Tadpole Playground — Attraction in Boston

"There's a playground in the Common?!" - Me, before having my own Little One. Growing up IN Boston, I'd be Downtown with my mother and sibling nearly every weekend growing up but we rarely ever made it to the Common since we were so busy at Downtown Crossing and/or Haymarket. Now that I have a Little One, it's a great place to take her when we have the time. with a great mix of locals and out-of-towners. It's one of the few parks in the city that will regularly have kids playing it well into the winter as long as it's not too cold--if your kid thinks it's warm enough to go to the park, trust me, other kids are thinking the same! Like nearly every other playground in this city--and quite frankly this state--it could use both an UPDATE and EXPANSION--the Boston Common of all places is certainly not short on land!! Seriously, when I hit the lottery: multiple 50-meter zip lines and a gigantic rope climbing course! My treat back to the city that raised me even if I rarely (if ever) went to this playground.

"But where do I park my SUV?" Well, you certainly DON'T drive up to THE park of Downtown Boston. There is parking in the area if you must drive all the way into the city at the official Boston Common Garage ($$$$); and there is ample metered parking for up to two hours on Charles St, and Boylston St and Beacon St. Wherever you park it's at least 0.3-mile walk to the playground--GET EXERCISE like the locals!!! You can, of course, park farther out from the city and take the Green Line to Boylston or Park Street and/or the Red Line to Park Street. The park is also accessible by the Silver Line (Lie) SL5 ...

Playground was clean and the gated entrance is great for a parent looking to relax just a bit. Park grounds and paths were also clean and we saw a couple of workers carting around and keeping it that way. The only drawback was the guys crowded around the main entrance and info booth that were soliciting passersby for drug sales, I assume MJ based on the names I heard. I guess it's legal in MA but I can't say I liked it. It looked like the side entrances were mostly free of these guys, though we didn't check. The restrooms were open even though it was early Spring and the Frog Pond...

Tadpole Playground was a delight for our children. It was well-maintained, safe, and provided an excellent outdoor space for the kids to expend their energy while we were touring Boston as a family. An oasis of fun amidst city bustle. This playground is within Boston Commons and we were pleased with how clean the park was and how much the...