The Boxes at the Boston Fish Pier

The Boxes at the Boston Fish Pier is a public installation of containers on Northern Avenue that serves as a front door to the Fish Pier and Boston’s working waterfront. During summer, the containers host a seasonal seafood market, musical performances and pop-up events. When nothing is scheduled, the Boxes work as an interactive installation inviting people to learn about, engage with and experience the local seafood industry.

Inside the larger container, six permanent educational panels form a mini-museum on the history of fishing in the area, the past and present of the Fish Pier, and the local and global dynamics of today’s seafood industry. They highlight the businesses and people who have made the pier the heart of Boston’s seafood industry for more than a century. The Fish Pier itself is owned and operated by Massport.

What to Know

• The main container features a mural by Artists for Humanity.
• Fish Pier businesses include Polkadog, which turns fish skins and cuttings into pet treats.
• Massport invites pop-up venues and artists to propose waterfront programming.
• The installation is listed in the Seaport directory as local art.