The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is pleased to announce the successful completion of key maintenance and improvement projects to two of Boston’s most beloved water features—Rings Fountain and the Chin Park Waterfall and Stream—during summer 2025. These efforts ensure long-term functionality, improved visitor experiences, and greater sustainability for years to come.
The Greenway is home to seven water features across the mile and a half long park, including the North & South Canal Fountains at Carolyn Lynch Garden, Rings Fountain, Harbor Fog, and the Chin Park Waterfall and Stream, in addition to the two water features at the Armenian Heritage Park Memorial on The Greenway, and the popular Chin Park Misting Station.
Water features have long been favorite gathering spots in public parks, offering a place for play, relaxation, and connection. But as summer temperatures continue to rise—especially in urban areas like Boston’s Wharf District and Chinatown—they’re also serving a more practical purpose along The Greenway. With record-breaking temperatures being experienced, these fountains and water features have become important places for cooling off and gathering safely during the hottest parts of the day. Chinatown residents are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures due in part to urban heat island effects, limited canopy, and little public green space.
For families with young children, water features offer more than just fun—they provide a free, accessible way to stay comfortable and active outside. Small children are especially sensitive to heat, and these spaces allow them to cool down while enjoying time outdoors with friends and neighbors.
Older adults also benefit from these spaces, particularly those who may not have easy access to air conditioning. A shaded spot near a fountain or the soothing sound of running water can offer a simple but meaningful sense of relief on hot days.
In neighborhoods where people of all ages come together, water features are proving to be both a practical resource and a valued part of community life. As summers grow warmer, their role in supporting the health and well-being of residents—especially children and seniors—is becoming increasingly important.
The Rings Fountain is one of the most popular features on The Greenway. Hailed as “the most unconditionally happy spot in all of Boston” and “one of the most effortlessly diverse places in the city” by The Boston Globe, Rings Fountain is located in the heart of the park, near the New England Aquarium and Faneuil Hall.
The fountain itself, designed by WET (best known for their design of The Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, NV), in 2008 includes: 363 granite pavers, 60 concrete pavers, 156 lights, 60 water jets, and more than three miles of wire to achieve the water display park guests know and love. For more than 15 years, visitors of all ages have delighted in the fountain’s gracefully choreographed and playfully unpredictable jets of water all summer long.
The Chin Park waterfall and stream is an approximately 100-foot-long water feature designed by a collaboration between Turenscape and Carol R. Johnson Associates in 2005. The waterfall and stream were part of a larger design project aimed at revitalizing the civic and culturally relevant spaces within the Chinatown community adjacent to Chin Park.
Set alongside a winding pedestrian path that runs from Chin Plaza to the south and Essex Street to the north, the waterfall and stream are surrounded by cherry trees, bamboo, and other lush plantings, creating a relaxing atmosphere for those passing through or seeking a cool place to rest in the summer.
The waterfall element is designed as three sets of stacked granite blocks over which water cascades and feeds into the stream below. The bed of the stream is composed of dark grey beach pebbles, and the stream itself is sectioned into three seamlessly connected zones. The stream begins with the first zone as a shallow pool at the base of the waterfall, where water cascades from above and settles into a gentle swirl. Water then transitions from the pool into the second zone, where water begins to flow and feed the subsequent stream, rippling over beach pebbles. The third zone is the rapidly flowing stream, which courses down the majority of the 100-foot length. In its entirety, the Chin Park waterfall and stream, set amidst beautiful plantings and winding alongside a walking path, create an atmosphere that is rich in visual and auditory textures, comfortable on hot summer days, and beautiful for the community.
2025 Rings Fountain Repairs
As part of our regular preventative maintenance, the Greenway Conservancy’s Maintenance team undertakes a deep cleaning of the reservoir beneath the iconic “rings” of grey and pink granite every few years. This is no small task — to access the hidden water basin, Greenway staff carefully remove more than 360 unique granite slabs and 60 concrete pavers, together weighing around 70,000 pounds.
Once the lid is lifted, Greenway staff partner with a vacuum contractor to clear out any sand, silt, or debris that has collected in the reservoir of this recirculating fountain system. From there, our team gets to work inspecting and repairing the mechanical systems that make the fountain come to life.
In 2025, this included fabricating and replacing all 120 pneumatic hoses, swapping out 10 of the 156 LED light fixtures, rebuilding or replacing 14 of the 60 water shooter solenoid valves, and sealing 16 air leaks in the copper manifold lines.
After rigorous testing of both the water and lighting systems, each concrete and granite slab is reinstalled with care — shimmed, leveled, and returned to its exact place.
This two-month project requires about 80% of our four-person Maintenance team’s time each week. Thanks to their dedication and expertise, we’re proud to consistently meet or exceed our goal of less than 2% downtime for all seven of The Greenway’s water features during the fountain season (from Memorial Day through Indigenous Peoples Day).
By handling this work in-house, we also save the Conservancy — and the community — an estimated $100,000 or more.
This summer, the Chin Park Waterfall and Stream also underwent several weeks of repairs to prevent future leaks and restore the feature with fresh materials — ensuring it remains a vibrant and reliable park highlight for years to come.
During these repairs, the original Mexican beach pebbles and mortar bed were fully removed, and the granite stones at the waterfall were carefully deinstalled to allow access for a new, high-performance waterproofing layer to be applied to the concrete base slab. This new layer now extends continuously into all three waterfall basins that feed the stream, forming a durable barrier to protect against water infiltration.
Once the waterproofing was complete, our team installed new mortar and Mexican beach pebbles to recreate the stream’s natural contours, giving it a refreshed look while honoring the original design. The granite waterfall stones were then reinstalled in their exact locations to preserve the iconic cascade effect that makes this fountain a community favorite.
As summer draws to a close, these last few weeks of warm weather are the perfect time to venture downtown to explore all that The Greenway has to offer. With dozens of free park events on the calendar, there are countless ways to experience summer in Boston, and cooling off by a beautifully restored fountain is a perfect way to rest in between activities.
In particular, we invite the public to join us at these events near Rings Fountain and the Serpentine Path Streambed as we prepare for fall:
• Greenway Play Sessions (Thursdays in September | 4 to 6 PM | Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park) Join us for free play sessions, featuring books, games, and more! Play Sessions take place every Thursday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. from June through September in Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin Park.
• Greenway Artisan Market (Every Saturday, September-October | 11 AM to 5 PM | Rings Fountain) The Greenway Artisan Market is a vibrant open-air market run by Somerville Flea featuring talented area artists, crafters, and independent designers. Visitors will find exceptional art, locally produced products, and much more!
• “SONG/LAND/SEA” Closing Event (September 18 | 6 to 8 PM | Rings Fountain) A public performance and community activation to honor the closing of Lani Asunción’s artwork, SONG/LAND/SEA: WAI Water Warning and Binakol Blessing, after 18 months on view.
• Taiwanese Night Market (September 20 | 4 to 10 PM | Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park) Join us for a market featuring local Taiwanese vendors!
• Experience Chinatown Hosted by Pao Arts Center (September 27 | 11 AM to 3 PM | Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park) Chinatown comes to life with live performances and activities at Chin Park on the Greenway, and exhibits across the neighborhood Where We Meet: Imagining Gardens and Futures at Pao Arts Center.
• For more information on Greenway events, be sure to visit our events calendar and follow us on social media @rosekennedygreenway
Thank You To Our Supporters
Project support for the Chinatown Serpentine Stream Fountain is provided by major funding from the City of Boston Community Preservation Act and the George B. Henderson Foundation.
Additional funding generously provided by MassDOT.
About The Greenway and the Greenway Conservancy (www.rosekennedygreenway.org)
The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a contemporary public park in the heart of Boston and one of the most visited attractions in the Commonwealth, welcoming millions of visitors annually. The Greenway is managed by the Greenway Conservancy, a non-profit responsible for the administration and care of the park. The majority of the Conservancy’s annual budget is made up of generous donations from the community, and it is with their support that the Conservancy cultivates a gathering space where all are welcome and celebrated.