Swan Boats (Boston, Massachusetts)
The Swan Boats are a fleet of pontoon pleasure boats which operate in a pond in the Public Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Swan Boats have been in operation since 1877, and have since become a cultural icon for the city. They operate beginning the second weekend of April and ending Labor Day weekend in September. History Robert Paget first created the Swan Boats in the Public Garden in 1877, after seeing the opera Lohengrin with his wife Julia Paget. Inspired by the knight's gallant rescue of the damsel by riding a swan across the lake, Paget decided to capitalize on the recent popularity of the bicycle and combine the two, designing a two-pontooned boat with two wooden benches and a brass seat on top of a paddlebox concealed by a swan. The driver would sit inside the swan and pedal passengers around the pond. Swan boats have since operated every year until 2020, when they stayed closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts. They have returned to run each year since then, beginning in May, 2021. Current design To this day, the design for the Swan Boat has changed very little. The boats have been periodically replaced throughout