Fort Point Channel
Fort Point Channel is the narrow waterway that separates downtown Boston from South Boston and flows into Boston Harbor. Around it sits the Fort Point neighborhood, known for brick warehouses, working artists and a cluster of attractions along Congress Street: the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the Boston Children's Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art. This page explains where Fort Point Channel is, how it got its name and shape, what to see along its banks, which nearby sights to add, and how to reach it with Boston Sightseeing, since the tour map lists the channel under Stop 12. For a longer list of ideas, see our guide to things to do in Fort Point Channel.
Location
Fort Point, Boston, sits southeast of downtown Boston, on the South Boston side of the water. The channel runs between the two areas and empties into Boston Harbor at its northern end. Its southern end was filled in over the years for rail yards and highways, so the open water you see today is only part of the original channel. The neighborhood has no sharply drawn border. It is usually described as the blocks on either side of the channel, and the area is also called the South Boston Waterfront.
South Station is the nearest rail and subway hub. From there, Summer Street crosses the channel on its own bridge, and Congress Street crosses it a little farther north, so you can approach on foot from either street.
If you ride with Boston Sightseeing, the tour map lists Fort Point Channel, the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art under Stop 12, Boston Children's Museum. Stop 13, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, lists the Seaport District, which sits just across the water.
History
The neighborhood is named for a fort that no longer exists. Accounts describe a colonial-era fort built on a hill nearby, a high spot that suited defensive cannons. Boston leveled the hill in the late 1800s and landfill pushed the shoreline outward, so the old site is no longer on the water. The name stayed. Sources differ on the fort's exact dates and role, so treat the colonial origin as the safe summary.
The buildings you see today came from the Boston Wharf Company. It developed the area from the 1830s, laid out the streets and put up most of the warehouses, mainly between the 1880s and the 1920s. The company first stored sugar and molasses here, and by the late 19th century the district was a major center of the wool trade.
After warehousing declined in the 20th century, artists moved into the empty lofts in the 1970s, drawn by low rents. The Fort Point Arts Community was established in 1980 and is now one of the largest artist communities in Massachusetts. The Fort Point Channel Historic District, about 55 acres of loft buildings, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, and the city designated the Fort Point Channel Landmark District in 2009.
The water itself has changed too. Congress Street first crossed the channel on a swing bridge in 1874, and the current bridge dates to 1930 and 1931. In the early 1990s, as part of the Big Dig, a tunnel carrying Interstate 90 was built beneath the channel, so much of the traffic here now passes underneath the view.
What To See Near Fort Point Channel
Most visitors start on the Congress Street Bridge, because three major sights sit within a few minutes of each other.
- Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum: At 306 Congress Street, the museum sits near the middle of the bridge. The 1773 Tea Party took place at Griffin's Wharf, which landfill later erased, and the exact spot is debated. The museum stands near the approximate area, and visitors can take part in recreated scenes. See our page on the Boston Tea Party Museum for planning details.
- Boston Children's Museum: At 308 Congress Street, at the east end of the bridge. A 40-foot milk bottle stands outside, a roadside ice cream stand from the early 1930s that came to the museum in 1977. It is a favorite photo stop, and our Boston Children's Museum page covers the visit.
- Institute of Contemporary Art: At 100 Northern Avenue, in a modern building that appears to hang over the water. The Institute of Contemporary Art is on the Seaport side of the channel.
Beyond the big three, the neighborhood rewards a slow walk. The Harborwalk, a public path planned to run 47 miles around the harbor, follows much of the waterfront, so you can follow the water for long stretches. Brick lofts line the side streets, and the Fort Point Arts Community runs Open Studios every October, with galleries at 70A Sleeper Street and 290 Congress Street. Hours and exhibits change, so check each venue before you go.
That raises a practical question: what else can you pair with the channel in one day?
Exploring Nearby Attractions
The channel is a good bridge between downtown and the Seaport. The Seaport District offers restaurants and waterfront views, and our guide to things to do in Boston Waterfront shows how to string several harbor stops together.
In the other direction, Beacon Hill has brick sidewalks and gas-lit streets, Boston Common is the starting point of the Freedom Trail, and the North End is known for its Italian food and early history.
Sports fans have two options. TD Garden hosts Celtics and Bruins games and is Stop 11 on the Boston and Charlestown ticket route. Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, sits in the Fenway neighborhood, a few miles from the channel. Across the Charles River in Cambridge, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology draw many campus visitors.
If you arrive by ship, the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal is Stop 14 on the route, and our guide to things to do from the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in Boston shows what fits a port day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fort Point Channel?
Fort Point Channel is a waterway in Boston that separates downtown from South Boston and feeds into Boston Harbor. The Fort Point neighborhood and its historic warehouse district surround it.
Where is Fort Point Channel in Boston?
Fort Point Channel, Boston, runs between downtown and South Boston, and the Fort Point neighborhood sits southeast of downtown on the South Boston side. South Station is the nearest rail and subway hub. The Boston Children's Museum and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum sit on the Congress Street Bridge.
Is Fort Point a neighborhood in Boston?
Yes. Fort Point is a part of South Boston known for its brick loft buildings and large artist community. Its borders are loosely defined, and it overlaps with the Seaport area.
What is the Fort Point Channel Landmark District?
It is a city-designated historic district of about 55 acres, made up of late 19th and early 20th century loft buildings. Boston designated it in 2009, and the area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Why is it called Fort Point?
The name comes from a colonial-era fort on a nearby hill that guarded the harbor. The hill was leveled in the late 1800s and the fort is gone, but the name stuck to the area.
What is there to see at Fort Point Channel?
The main sights are the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the Boston Children's Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Harborwalk and the historic warehouse streets with their artist studios.
Is there a tunnel under Fort Point Channel?
Yes. A tunnel carrying Interstate 90 runs beneath the channel. It was built in the early 1990s as part of the Big Dig.
Is there a map of Fort Point Channel?
The Boston Sightseeing tour map shows Stop 12, Boston Children's Museum, and lists Fort Point Channel, the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art beside it. A phone map app will give exact walking directions.
How do I get to Fort Point Channel with Boston Sightseeing?
Ride to Stop 12, Boston Children's Museum. On the current ticket cards, only the Cruise Terminal ticket, which lists Stops 1 to 8 and 12 to 15, includes that stop. The All Day ticket (Stops 1 to 8), the Boston and Charlestown ticket (Stops 1 to 11) and the 2 Days ticket (Stops 1 to 11) do not. Confirm the stop list on the ticket page before you buy.
Plan Your Boston Tour with Boston Sightseeing
Boston Sightseeing runs a hop-on hop-off double-decker bus tour with live commentary, so you can get off at a stop, look around, and rejoin later. The route starts at 206 Atlantic Avenue, and the bus runs daily from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, about every 40 minutes, according to the schedule on our site. Along the way, the tour passes sights such as the Freedom Trail, the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common. Read more about sightseeing on the double-decker bus tour before you pick a ticket.
Ticket choice matters for this page, because Fort Point Channel is at Stop 12, and on the ticket cards only the Cruise Terminal ticket lists that stop:
- The All Day ticket covers Stops 1 to 8 and does not reach Stop 12.
- The Boston and Charlestown ticket covers Stops 1 to 11 and also stops short of it, and so does the 2 Days Boston and Charlestown ticket.
- The Cruise Terminal ticket covers Stops 1 to 8 and 12 to 15, so it is the ticket that reaches the Children's Museum, the Tea Party museum and the channel.
See the ticket cards below for current options, and use the hop-on hop-off tour map to see every stop. The complete guide to hop-on hop-off tours in Boston explains how the tickets compare.
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