Winter on The Greenway is about to get a whole lot brighter.
This season, the Greenway Conservancy is transforming the park into a playful, glowing winter destination filled with interactive art, seasonal attractions, and family-friendly experiences designed to bring energy, wonder, and community to Downtown Boston all winter long.
Whether you’re stopping by after work, bringing the kids out for a weekend adventure, or simply looking for a reason to enjoy the outdoors in colder months, there’s something magical waiting for you.
WINTERACTIVE on The Greenway: Trumpet Flowers by Amigo & Amigo
From January through March 2026, Dewey Square will be home to some special blooms: Trumpet Flowers, a luminous art installation by acclaimed design studio Amigo & Amigo as part of the City of Boston’s annual WINTERACTIVE festival.
Sponsored by the Downtown Boston Alliance (DBA), this installation features glowing trumpet-shaped blooms inspired by vintage gramophones and musical instruments, creating a warm, whimsical gathering place that invites you to pause, interact, and experience public art in a whole new way.
A Greenway Ferris Wheel for Meet Boston’s Frostival
For the first time ever, the Conservancy is planning to welcome a 76-foot gondola Ferris Wheel to The Greenway this February as part of Meet Boston’s city-wide winter celebration, Boston Frostival.
Set next to the Greenway Carousel, the Frostival Ferris Wheel will offer sweeping views of Boston Harbor and the North End, a breathtaking way to see the city in winter.
To make the experience even more special, the Greenway Carousel will feature special operating hours for the month of February, giving families another whimsical way to enjoy the park during Boston Frostival.
Both the Greenway Carousel and the Frostival Ferris Wheel will feature complimentary community days courtesy of Highland Street Foundation, where riders both young and old can enjoy a spin on either attraction for free.
The Carousel will be free to ride on Thursday, February 19, from 12 to 8 p.m., and the Ferris Wheel will be free to ride on Friday, February 20, from 12 to 9 p.m.
If your organization is interested in sponsoring a free day of fun, you can reach out to us at eventproposals@rosekennedygreenway.org.
The Ferris Wheel will be open from February 4 through March 1, with specific hours posted on The Greenway’s website calendar. Updates due to weather or other circumstances will be shared on The Greenway’s social media and posted to our calendar.
Introducing the Greenway Winter Playway Map
This winter also marks the debut of the Greenway Winter Playway Map, a brand-new guide designed to help families explore Downtown Boston and The Greenway even when temperatures drop.
The map will highlight winter-friendly routes, activities, and places to discover, making it easier than ever to stay active, playful, and curious all season long. The map is now available to download on The Greenway’s website, and physical copies will be available at the Greenway Carousel ticket booth.
Winter Lights in the North End
Greenway Winter Lights have returned to the North End, sponsored by the Greenway Business Improvement District (BID), transforming the park into a glowing evening destination perfect for winter strolls, neighborhood visits, and after-dinner walks through the city.
The REDNOSE Holiday Lights & Decor team installed the lights in the park and used more than 3,000 bulbs to illuminate the pergolas in the North End! The lights will be on view through February 23.
Discover The Greenway in Every Season
Even in winter, The Greenway is full of life. As the gardens settle into dormancy, visitors can spot evergreens, textured seed pods, ornamental grasses, and bright pops of color from winterberry and holly bushes that attract birds throughout the colder months.
“We hope these winter programs inspire families to bundle up and rediscover the beauty of our city’s green spaces,” said Eileen Ong, Director of Programs and Outreach at the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. “The Greenway becomes something truly special in winter, and these fun, festive experiences invite people of all ages to explore, play, and make memories together.”
No matter the weather, The Greenway offers visitors countless opportunities to explore and engage with Public Art, and this winter is no exception. In Chinatown, Misa Chhan’s Year of the Snake is on display, encouraging visitors to reflect on the themes of legacy and resilience of Cambodian diasporic communities, as well as a series of flags featuring the Chinese character fu, meaning ‘blessing’ and ‘luck’. Chaan’s installations are on display through the end of January 2026.
In Dewey Square, Jeffery Gibson’s your spirit whispering in my ear continues to shine bright in the heart of downtown Boston with its brilliant colors and geometric designs. Featuring the artist’s own handwritten text and a series of found objects from his materials archive, the mural invites viewers to find inspiration in past and present generations, the planet, the universe, and all living things surrounding us. Gibson’s mural is on display through April 2026.
Farther north, near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Seaport Boulevard, Ja’Hari Ortega’s Big Hoops to Fill continues to delight park goers both young and young at heart, and remains open throughout the winter months, paying homage to the door knocker bamboo hoop earrings popularized in the 80s and 90s. This working swing set is a tribute to the themes of rest and play and an invitation to reclaim recreation and relaxation as a practice of radical care. Ortega’s installation is on display through October 2026.
Stay Connected
All programming is subject to weather conditions and final permitting. Visit the Conservancy’s calendar for the latest updates, follow The Greenway on Facebook and Instagram (@rosekennedygreenway), and sign up for the weekly e-newsletter to stay informed.