#SKYWALK OBSERVATORY BOSTON FREE#
#SKYWALK OBSERVATORY BOSTON WINDOWS#

From within the glass-enclosed observation deck 700 feet above street level, visitors have a panoramic 360-degree view of the city and neighboring states on clear weather days. The 52-floor Tower, with the highest observation deck or Skywalk in New England on the 50th floor, is the main tourist attraction at the Center. The Prudential Tower, the 2nd tallest building in Boston, is the largest and the most visible building in the Center. A civic conference center, originally named the War Memorial and later changed to the Hynes Convention Center, was also added to enhance the importance of private and public interests in the city. In addition to the Sheraton Hotel on the west and three luxury apartment buildings on the east, there are 15 acres of outdoor gardens, walkways, and an ice skating rink for public enjoyment. Two blocks of shops, banks, and restaurants line the east and west sides, connecting Boylston Street and Huntington Avenue through glass-roofed corridors. The Center was designed to connect the Back Bay and the South End areas of Boston, while allowing expansion and further development to the west. At a cost of close to $200 million for 2.2 million square feet of commercial office space, retail shopping, and dining, the Prudential Insurance Company became the largest real estate investor in Boston at the time. However, the construction did not allow for the same accessibility, and as a result, a parking garage now serves the needs of suburbanites and visitors to the Prudential Center. Supposedly, this would be a Center with easy accessibility from the street, similar to Rockefeller Center in New York City. In an effort to deflect the corporate image of the city and provide services for both public and private functions, the Prudential Center was primarily designed, managed, and financed by private enterprise. The Center was built on an elevated platform 18 feet above street level over an old train depot and freight yard, owned by the Boston and Albany railroad, and an extension of the Massachusetts Turnpike. Prudential Center is a 23-acre complex located between Boylston Street and Huntington Avenue in the Back Bay area of Boston.

#SKYWALK OBSERVATORY BOSTON FREE#

The first major event held at the Prudential Center was a televised panel discussion on “The Free Society and Its Posture in World Affairs,” attended by Adlai Stevenson, Sir Anthony Eden, and George Lodge (son of Henry Cabot Lodge), and moderated by Walter Cronkite. On the second opening day, the Boston Marathon finish line was stretched across the Center’s northern plaza, a tradition that is still followed today with a great deal of Boston civic pride. There were 35,000 visitors on the first day of the grand opening, enjoying the outdoor concerts, spring flower planting, and the drama of the firing of a Revolutionary War cannon, triggered by a signal from Mariner IV in outer space. This was a well-planned event and one that was designed to emphasize Prudential’s commitment to national independence, as well as represent the combined efforts of public and private enterprise.

There you can dine with a very exclusive view over Boston.The Prudential Center in Boston opened on Patriot’s Day in April 1965 with an elaborate 3-day ceremony. One special restaurant is located on the 52 nd floor of the tower, called the 'Top of the Hub'. The Tower is connected to Prudential Center, a shopping mall with over 40 stores and 18 restaurants. There are even more attractions on the observation deck than 'just' the view. You can get an audio tour with important information about Boston's architecture and culture and learn more about the city's history concerning immigration and the settlers in the 'Dreams of Freedom' museum. And if the weather's nice you can even see all of Boston's surrounding area in a radius of 100 miles (160 km).

#SKYWALK OBSERVATORY BOSTON WINDOWS#

Since there are windows all the way round the viewing platform, you get a 360° panorama of Boston and its characteristic landmarks (such as Fenway Park, Charles River, the Boston Common and many more). With a height of 689 feet (210 m) it is currently the highest observation deck in Boston as well as in New England. Its Skywalk Observatory, an indoor observation deck located on the 50 th floor of the building, is its most spectacular feature. The Prudential Tower, or short 'The Pru', is a 749 feet (229 m) tall skyscraper in Boston.

Skywalk observatory boston