Public Garden

Back Bay, with its commercial and shopping areas, begins at the Boston Common, a 50-acre park in the center of the city. The adjacent Public Garden (the first public botanical garden in the country), with its guide-pedaled swan boats and wonderful duck statues found along its network of paths, is a treat for children who have read and loved Make Way for Ducklings. Both the Commons and Public Garden were designed by Frederick Olmsted who left his mark throughout the country with his garden and park designs. Not to be missed in Back Bay are Copley Square, Trinity Church, and the John Hancock Towerget splendid. Commonwealth Avenue retains much of the grandeur of a residential street with its center mall lined with elm trees