BOSTON — Fans of Boston’s Swan Boats, take note.
The first ride of the season on the iconic Boston Swan Boats as they open at the Boston Public Garden Lagoon at 4 Charles St. will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 18.
This will be the 149th season for the Swan Boats, a beloved tourist attraction and iconic symbol of Boston and the Public Garden, Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement on Friday.
The oldest and smallest boat in the fleet just celebrated its 116th season, while the newest was launched in 1993.
The swan on the boat is made of either copper or fiberglass, depending on the boat’s age, and houses a paddle mechanism that propels the boat through the water.
Launched in 1877 by Irish immigrant and shipbuilder Robert Paget, the Swan Boats continue to be owned and operated by the Paget family.
Paget designed the Swan Boats after attending the opera Lohengrin in New York City. At the end of the opera, the hero crosses a river in a boat drawn by a swan.
In 2025, the Swan Boats were added as a site on the Boston Irish Heritage Trail.
Fully loaded, each Swan Boat weighs three tons and is powered by the driver using a foot-propelled paddle wheel, city officials said.
The Swan Boats are built on oak-framed pontoons sheathed in copper, just as they were initially constructed in 1877.
The cost to ride the swan boats is: Adults, $4.75; Seniors age 65 or older, $4.25; Children ages 2 to 15, $3.25; and Children under age 2, free.
For schedules and more information, visit this website.
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