Park Street (MBTA station)

Park Street (MBTA station) is a major underground rapid transit station located at the intersection of Tremont Street and Park Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, it serves as a critical transfer point between the Red Line and the Green Line, and is one of the four original subway stations in the United States. The station lies at the heart of Downtown Boston, adjacent to Boston Common and the Massachusetts State House, making it one of the busiest stations in the MBTA subway system.

History

The station first opened on September 1, 1897, as part of the inaugural segment of the Tremont Street subway, the first rapid transit tunnel in North America. This original section, built by the Boston Elevated Railway, served what is now the Green Line. The station's design was overseen by architects like Edmund M. Wheelwright and featured distinctive vaulted ceilings. The Red Line platforms were added on March 23, 1912, with the opening of the Cambridge–Dorchester tunnel, connecting Harvard Square to South Station. Major renovations occurred between 1981 and 1984, which included structural repairs, new tiling, and the installation of modern lighting and signage, while preserving historical elements like the original green line entrance kiosk.

Station layout

Park Street station consists of two stacked levels running roughly north-south beneath Tremont Street. The upper level serves the inbound and outbound tracks of the Green Line, featuring two side platforms. The lower level, approximately 40 feet below, serves the Red Line with its own two side platforms. A central fare-controlled mezzanine connects all platforms via staircases and escalators. The station's original headhouses, including the iconic kiosk at the corner of Boston Common, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Artwork in the station includes the mural Untitled (Park Street Mural) by Lilli Ann Killen Rosenberg.

Accessibility

The station is fully accessible via elevators from the street level to the mezzanine and from the mezzanine to both the Red Line and Green Line platforms, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. These accessibility improvements were completed during the major station renovation in the early 1980s. Tactile warning strips are installed along all platform edges, and all public announcements are both audible and displayed visually.

Connections

As a central hub, Park Street offers connections to numerous MBTA bus routes, including the , , and , which stop on adjacent surface streets like Tremont Street and Boylston Street. The station is also a short walk from other key MBTA subway stations, including Downtown Crossing on the Orange Line and Boylston on the Green Line. A Bluebikes station is located nearby on Tremont Street, providing a connection to the regional bike-share system.

In popular culture

The station's distinctive architecture and central location have made it a recognizable backdrop in several films and television shows set in Boston. It has appeared in movies such as The Thomas Crown Affair and The Departed, and in episodes of the television series Cheers. The station is also referenced in the folk song "M.T.A." made famous by the Kingston Trio, which narrates the fictional plight of a man trapped on the Boston subway system, unable to exit without paying an extra fare.