Mother's Rest Playground
park

Back Bay Fens

address

32 Fenway, Boston, MA 02215

Neighborhood

Fenway/Longwood

Hours

Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Accessibility

Come Out and Play

About

Tucked in the northern edge of the Back Bay Fens, Mother's Rest has served as a spot of respite and recreation for children and parents alike since the dawn of the Emerald Necklace. The playground, which was reconstructed in 2013, is bordered by the Mother's Rest slope, creating a safe and secluded area from the busy streets nearby.

The Mother's Rest slope is steep and susceptible to erosion. The Conservancy, working with the City of Boston and a team of landscape architects, the Conservancy designed, installed and maintained a new planting scheme for the slope that is both beautiful and mitigates erosion. The scheme includes native plants like New England asters, hay-scented ferns and hydrangeas.

explore for

Hide and Seek Games

Upside Down Chats

Races Down the Slides

did you know?

Mother's Rest sits beneath the sweeping curve of the historic Richardson Street Bridge, whose roadway was intentionally shaped to arc around the playground.

  • Mother's Rest Playground on a sunny afternoon.

    Credits:

    Evan Bradley

  • Mother's Rest Playground on a sunny afternoon.

    Credits:

    Evan Bradley

  • Mother's Rest Playground on a sunny afternoon.

    Credits:

    Evan Bradley

faqS

Last updated:

Land & water
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The world didn't start with Olmsted. For millennia before and in the centuries since Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace park system for a rapidly industrializing city and metropolitan area, the lands and waters of and around Greater Boston have served as a site of exchange among communities including the Massachusett, Pawtucket, Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy acknowledges the Greater Boston region as their unceded ancestral territories. This acknowledgement is a starting point toward right relations with Indigenous neighbors and their understandings of land stewardship.

People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Subscribe for Necklace news, community events, and to enliven the parks.

Shattuck Visitor Center

Year-Round

Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5pm

May-October

Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm

Mailing address

+1 (617) 522–2700

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-3414988.

Land & water
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The world didn't start with Olmsted. For millennia before and in the centuries since Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace park system for a rapidly industrializing city and metropolitan area, the lands and waters of and around Greater Boston have served as a site of exchange among communities including the Massachusett, Pawtucket, Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy acknowledges the Greater Boston region as their unceded ancestral territories. This acknowledgement is a starting point toward right relations with Indigenous neighbors and their understandings of land stewardship.

People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Subscribe for Necklace news, community events, and to enliven the parks.

Shattuck Visitor Center

Year-Round

Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5pm

May-October

Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm

Mailing address

+1 (617) 522–2700

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-3414988.

Land & water
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The world didn't start with Olmsted. For millennia before and in the centuries since Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace park system for a rapidly industrializing city and metropolitan area, the lands and waters of and around Greater Boston have served as a site of exchange among communities including the Massachusett, Pawtucket, Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy acknowledges the Greater Boston region as their unceded ancestral territories. This acknowledgement is a starting point toward right relations with Indigenous neighbors and their understandings of land stewardship.

People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ People in Parks.‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Subscribe for Necklace news, community events, and to enliven the parks.

Shattuck Visitor Center

Year-Round

Mon-Fri 9:30am – 5pm

May-October

Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm

Mailing address

+1 (617) 522–2700

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-3414988.