Boston Public Garden
Friends of the Public Garden is one of the nation’s oldest public-private partnerships dedicated to urban park preservation.
With over 3,000 members from more than 131 communities across Massachusetts and 31 states, the organization invests over $2.6 million annually in the care of the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
The Boston Public Garden is America’s first public botanical garden. Situated next to the Boston Common – the country’s first public park – the Public Garden offers meandering, decorative, and restorative space in the heart of bustling downtown. A product of Victorian aesthetics, the Garden features a pond, fountains, imported trees, and unusual combinations of colorful plants.
The 4-acre pond is home to ducks and swans, and the Swan Boats (tourist boats adorned with white swan figures) is a famous Boston tourist attraction that delights children of all ages.
Since Partnering with The Lynch Foundation
The Boston Public Garden has been near and dear to the Lynch family for many years, and they have been proud to support the Garden’s general operations and special projects for over three decades.
The Foundation’s first major grant to the Garden grew out of the Lynches’ close relationship with and admiration for sculptor Nancy Schon. In 2008, the Foundation approved a major grant for an endowment to restore and maintain Schon’s world-famous sculpture “Make Way for Ducklings.” Then, in 2010, the Foundation added multi-year support for the Brewer Fountain Plaza and Parkland.
In subsequent years, the Foundation has continued to support the Friends of the Public Garden in their quest to provide beautiful, accessible green space for all of Boston’s residents and visitors.