parks.

Get Necklace News

Shattuck Visitor Center

125 the Fenway
Boston, MA 02115

Year-Round

Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5pm

May-October

Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm

Learn More

Mailing address

350 Jamaicaway
Boston, MA 02130

+1 (617) 522–2700

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-3414988.

Donate

FAQ

Partner + Volunteer

Careers

Publications

Contact Us

Land & water
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The world didn't start with Olmsted. For millennia before and in the centuries since Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace park system for a rapidly industrializing city and metropolitan area, the lands and waters of and around Greater Boston have served as a site of exchange among communities including the Massachusett, Pawtucket, Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy acknowledges the Greater Boston region as their unceded ancestral territories. This acknowledgement is a starting point toward right relations with Indigenous neighbors and their understandings of land stewardship.

People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Subscribe for Necklace news, community events, and to enliven the parks.

Get Necklace News

Shattuck Visitor Center

125 the Fenway
Boston, MA 02115

Year-Round

Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5pm

May-October

Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm

Learn More

Mailing address

350 Jamaicaway
Boston, MA 02130

+1 (617) 522–2700

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-3414988.

Donate

FAQ

Partners + Volunteers

Career

Publications

Contact Us