Squantum Point Park

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Squantum Point Park, open from dawn to dusk, is a hidden gem in Quincy. The 50-acre park can be accessed from Commander Shea Boulevard or from Marina Bay (off East Squantum St.), not too far from the boardwalk. At Squantum Point, visitors can see the Boston skyline across the harbor and dozens of species of wild birds in the park, so remember to bring your binoculars.

The park also has a very interesting aviation history. Following the Wrights Brothers' successful flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903, Quincy was in the forefront of the burgeoning aviation industry, with several early aeromeets held here. It was at a 1912 aeromeet in Quincy's Squantum section that pioneering aviatrix Harriet Quimby was killed. The first woman to fly the English Channel, Quimby and her passenger, William Willard, fell from her plane as it nosed down over Dorchester Bay as thousands of spectators looked on in horror.

Quincy later played host to yet another famous female aviator: Amelia Earhart, who once held a financial interest in Quincy's Dennison Airport. Earhart disappeared in 1937 somewhere over the Pacific as she attempted to fly around the world.

In the late 1930's and during wartime in the 1940's, some 2000 Navy pilots trained at the airbase, including Joseph Kennedy, brother of President John F. Kennedy. During World War II, Joseph Kennedy died in a plane crash over the English Channel.

The park was also once the home of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, which built destroyers for the Navy.

The MA Department of Conservation and Recreation developed the site as a waterfront park with financial support from National Grid, while maintaining both its bird habitat and the traces of its aviation history. The park officially opened to the public in June, 2001, and it is now a popular spot to walk, bike, watch wildlife, and take in the spectacular views of the harbor. Clam diggers and fishing enthusiasts enjoy the easy access to Dorchester Bay from the park.

In July 2010, there was a groundbreaking at the Squantum Point Pier, which was originally built to ferry MWRA workers to underwater worksites and Harbor Island destinations while the regional water agency constructed a tunnel for sewage beneath Boston Harbor. It was the first small step toward the vision of commuter transit and tourist ferry service from that pier along the Cultural Coast to and from Boston, Salem, and Provincetown. At the groundbreraking ceremony, Congressman Delahunt said, "I can envision this being a marine highway for all the historical assets that represent us as a nation."

Quincy Green Map
updated 03/2012 by Quincy MA Green Map