Every year my grandmother and I celebrated the arrival of Spring with a ride on the Swan Boats and lunch at the Ritz (now the Taj). The Swan Boats are a fleet of pleasure boats operating on the lake of the Boston Public Garden in Boston. The boats have been operating since the 1870s, and have become a cultural icon for the city of Boston. They operate from April until September.

The Swan Boats do not allow pet passengers, but they offer a lovely vista from one of the lakeside park benches.

Robert Paget created the first swan boats in 1877, reputedly inspired by Wagner's Lohengrin. The oldest of the six boats in service date back to 1910 and 1920 respectively. The Paget family still own and operate the Swan Boats, and the design was copyrighted and trademarked in the 1980s.

The Swan Boats are famed for their appearance in the stories of Make Way For Ducklings, (a must have Boston souvenir for any youngster in your life) and The Trumpet of the Swan, and are often portrayed in tourist guides and other books about the city. Shreve, Crump, & Low also created a beautiful pin depicting the Swan Boat.