I love visiting Castle Island and watching the planes pass over my head. The rumble of the engines feels amazing! The view of Boston, the harbor, the airport, is all just mesmerizing. Then learning about the history of the Fort is fascinating! It's like stepping back in time and feeling the pride of defending our harbor from the enemy! It's exhilarating! It's highly recommended if you haven't experienced it yet. Better during the warmer seasons, but still fun during winter for a brisk walk around the fort.
Since I was in Boston, I visited one of the locations that appears in Fallout 4! It’s a place with significant historical importance, and it was also really fun to see because of its connection to the game.
The park is beautifully landscaped, so it’s perfect for taking a walk and enjoying a relaxing stroll around the area.
Great choice for any weekend day. But the inside of the fort can be visited only on Sundays, between 12:00 - 15:00.
Even if you don’t get to see the fort from the inside, the surrounding park is awesome.
Love it. Amazing place to go for a nice walk. There's a big play park for the kids. Also has plenty of open space for a little get together. Also areas to sit and eat after getting food from sullivans.
Large, well-preserved fort with knowledgeable guides. You can’t wander around the fort yourself, but there are free timed tours that the guides will tell you about when you arrive. Recommend arriving at least 10-15 minutes before the tour starts because the line can get pretty long and they’ll start turning people away.
Had a great time. We had perfect weather. Top free things to do in the Boston area, especially with kids. Nice path for walking/running. Bathrooms somewhat limited so there was extra portable there but seems like might be doing construction to address this. We didn't really go into the fort since there were private events going on until later in the morning but still plenty to do. Logan airport nearby can watch planes go over the park every few minutes and watch the boats. Great place for a picnic. The playground was friendly for all ages with additional features for disabilities. Lifeguards present on beach areas during limited hours.
Great old structure to walk around and views. Wished we had more time to visit this area. Looks like you may be able to access Fort Independence Thursday nights, we happened to be there on a Monday so we could not.
A hidden gem in South Boston! Fort Independence and the surrounding Castle Island area are perfect for a sunset walk or an energizing run around the island. The views of the harbor are stunning, especially at golden hour.
It’s also very family-friendly — there’s a kids’ play area, plenty of green space for picnics, and a beach that’s clean and calm. One of the coolest parts is watching the planes take off and land across the water — a unique bonus if you love airports or have curious kids.
There’s even a small restaurant on-site for a quick bite, which makes it super convenient. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing stroll, outdoor fun with the family, or just some quiet time by the water, this spot has something for everyone.
Don’t go if it is even a bit foggy or rainy. The workers find the least excuse to not give tours.
There was a good group waiting at open time, no rain at all, but it was a little foggy and they closed. We weren’t there to see the view, so who cares about fog? We wanted a tour of the castle.
Coming from the West Coast, this was going to be one of the highlights of our Boston historical tour, but we were disappointed. I know I sound whiny, but it was pretty lame to use the conditions of this day as an excuse to close. I saw at least five volunteer tour guides.
Perfect place to finish a Memorial Day pilgrimage with my son, and even found parking more easily than anticipated.
We missed the one tour at noon, but plan to go back for Independence Day.
A beautiful place, to walk around the sea and full of history with a free tour guide, easy parking, for those who like fishing a great option around the fort.
This was the first place to visit on our Boston trip. Parking is crazy! Be prepared to walk if it is a nice day.
We enjoyed walking along the water on the way up to the fort. It is truly a beautiful place.
Once at the Fort, we found out that they offer free tours about every 15 minutes. Our tour guide was a very informative man. He definitely knew his history of the Fort and surrounding areas. My only complaint on that part was our party was so big you couldn't hear everything he had to say.
We enjoyed the view and the history of the fort. They have a book for sale for $5 telling you about the fort. They run on donations, so buy a book.
I wish we could have gotten a look inside the fort to see how they lived. Would have made the tour that much better.
I was dying to have a tour at Fort Independence. I really enjoyed it. The site is very clean and the guide was very knowledgeable and funny. My kids learned a lot about Boston's history.
Besides how uneven some of the side walk is, how disgusting the bathrooms are and how steep some of the walk ways are, it's not a bad place to visit. If you aren't disabled at all, then it's a great place to walk around. If you have a physical disability or mobility issues, you might run into some issues walking around the fort itself. If you're able to go, its a cool place to visit. It's also a really great place to play Pokemon Go on community day, so take that as you will.
Fort was not open but was nice to view from the outside. Especially enjoyed the view of the cannons. Also enjoyed watching the containers being moved next door. The walk around the lagoon.
This place had some nice views but it was not open when we went and apparently there are limited times you can actually go into the fort. There is a kids park and you can walk around when it’s closed.
Visited Fort Independence on a Saturday and it was great! It's a historic site with a good view of Boston Harbor and the planes landing at Logan Airport.
There are free guided tours happening during weekends 12PM-3PM on the hour (from late-spring to fall), and you would have to wait for one of these tours in order to enter the fort itself on a weekend. But the staff there are very knowledgeable and welcoming - they're all volunteers. This is a nice place to check out in Boston.
This is one of my all time favorite spots on Earth. I have been visiting Fort Independence since as far back as I can remember (the late 1970s) and I visit every time I return to Boston.
I recently brought my teenage kids and we had so much fun playing where I did when I was half their age. My grandmother used to bring me to play in the very same park and though she passed before meeting her grandkids I know she would have been thrilled to see so much happiness.
Nice place to come and watch the harbor. It's interesting to see the boats come back and forth and see the planes landing at Logan Airport in the distance. The breeze off the harbor is really relaxing. Dogs are allowed on leash. There is a restaurant on premise that you can order from if you're so inclined. The view is expansive (hence the fort) and a great way to spend an afternoon.
A great place to walk and, think clearly. Watch the airplanes. A wonderful place to watch the sunrise and, 🙌marvel at God's Creation for us. Thanks to all the people who work so hard overseeing and maintaining the beach and, grounds and bathrooms, keeping them flawless and clean. Thanks to Sullivan's for a marvelous summer. Blessings to you🙏 we appreciate you all.
The tour was fun, free and short. Made it through the top of the fort and saw the cannons and back out, in just a half hour. The scenery from the top is gorgeous. The tours run on weekends at the top of every hour from 12-3pm.
This is a place I’ll definitely come back to, mostly because I missed the tour. Was so upset about that. It’s a beautiful place, surrounded by the Boston Harbor with crisp, clean air and a place to eat, as well as several monuments, a walking trail, and a park for kids to play. If you’re in Boston, it’s a must see.
Great tour guide! Extremely informative. Walking tour around the entire fort. Amazing views of Boston and the islands! And best of all its free for everyone! The tour lasted approximately 1 hour and lots of little interesting spots.
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