Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
A wharf on the harbour.
An introduction to Boston’s waterfront, where the New England Aquarium stands on Central Wharf, a short walk from Faneuil Hall and the North End.
On this page
Read the waterfront
The aquarium is at 1 Central Wharf, overlooking Boston Harbor. Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, the North End, Government Center and the Financial District are all a short walk away.
A city guide can give context without turning a neighbourhood into a backdrop. Notice how ferries, wharves and city streets meet at the water’s edge.
Concrete and glass
The aquarium’s concrete building was designed by Peter Chermayeff of Cambridge Seven Associates, with the Giant Ocean Tank at its centre.
Begin with a detail and ask how it was made, repaired and kept. A photograph alone cannot tell you who poured the concrete or set the windows, or the conditions in which they worked.
A waterfront chapter
The aquarium has stood on Central Wharf since 1969, with commuter boats and ferries still landing beside it.
Look at the meeting of the two: a working waterfront with boats at the quay, and an ocean brought indoors.
Make room for context
Pair this city reading with the aquarium’s history and the Journal. This is an introduction for visitors, not a claim that our team manages these places, commissions their restoration or represents their makers.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
