The Paget family has preserved this tradition for almost 150 years, maintaining the charm and integrity of a vision that became a reality for a…
Today, the Swan Boats continue their tradition under the management of Paul and Marilyn’s daughter Lyn and her cousin Phil—both fourth-generation members of the Paget…
The Trumpet of the Swan is published—a children’s novel by E. B. White that tells the story of Louis, a trumpeter swan born without a…
The current fleet of Swan Boats consists of six boats, the oldest of which was built in 1910. John and Ella raised six children, all…
Make Way for Ducklings is published—a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey, featuring the Swan Boats. The book tells the story of…
In 1914, Julia’s youngest son John and his wife Ella carried forward the tradition of the Paget family’s Swan Boats. During this period, with increasing…
Robert lived only one year after the first Swan Boats were launched. He died in 1878 at the age of 42 and his wife Julia,…
From the late 1800s until the mid-1940s, the Swan Boats and the row boats operated together in the Public Garden.
Robert and his wife Julia were opera fans and the idea for the swan came from the opera Lohengrin. The Richard Wagner opera is based…
In 1877, Robert introduced a catamaran-style boat to the lagoon. This boat was designed atop two pontoons and allowed passengers to sit on benches in…