Langone Park

Boston


Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, this peaceful waterside park belies the history of this site: in 1919, a huge distillery tank burst, sending forth a flood of molasses that destroyed homes, killed 21 people and injured hundreds more. Nowadays, you'll see North Enders speaking Italian and playing bocce.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Boston attractions

1. Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

0.08 MILES

The city’s second-oldest cemetery – dating from 1660 – is the final resting place for an estimated 10,000 souls. It is named for William Copp, who…

2. Narrowest House

0.11 MILES

Across the street from Copp's Hill Burying Ground, this is Boston’s narrowest house, measuring a whopping 9.5ft wide. Sometimes called a ‘spite house,’…

3. Old North Church

0.17 MILES

Longfellow’s poem 'Paul Revere’s Ride' has immortalized this graceful church. It was here, on the night of April 18, 1775, that the sexton hung two…

4. All Saints Way

0.24 MILES

'Mock all and sundry things, but leave the saints alone.' So goes an old Italian saying that is now posted on the wall of a tiny alleyway off Battery St…

5. USS Cassin Young

0.27 MILES

This 376ft WWII destroyer is one of 14 Fletcher-class destroyers built at the Charlestown Navy Yard. These were the Navy’s fastest, most versatile ships…

6. USS Constitution

0.27 MILES

‘Her sides are made of iron!’ cried a crewman upon watching a shot bounce off the thick oak hull of the USS Constitution during the War of 1812. This bit…

7. Charlestown Navy Yard

0.3 MILES

Besides the historic ships docked here and the museum dedicated to them, the Charlestown Navy Yard is a living monument to its own history of shipbuilding…

8. St Leonard's Church

0.3 MILES

Founded in 1873, St Leonard's was the first church in New England built by Italian immigrants. The attached Peace Garden is always open for a sacred…