Beacon Street is a major east–west street in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, and its western suburbs of Brookline and Newton. It passes through many of Boston's central and western neighborhoods, including Beacon Hill,

Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on Land reclamation, reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the ...

Fenway–Kenmore Fenway–Kenmore is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is considered one neighborhood for administrative purposes, but it is composed of numerous distinct sections (East Fenway/Symphony, West Fenway, Audubon Circl ...

, the

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

campus,

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, and Chestnut Hill. It is not to be confused with the Beacon Street in nearby Somerville or others elsewhere.

Description

Boston

Beacon Street begins as a one-way street from the intersection of

Tremont Street Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts. Tremont Street begins at Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Government Center in Boston's city center as a continuation of Cambridge Street, and forms the eastern edge of ...

and School Street. From this point, it rises up Beacon Hill for a block where it meets Park Street in front of the

Massachusetts State House The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the New State House, is the List of state capitols in the United States, state capitol and seat of government for the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, lo ...

. From that intersection it descends Beacon Hill as a two-lane, bi-directional street in the

until it reaches Charles Street at a point dividing Boston Common from the

Boston Public Garden The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park in the Downtown Boston, heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston Common. It is a part of the Emerald Necklace system of parks and is bounded by Charles Street (Bos ...

. At Charles Street, it becomes a one-way avenue that runs through the

neighborhood until it reaches Kenmore Square, or the intersection with Commonwealth Avenue ( Route 2).

Brookline

From Kenmore Square, Beacon Street skirts the area around

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...

and follows a southwesterly slant through Brookline along either side of the

MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

Green Line trolley tracks to Cleveland Circle in

. From there it passes through Chestnut Hill, including the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

Newton

It winds its way into the city of Newton, where it crosses the Hammond Pond Parkway and crosses Centre Street to form the defining intersection of Newton Centre. Then, it meets Walnut Street at "Four Corners" near the Newton Cemetery, and goes through

Waban Waban ( – ) was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American of the Nipmuc group and was thought to be the first Native American convert to Christianity in Massachusetts. Early life and first contact with the English Little is known ...

at its intersection with Woodward Street. It ends at Washington Street ( Route 16) near a junction with Boston's

circumferential highway Circumferential Highway may refer to one of the following beltways/orbital roads/ring roads: Barbados *The ABC Highway, roughly defines the boundary of metropolitan capital city Bridgetown. Canada * Nova Scotia Highway 111, known as the ''D ...

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

(also cosigned as Route 128).

History

Beacon Street initially formed the northern limit of Boston Common, and was extended over the

Charles River The Charles River (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Hopkinton to Boston along a highly me ...

Basin as a dam that would later form the shore between a narrowed river and the newly filled-in

neighborhood. The part of Beacon Street west of Kenmore Square was originally laid out in 1850. Railroad tracks were first laid in 1888 for what would eventually become the modern Green Line C branch. In July 2020, the state awarded $32,000 for a feasibility study and conceptual design of restoration of the original bridle path, which ran along the median of the Brookline portion.

In popular culture

* Robert McCloskey's 1941 children's book ''

Make Way for Ducklings ''Make Way for Ducklings'' is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. First published in 1941 by the Viking Press, the book centers on a pair of mallards who raise their brood of ducklings on an island ...

'' features a mother duck leading her eight ducklings across Beacon Street, with the help of four members of the

Boston Police Department The Boston Police Department (BPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1854, the BPD is the oldest municipal police department in the United States. It is also the 20th largest law enforce ...

. * The '' Beacon Street Girls'' series of preteen books is set around Beacon Street in Brookline. *

Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She often appeared on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'', starting in 1985 during season 10. In 1990, Griffith appeared on th ...

's 1987 album '' Lone Star State of Mind'' has a song called "Beacon Street". * Beacon Street is the location of the fictional pizza parlor Beacon Street Pizza during the first season of the sitcom '' Two Guys and a Girl''. * is the address of the fictional bar

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

. The actual location of the exterior shots is 84 Beacon Street. * The

Unitarian Universalist Association Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist congregations. It was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Ch ...

managed to confuse the numbers on this street. In 1927, moving from 25 Beacon Street down the street, they wanted to keep the number 25, and convinced the legislature to pass a law to keep it. * In

Rick Riordan Richard Russell Riordan Jr. ( ; born June 5, 1964) is an American author, best known for writing the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million cop ...

's '' Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard'', a main character owns a shop on Beacon Street and the shop appears several times throughout the series. * 14 Beacon Street was used in the series ''

Ally McBeal ''Ally McBeal'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley that originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. It revolves around Calista Flockhart in the title role as a lawyer working ...

'' as the exterior location for the law firm Cage & Fish (later Cage, Fish, & McBeal), which was located on the 7th floor of this building.

Image gallery

File:1722 ParkSt TremontSt BeaconSt Boston.png, 1922 artist's recreation of Beacon Street as it was in 1722 (upper left) File:BeaconStreet Boston 1850s.jpg, Illustration of Beacon Street, Boston in the 1850s File:1870 BeaconSt Boston.png, Beacon St., 1870 File:2351617938 BeaconSt Boston.jpg, Beacon St., Back Bay, c. 1870s File:Interior beaconstreet.jpg, Interior of 241 Beacon St., former home of Julia Ward Howe, 19th century File:AmoryTicknorHouse ca1885 BeaconSt Boston detail12 LC HABS ma0898.jpg, Top of Beacon St., across from the State House, c. 1885 File:1900 AHAC parade BeaconSt Boston.png, Parade of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, 1900 File:Boston Water Works, Chestnut Hill High-Service Pumping Station, 2450 Beacon Street, Boston (Suffolk County, Massachusetts).jpg, Boston Water Works, Chestnut Hill High-Service Pumping Station, 2450 Beacon Street, c. 1970s(?) File:Boston marathon mile 25 beacon street 050418.jpg,

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

, mile 25, Beacon St., 2005 File:922 beacon street 2006.jpg, 922 Beacon Street in 2006 with Ruggles Baptist Church in the background File:Boston Cityscape Painting m.jpg, ''Boston's Beacon Street'' (2008) by R. Vojir featuring the Somerset Club File:Boston - buildings 23.JPG, Top of Beacon St., showing One Beacon Street building, 2008 File:Boston Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts.jpg, Facade of the Boston Athenaeum File:14 Beacon Street (Fish, Cage, & McBeal) (7183315650).jpg, 14 Beacon Street, from the series ''

'', as the exterior the location of the law firm "Cage & Fish" (later "Cage, Fish, & McBeal"), which was located on the 7th floor of this building

References

External links

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

Postcard of Unitarian Building
25 Beacon Street Boston, Headquarters American Unitarian Association. Also shows State House, Hotel Bellevue, early 20th century. {{Streets and squares in Boston Beacon Hill, Boston Streets in Boston