Boston Harbor Now Announces 2025 $5 Ferry Weekend To Spectacle and Peddocks Island

BOSTON, Mass. – October 7, 2025 – Boston Harbor Now, in partnership with the National Park Service, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, and Boston Harbor City Cruises, is excited to announce the return of $5 Ferry Weekend from Saturday, October 11 through Monday, October 13.

The annual tradition gives visitors the chance to enjoy one final ferry adventure to either Spectacle or Peddocks Island before the Boston Harbor Islands public ferry season concludes. For just $5, guests can take in sweeping harbor views, hike the islands’ trails, and relax along the shoreline. After October 13, public ferry service to the park will pause until next spring.

Tickets for each island are now available online and are expected to sell quickly. Limited tickets may also be purchased in person, but advance reservations are strongly encouraged.

As fall settles in, the Boston Harbor Islands offers a unique chance to experience the natural rhythms of the season up close. From late-blooming flowers to migrating birds, visitors will find plenty of signs that autumn has arrived on the Harbor.

What to Look for This Fall

Visitors during $5 Ferry Weekend will also be able to enjoy the changing seasons across the Harbor and on Spectacle Island. Signs of fall are all around:

• Plants: late-blooming New England asters and goldenrod brighten the landscape, while milkweed pods begin to open and drift on the breeze.
• Birds: red-tailed hawks may be spotted overhead, and yellow-rumped warblers flit through trees as they prepare for migration.
• Insects: keep an eye out for fuzzy woolly bear caterpillars crossing paths, delicate webs created by fall webworms, and bumble bees making the most of the final flowers of the season.

These seasonal highlights offer a reminder that the Harbor is a living landscape, changing with the rhythms of nature and offering something new with each visit.

$5 Ferry Weekend Logistics

Who: Open to the public – everyone is welcome!

What: $5 round-trip ferry tickets to Spectacle or Peddocks Island. Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

When: Saturday, October 11 – Monday, October 13, 2025.

• Boston to Spectacle Island: 10:30 AM or 12:30 PM
• Spectacle Island to Boston: 1:30 PM or 3:30 PM
• Hingham to Peddocks: 9AM, 10:30AM, 12PM, 2:30PM
• Peddocks to Hingham: 9:45AM, 11:15AM, 12:45PM, 3:15PM

Where: Ferries to Spectacle Island depart from Long Wharf North (Gate 5), Boston. Ferries to Peddocks Island depart from the Hingham Ferry Terminal, Hingham. Guests should plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early to ensure timely boarding.

For more details on $5 Ferry Weekend and a full lineup of fall activities on the Boston Harbor waterfront, visit: https://www.bostonharborislands.org/calendar/.

About the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) oversees 450,000 acres of land, making up one of the largest and most diverse state park systems in the country. DCR seeks to foster the connection between people and the environment, through its mission to protect, promote, and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the well-being of all. To learn more about DCR, our facilities, and our programs, please visit www.mass.gov/dcr or contact us at mass.parks@mass.gov.

About Boston Harbor Now
Boston Harbor Now works in partnership with public agencies, communities, and private and nonprofit partners to ensure a vibrant, accessible, and resilient Boston Harbor, waterfront, and islands. From ferries and festivals to climate planning and park access, Boston Harbor Now connects people to the Harbor and works to protect it for future generations.