Magazine Beach

Magazine Beach is a public park on the Charles River in Cambridge, set between the BU Bridge and Pleasant Street. At 17 acres it is the second-largest park in the city, with playing fields, shade trees, picnic spots, natural habitat along the river and a free, outdoor, Olympic-size swimming pool. Red Adirondack chairs and a spraydeck add to its role as a neighborhood gathering place.

History is part of the setting. The park’s 1818 powder magazine is the oldest building on the Charles River Basin, and the 1912 boathouse of the Riverside Boat Club, the last remaining working man’s club on the river, still sits on the grounds. A recent phase of improvements carried out by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation added a dock, a river outlook and a grassy beach.

What to Know

• The park is jointly administered by the state DCR and the City of Cambridge.
• The nonprofit Magazine Beach Partners organizes programs, events and volunteer opportunities.
• Free swim lessons are offered in sessions during the summer.
• Mass Audubon operates a nature center at the park.