Public Garden Lagoon and the Swan Boats in Boston, MA

he Swan Boat story dates back to the 1870's when Robert Paget, whose descendants continue to operate the business, was granted a boat for hire license by the City of Boston.

Rowing a small boat in the Public Garden lagoon was a favorite summer pastime for city residents during the day and evening. 

In 1877, Robert and others introduced a new kind of boat to the waters of the lagoon. With the popularity of the bicycle expanding, he developed a catamaran which housed a paddle wheel arrangement that was foot-propelled. To cover the captain, Robert suggested a swan.

The idea came to him from his familiarity with the opera Lohengrin. The opera is based on a medieval German story in which Lohengrin, a knight of the Grail crosses a river in a boat drawn by a swan to defend the innocence of his heroine, Princess Elsa.