Revere - America's First Public Beach


Collectible images courtesy of Revere Society for Cultural & Historic Preservation		Revere Society for Cultural & Historic Preservation

Revere Beach, the nation's first public beach is of course our main attraction. Even in pre-colonial days, this three-mile crescent was an attraction to the Native Americans. It's popularity grew steadily until the late 19th century when "Crescent Beach" became so overcrowded - with hotels, restaurants, and ballrooms, that its very core attraction—access to the shore—was threatened.

In 1895 the state legislature acted to preserve public access to the beach by authorizing major land takings. The new Revere Beach Reservation was placed under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Park Commission whose Chief Planner Charles Eliot, a visionary protégé of Frederick Law Olmstead, then set out to create the beach's formal promenade and signature pavilions and bandstand

Construction of the "Narrow Gauge" Railroad and the introduction of regular steamship service to Boston in the late 1800s securely established the beach as a highly accessible recreational destination for urban residents. In the ensuing decades Revere Beach was to become home to countless amusements and diversions earning it a reputation as "the People's Beach"; as popular in its heyday as Atlantic City and similar resorts.

Revere Beach reached its zenith in the 1930s and 1940s; after World War II the beach began to slip into decline. In the 1980s, government and the private sector united in seeking renewal and redevelopment of the shorefront. In the ensuing years, multi-million dollar public and private investments have brought about a renaissance of historic Revere Beach. Charles Eliot's pavilions and bandstand have been restored, new park land and green space has been created, transportation facilities have been modernized, and the beach itself has been completely re-sanded and widened.

New apartment, condominium and office buildings attest to the reborn popularity of the beach, as do the thousands upon thousands of people drawn to our restored shores on a given summer day. Plans are now in the works to build new hotels and an ocean pier along our shore, as well as to create a museum of Revere Beach Heritage.

Throughout the year, Revere Beach continues to attract those who appreciate nature in all her varied manifestations; from a refreshing summer salt breeze to the dramatic tableau of angry winter seas.