Prudential Skywalk Observatory

View Boston sites and attractions from high in the sky

From the Prudential Skywalk Observatory, you'll see all the famous Boston sites in a 360 degree panorama of the city.

The Prudential Observatory occupies the 50th floor of Prudential Center. 

Without a doubt, seeing and photographing the city from the Skywalk is one of the most popular of all Boston tourism activities (although you'll usually find plenty of Boston locals there as well).

But the Prudential Center Observatory is not the only observation deck where you can view Boston attractions.

Here's a quick overview of three top up-in-the-sky Boston observation venues.

Prudential Skywalk - Touring Boston from 50 floors up

The Prudential Center Skywalk is Boston's best known observatory.  Soaring 749 feet high, Pru Center for the 2nd tallest skyscraper in the city.  (The 60-foot John Hancock Tower is taller at 790 feet, but its observation deck has been closed since September 11, 2001.) 

Located in Boston's fashionable Back Bay neighborhood, Prudential Center is between Huntington Avenue and Boylston Street.  Enter from either side, and ride the escalator (or take the stairs or nearby elevator) up to one floor above street level, where you'll find a popular retail shopping arcade. 

In the shopping arcade area, you'll see a kiosk for the Skywalk Observatory where you can purchase tickets every day from 10am - 6pm.  At other hours, tickets are available at the Skywalk's entrance.

Before you come, be sure to call - 617-859-0648 - to confirm that Prudential Skywalk is open.  At times, it is closed to the public due to private events.

From the Arcade area, take the "Skywalk" elevator up to the 50th floor.

The panoramic views are spectacular! 

Close at hand, you'll see the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House amid the slopes of Beacon Hill, the green grass of Boston Common, the brownstones of Back Bay and the South End, and the smaller skyscrapers of the Financial District. 

Look to the west, and not too far away you'll see another green spot that's Fenway Park, with the Green Monster looking dwarfed.

To the north and east, you'll see the blue waters of the Charles River and Boston Harbor, as well as the jagged coastline.

On clear days, you'll see many miles away . . . beaches along Cape Cod and the North Shore, Wachusett Mountain (and perhaps even the mountains of Southern New Hampshire).

Don't worry about not knowing where all the different Boston sites and attractions are located.  You can use headphones to listen to a free audio tour about sights as well as Boston history and culture as you walk around.  In addition, you'll see signs, displays, and telescopes to enhance your Boston sightseeing experience.

Naturally, a visit to the Prudential Skywalk is best on a clear day.  It's also the perfect way to begin your visit to Boston . . . or if you already live here, to this gorgeous city from a new perspective.

Details and Directions to the Prudential Skywalk Observatory

Location:  800 Boylston Street (but you can also enter from Huntington Avenue), Back Bay, Boston
Hours:   Open 7 days/week; 10am - 10pm between March 1 and October 31; 10am - 8pm between November 1 and February 28;  Be sure to call first to confirm that the Skywalk is open to the public on the day/time that you plan to come
Cost (as of 2009):  Adults - $12, Children under 12 - $8, Seniors - $10, Students with College ID - $10
Nearest T station:  Green Line - E/Prudential Center, Orange Line/Back Bay
More information: 617-859-0648; website 
Parking:  Fee-based underground parking garage (city's largest) beneath Pru Center

Top of the Hub - and top of many "best Boston things to do" lists

Let's say you just want to enjoy spectacular views but you don't want to listen to an audiotape pointing out various Boston sights nor do you want to peer through telescopes.  Let's also say that the idea of a specialty cocktail, or even a glass of nice wine or a beer sounds really, really appealing.  Or maybe even an elegant lunch or dinner.

Go up 2 more floors to the Prudential Center's famed Top of the Hub Restaurant and Lounge, and this is exactly what you'll find - with no entrance fee.  That's right . . . for roughly the same cost as the Prudential Skywalk admission fee (well, perhaps more if you order a pricier cognac or single malt Scotch), you can enjoy a drink along with one of the best views in Boston.

If you opt for a meal in the acclaimed restaurant, reservations are almost always necessary, especially if you want a window table with unobstructed Boston skyline views.  Although Top of the Hub is one of Boston's pricier restaurants at dinner, the prix-fixe lunch at around $20 is a relative bargain.

If you prefer to just have a drink and perhaps a bite in the Lounge, you can sit either at the bar or at a table in the lounge area.  Jazz ensembles perform in the Lounge every evening, starting around 8pm - 9pm. 

Details and directions to Top of the Hub

Location, T station, parking:   Same as Prudential Skywalk, above
Hours:   Open 7 days/week from 11:30am until midnight - 1am (depending on the day); reservations strongly advised for restaurant
Cost (as of 2009):  No entrance fee; just the cost of whatever you eat or drink (plus tax and tip.  After 8pm (or 8:30 - 9pm on some nights), jazz ensembles perform in the Lounge and a minimum charge (currently $24) applies if you sit at the lounge tables rather than at the bar. 
More about Top of the Hub

Independence Wharf Observation Deck -
History plus spectacular Boston sights

You can find a much less-well-known free observation deck at 470 Atlantic Avenue, the parking garage next to the InterContinental Hotel Boston on the waterfront across from the Financial District and Rose Kennedy Greenway.  In addition, you can soak up some history - this site, now part of the coastal Harborwalk, is next to Griffin's Wharf where many historians believe the Boston Tea Party occurred.

Go into the lobby (where you'll also find public restrooms in case you need them).  You can watch a quite good video presentation about the site's history.

After you sign in with the security guard, take the elevator to the 14th floor, where you'll find an outdoor observation deck with binoculars as well as an inside viewing area.  I've never encountered any other visitors here - this observation deck must be one of Boston's best kept secrets!

Even though being 14 floors high does not give quite the same effect as the 50th or 52nd floor at Pru Center, you'll still have beautiful sweeping views of Boston Harbor, Logan Airport, the surrounding city and coastline, the Harbor Islands, and even the Blue Hills Reservation to the south. 

Perhaps most interesting, you can also see the port area, including the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal where cruises from Boston to Bermuda, Canada, and the Caribbean depart.  You'll also see lots of construction and the industrial waterfront.

Because you're outside (unlike Prudential Skywalk, where you're inside), this is an especially good spot for taking photos. 

Details and directions to the Independence Wharf Observation Deck

Address:  470 Atlantic Ave, Downtown Boston Waterfront (next to InterContinental Hotel Boston)
Cost:  Free
Nearest T station:  Red Line - South Station