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Boston, MA
2 South Station
Summer Street & Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02110
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Athens of America
Boston's South Station opened in 1899, after five New England rail companies decided to route their individual passenger lines into one shared facility. After purchasing a 35-acre parcel for $9 million, the railroads turned to the renowned Boston architectural firm of Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, who defined the station with a sweeping, curved façade topped by a clock and a sculpted eagle. When completed, South Station was considered the largest railroad station in the world, and over the next several decades, up to 40 million passengers per year passed through its grand interior spaces.
Rail service slowed post-World War II, and by the 1960s, South Station was dilapidated and nearly unused. Purchased by the Boston Redevelopment Authority in 1965, the building soon faced partial demolition and parts of it were sealed up. Outraged citizens called attention to the structure by listing it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Demolition stopped, and the building was subsequently sold to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1978. From 1984 to 1989, the MBTA undertook the rehabilitation of South Station, which included work on the headhouse and the reconstruction of 11 tracks.
Credited with fostering downtown redevelopment, South Station is considered the gateway to Boston's financial and retail core. It is also the second busiest transportation center in New England, supporting Amtrak services, rapid transit and commuter rail lines, and local bus routes.
Officially founded by the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, Boston is one of America's most storied cities. Until the 1760s, it was the largest settlement in the British Colonies, and its citizens played vital roles in sparking the American Revolution. In the 19th century, the city became one of the world's wealthiest international ports and as such, welcomed thousands of immigrants. Throughout its history, Boston has been a center of learning, and its universities, libraries, and museums earned it the title of the "Athens of America."
