Last updated: Nov. 1, 2026
The Boston Seaport is the waterfront district across Fort Point Channel from downtown, home to the Institute of Contemporary Art, the city’s largest convention center, a harborfront concert venue and dozens of restaurants. This Boston Report guide covers what the Seaport District is, how to get there by T, ferry or car, things to do, where to eat, events and venues, and the development news shaping it. Every detail below links to an official or reliable source; prices and hours change, so check the linked pages before you go.
What is the Seaport District?
Officially, the area is the South Boston Waterfront. It is part of the larger South Boston neighborhood and is also called the Innovation District. Boston University describes its borders as Boston Harbor to the north and east, Fort Point Channel to the west and residential South Boston to the south.
From landfill to Innovation District
The land took shape in the 1850s as an industrial zone built on fill, laced with rail tracks and freight terminals. Fan Pier is named for the fan-like pattern those tracks made as they reached the ship berths. Fish Pier still operates; Commonwealth Pier became the site of Boston’s World Trade Center. By the 1950s and 1960s, factories had closed, leaving warehouses and vacant lots. Two restaurants, Jimmy’s Harborside and Anthony’s Pier 4, were among the few draws on the waterfront in the 1960s and 1970s, Boston Magazine’s oral history of the district recalls.
Public projects changed that. A federal courthouse opened in 1999, the convention center in 2004 and the ICA’s harborfront building in 2006, according to the Urban Land Institute, which also credits the Big Dig and the Silver Line with opening up access. In January 2010, Mayor Thomas Menino launched a plan to turn roughly 1,000 acres of the waterfront into an “Innovation District” for startups and research. Between that announcement and 2017, about 5,000 new jobs and more than 200 new companies were created in the district, according to figures compiled on Wikipedia’s Seaport entry. WS Development became lead developer of the central Seaport Square sites in 2015. Because the district sits beside the harbor, much new construction places mechanical systems on upper floors to reduce flood risk, Boston University notes.
Fort Point vs. the Seaport
Fort Point is the older brick-warehouse pocket along Fort Point Channel, where the Boston Children’s Museum and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum sit on Congress Street. Many visitors treat it as part of the Seaport; our Boston neighborhoods guide explains how the city’s districts fit together.
How to get to the Seaport
Silver Line (SL1, SL2, SL3)
The MBTA Silver Line is the main transit link. Its Waterfront segment opened in December 2004 alongside the Big Dig’s highway tunnels, running underground from South Station. Three Seaport stations, Courthouse, World Trade Center and Silver Line Way, are served by:
- SL1: South Station to every Logan Airport terminal. Rides from the airport are always free.
- SL2: South Station to the Design Center, near the Marine Industrial Park and cruise terminal.
- SL3: South Station to Chelsea, via Airport station.
The posted subway and SL1/SL2/SL3 fare is $2.40, according to the MBTA’s Silver Line map. From the Red Line or Commuter Rail at South Station, many riders simply walk over the channel. For a wider look at service problems, see our explainer on why the MBTA is slow and what is being fixed.
Seaport Ferry
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority runs the Seaport Ferry on weekdays during morning and evening commutes, with no service on weekends or major holidays. One route links Lovejoy Wharf at North Station with Fan Pier and Pier 10; the other links Lewis Mall Wharf in East Boston with Fan Pier. North Station to Fan Pier takes under 20 minutes, and East Boston to Fan Pier under 10. The Seaport Transportation Management Association also lists ferries between the Seaport and Logan.
Seaport parking
Massport operates the public South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center garage at 503 Congress Street, near the convention center and Leader Bank Pavilion; it has EV chargers, bike storage and public restrooms. The Commonwealth Pier Garage beneath the Seaport Hotel has entrances on D Street, B Street, Seaport Boulevard and Congress Street. Rates vary by day and event, so check Massport or the garage operator before driving. The ICA warns that street parking is limited, especially on weekdays, and recommends transit.
Things to do in the Seaport
Institute of Contemporary Art
The ICA, at 25 Harbor Shore Drive, is closed Mondays and stays open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Visitors 18 and under get in free year-round, and admission is free for everyone on Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. with an advance ticket. Current adult, student and senior prices are on the ICA visit page. The cantilevered, 65,000-square-foot building was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and its harbor-facing Grandstand seating is open and free to the public, then-ICA director Jill Medvedow told the BBC in 2023. The museum is a short walk from Courthouse or World Trade Center stations.
Boston Children’s Museum and Fort Point
Boston Children’s Museum, at 308 Congress Street on Fort Point Channel, opens Wednesday through Monday and is closed Tuesdays; see its visit page for tickets. Next door, the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum at 306 Congress Street runs tours that start every 30 minutes, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, according to the museum. The Children’s Museum recommends taking the Red Line or Silver Line to South Station and walking over the channel.
Harborwalk and open space
The Boston Harborwalk, a near-continuous 43-mile public path, runs along the Seaport waterfront between Dorchester’s Neponset River and East Boston’s Constitution Beach, according to Boston Harbor Now. The 21-acre Fan Pier development, built by The Fallon Company, is wrapped by the Harborwalk on three sides.
Lawn on D
The Lawn on D, at 420 D Street beside the convention center, offers free lawn games such as cornhole, bocce and ping-pong in season. Its season ends no later than Oct. 31, so it is closed for winter 2026-27.
Winter in the Seaport: Snowport and skating
The Snowport Holiday Market opens Nov. 6, 2026, at 100 Seaport Blvd., with more than 130 vendors, and runs through Dec. 27, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to Boston.com. A tree lighting is set for Dec. 4 and a menorah lighting for Dec. 10, both at 6 p.m. Iceless curling lanes on Harbor Way take reservations through Feb. 28, 2027. Nearby, Snow Ballers at 25 Pier 4 Blvd. runs outdoor skating on a synthetic Glice surface from Nov. 6 to Dec. 31, 2026; only hockey skates are allowed if you bring your own. Our Boston holiday markets guide lists more.
Seaport Boston restaurants
The Boston Report has reviewed several Seaport and Fort Point restaurants. Each guide has its own menu, price and hours details:
- Legal Harborside: seafood on Liberty Wharf with a rooftop view.
- The Barking Crab: a seafood shack on Fort Point Channel.
- Moxies Boston: our review of the Seaport location.
- Woods Hill Pier 4: menu, prices and hours at the Seaport restaurant.
For news on openings and licenses, see our report on the Cisco Seaport expansion approval, the Seaport bowls in our best clam chowder in Boston list, and our citywide Boston restaurants hub.
Seaport events and venues
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
The state-owned convention center at 415 Summer Street, now branded MCEC, has 2.1 million square feet in all, including 516,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, 82 meeting rooms and a 40,020-square-foot ballroom overlooking the Seaport. It has 1,350 on-site parking spaces and a skybridge to The Westin Boston Seaport District hotel.
Leader Bank Pavilion
Leader Bank Pavilion, at 290 Northern Ave. and known locally as “the Pav,” is an outdoor venue that holds up to 5,000 guests, according to operator Live Nation. Its concert season runs in the warmer months; check the venue calendar for dates.
Seaport hotels
Hotels include the Seaport Hotel at One Seaport Lane, which sits above the Commonwealth Pier Garage and is 3.3 miles from Logan, and The Westin Boston Seaport District, linked to the convention center. The Seaport World Trade Center, which opened in 1986, holds convention and meeting space alongside the hotel.
Seaport development and business news
The Seaport is a magnet for corporate moves, and also a test of Boston’s office market. Recent Boston Report coverage:
- Hasbro moves 587 jobs to the Seaport in January
- Life Time opens a 45,000-square-foot club at Commonwealth Pier
- MassChallenge leaves the Seaport for Fenway
- Greater Boston office vacancy hits a record 24%
- Seaport biotech Bambusa Therapeutics files for an IPO
Boston Seaport FAQ
Is the Seaport part of South Boston?
Yes. The Seaport’s official name is the South Boston Waterfront, and it sits within the larger South Boston neighborhood, bounded by Fort Point Channel on the west, Boston Harbor on the north and east, and residential South Boston to the south.
How do I get to the Seaport from Logan Airport?
Take the MBTA Silver Line SL1 bus from any Logan terminal. It stops at Silver Line Way, World Trade Center and Courthouse in the Seaport before ending at South Station, and rides that start at the airport are free.
Which T stops serve the Seaport?
Courthouse, World Trade Center and Silver Line Way, all on the Silver Line. South Station on the Red Line is a short walk across Fort Point Channel.
Where can I park in the Seaport?
Massport runs the public South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center garage at 503 Congress Street, open 24 hours, near the convention center and Leader Bank Pavilion. The Commonwealth Pier Garage sits under the Seaport Hotel. Check the operators for current rates.
Is the ICA Boston free?
Admission is free for visitors 18 and under year-round, and free for everyone on Thursday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. with an advance ticket.
What is open in the Seaport in winter?
Lawn on D closes for the season by Oct. 31. Snowport’s holiday market runs Nov. 6 to Dec. 27, 2026, and Snow Ballers offers outdoor skating on a synthetic rink from Nov. 6 to Dec. 31, 2026.
Is there a ferry to the Seaport?
Yes, on weekdays. The Seaport Ferry runs commute-hour trips from Lovejoy Wharf at North Station and from Lewis Mall Wharf in East Boston to Fan Pier, and from North Station to Pier 10.
Sources
- Boston University, “Street Smarts: Seaport District”
- MBTA, Logan Airport destination page
- MBTA, Silver Line map and fares (PDF)
- Massport, Parking (South Boston Waterfront)
- Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Seaport Ferry FAQ
- Signature Boston (MCCA), MCEC floor plans and specifications
- Signature Boston, Lawn on D
- Boston Harbor Now, Boston Harborwalk
- ICA Boston, Plan your visit
- Boston Children’s Museum, Visit
- Urban Land Institute, “The Creation of a Neighborhood: Boston’s Seaport”
Additional sources
- Seaport TMA, Getting here
- Seaport Hotel, Parking and transportation
- Leader Bank Pavilion, Private events
- ICA Boston, announcement of Jill Medvedow’s departure as director
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Contact
- Boston.com, Snowport 2026 guide
- Ballers Seaport, Snow Ballers
- BBC Travel, “The five best things to do in Boston’s Seaport District”
- Boston Magazine, “On the Waterfront: An Oral History of the Seaport District”
- Wikipedia, Seaport, Boston