Louisburg Square
Louisburg Square is a small, fenced park ringed by brick townhouses on Beacon Hill in Boston, between Mount Vernon Street and Pinckney Street. Developers laid it out in 1826, and the houses around it went up in the 1830s and 1840s. The Alcott family, the author William Dean Howells and the singer Jenny Lind all have a place in its story. The park itself is private, so most visitors come for the view from the street, a few photos and a slow walk through historic Beacon Hill. This page covers the history of Louisburg Square, who lived here, what you can and cannot do, and how to reach it from a Boston Sightseeing stop.
Location
Louisburg Square sits in the middle of Beacon Hill, in Boston's 02108 ZIP code. The oval park runs north to south, with Pinckney Street at the north end and Mount Vernon Street at the south end. The square is a short walk from the Massachusetts State House, and the Red Line's Charles/MGH station is one T stop visitors use for this part of Beacon Hill.
The streets here are narrow and the sidewalks are brick, so wear comfortable shoes. Walking or transit is easier than driving, and you reach the square on foot from one of the nearby stops described below.
Is Louisburg Square Open To The Public?
No, the park in the middle of Louisburg Square is private. The owners of the surrounding houses own and maintain it, and it is not open to the general public. You can look at the square, the fence, the statues and the houses from the street. You cannot enter the park, sit on its benches or have a picnic inside it.
History Of Louisburg Square
The land that became Louisburg Square was open pasture before the early 1800s. Developers turned it into a planned square in the 1820s, and the neighborhood around it has kept that layout ever since.
From Copley's Pasture To A Planned Square
A group of developers known as the Mount Vernon Proprietors laid out the square in 1826 on pasture land they bought from the painter John Singleton Copley. The houses around it went up in the 1830s and 1840s, and many of them are Greek Revival townhouses with bow fronts.
In 1844, the owners signed an agreement that created a committee of the Louisburg Square Proprietors, which still looks after the park. Because the homeowners own it, the city does not.
Why It Is Called Louisburg Square
The name is thought to commemorate the 1745 capture of the French fortress at Louisbourg, in what is now Nova Scotia, by New England colonial troops. Writers often mention the militia leader William Pepperrell, who was made a baronet for the victory. The first part of the name is pronounced like "Lewis," so the square sounds like "Lewisburg." That is why many people type the name that way when they search for it.
The Park, The Fence And The Statues
The park is a grassy oval inside a wrought-iron fence, which the residents added in 1846. Two statues stand at its ends. Christopher Columbus is at the north end and Aristides the Just, an ancient Athenian statesman, is at the south end.
Joseph Iasigi, a merchant who lived on the square, brought the Aristides statue from Italy in 1834 and added the Columbus statue to win over the other owners. A historical marker about the square says both statues were erected in 1850.
Famous Residents Of Louisburg Square
The square has drawn writers and artists since the 1800s.
- The Alcotts. Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, bought a home for her family at 10 Louisburg Square in her last years. She and her father, the Transcendentalist Bronson Alcott, died two days apart in March 1888.
- William Dean Howells. The editor of the Atlantic Monthly lived at two addresses on the square in the early 1880s.
- Jenny Lind. The Swedish soprano married Otto Goldschmidt in a house on the square in 1852.
All of the houses here are private homes. A historical marker in the neighborhood says so directly, so please treat them that way.
What To Do In Louisburg Square
Louisburg Square is a place to look, not a place to enter. Give it a few minutes on a longer Beacon Hill walk and you will see most of what it offers.
Walk Around The Square
Take a stroll along the street around the park and look at the row of bow-fronted townhouses, the brick sidewalks, the gas-style street lamps and the two statues at either end. The quiet, enclosed layout is a break from the narrow lanes around it.
Take Photos From The Street
Most people come for photos. The row of townhouses with the fenced park in front is the classic view. Keep your voice down, stay out of doorways and steps, and do not point a camera into windows. Remember that real families live in every one of these houses.
Picnic Or Sit Somewhere Else
Because the park is closed to visitors, there is no picnic spot or bench inside the square. For lawns and benches, head to the Boston Common or the Public Garden, both within walking distance.
Nearby Attractions
Louisburg Square is a short walk from some of Beacon Hill's best-known sights, so it works well as one stop in a longer walk through the neighborhood.
The Massachusetts State House, with its gold dome, stands at the top of Beacon Hill. The state runs tours, so check its tour page for current days and times before you go. On the way, you can add Acorn Street, a cobblestone lane that is among the most photographed streets in the country.
For a look inside a Beacon Hill home, the Nichols House Museum is at 55 Mount Vernon Street, the street that borders the south end of the square. The museum shows how a Beacon Hill household lived in the 19th century, and the only way to visit is by guided tour, so check its calendar first.
Boston's beautiful gardens are close too. The Public Garden and the Boston Common sit at the foot of the hill, and our guide to the best parks in Boston covers more green space across the city. For more routes through the neighborhood, see our guide to Beacon Hill, the Black Heritage Trail and the Charles Street Meeting House.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Louisburg Square in Boston?
Louisburg Square is on Beacon Hill, between Pinckney Street at the north end and Mount Vernon Street at the south end, in the 02108 ZIP code. The Red Line's Charles/MGH station is one T stop visitors use for this part of Beacon Hill.
What is Louisburg Square known for?
It is known for its Greek Revival townhouses around a private, fenced oval park, and for its famous residents, including the Alcott family and William Dean Howells.
Is Louisburg Square open to the public?
The park is not. The homeowners around the square own it, and it is not open to the general public. You can view and photograph the square from the street.
Is it Louisburg Square or Lewisburg Square?
The correct spelling is Louisburg Square. It is pronounced like "Lewisburg," which is why people often search for it that way. Another common misspelling is "Louisberg."
Why is it called Louisburg Square?
The name is thought to commemorate the 1745 capture of the French fortress at Louisbourg, in what is now Nova Scotia, by New England colonial troops.
When was Louisburg Square built?
Developers laid out the square in 1826, and the surrounding houses were built in the 1830s and 1840s.
Who lived on Louisburg Square?
Louisa May Alcott bought a home for her family at 10 Louisburg Square, and William Dean Howells lived here in the early 1880s. Jenny Lind married Otto Goldschmidt in a house on the square in 1852.
Can you take photos at Louisburg Square?
Yes, from the street. The park is closed, and the houses are private homes, so keep noise low, stay off private steps and do not photograph into windows.
How do I get to Louisburg Square on the Boston Sightseeing bus?
Get off at Stop 8, the Massachusetts State House, or Stop 5 at Cheers Pub, and walk into Beacon Hill to the square. Both are a walk of several blocks. Every ticket that lets you hop off includes both stops, and the Single Ride Pass is one loop without getting off.
Planning Your Boston Tour with Boston Sightseeing
Boston Sightseeing runs hop-on hop-off double-decker buses with 15 stops across the city, and our tour map shows each one. Three stops are useful for a Beacon Hill visit. Stop 8 is at the Massachusetts State House, Stop 5 is at Cheers Pub on Beacon Street, and Stop 4 is at the Boston Common.
The square sits on a narrow side street, so you reach it on foot from a stop. Both Stop 8 and Stop 5 are a walk of several blocks, so check the map for the shorter route. Every ticket that lets you hop off includes these stops. That covers the All Day tour (Stops 1 to 8, $41.55), the 2-Day tour, the Boston and Charlestown tours and the Cruise Terminal tour. The Single Ride Pass is one narrated loop, so choose a hop-off option if you want to leave the bus and walk Beacon Hill. Prices were checked in October 2026, and you can compare every ticket on our tour packages page.
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Explore Boston & Charlestown with Boston's first double-decker bus at your own pace.
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Get onboard from Boston Cruise terminal and explore the historic beantown with Boston Sightseeing double-decker bus.
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A 3.5-hour guided shuttle tour featuring Boston’s most iconic neighborhoods, Cambridge highlights, waterfront views, and curated photo opportunities.
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