Science Park station (MBTA)
| Company type | Light rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | August 20, 1955 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
| Website | www |
Science Park station (designated as Science Park/West End) is an elevated light rail stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located in Boston, Massachusetts. Positioned at the Boston terminus of the Charles River Dam Bridge near Leverett Circle, it occupies the southeastern extremity of the Lechmere Viaduct, which carries Green Line trains across the Charles River. The station derives its name from the adjacent Boston Museum of Science. In fiscal year 2019, it registered 873 boardings per weekday, ranking it as the least frequented fare-controlled stop on the Green Line and the second-lowest in ridership across the entire MBTA subway network after .
Constructed in 1912, the Lechmere Viaduct initially did not include this station; Science Park was later added in 1955 specifically to provide service to the museum. Until 2005, passengers accessed the station via a pedestrian bridge spanning Leverett Circle. The station signage incorporated the "West End" suffix in 2009 to acknowledge its proximity to that neighborhood. It experienced a six-month closure in 2011 for enhancements to accessibility features and was also temporarily shut down during viaduct maintenance periods in 2004–2005 and again from 2020 to 2022 as part of larger infrastructure upgrades.
Station design
Science Park station is elevated above Leverett Circle, where the Charles River Dam Bridge intersects with Storrow Drive at the northern boundary of Boston’s West End district. The nearby Museum of Science is situated approximately westward along the Dam Bridge. The station features two tracks flanked by side platforms aligned roughly northwest to southeast. The platforms’ northwest portions rest atop the concrete structure of the Lechmere Viaduct, while their southeast sections and the main station framework are supported by a steel viaduct.
Entrances are located on a central traffic island within Leverett Circle, connected by crosswalks from multiple directions. The principal fare lobby is positioned on a mezzanine beneath the southeast half of the station, accessible via stairs leading both to street level and to each platform. Each platform is equipped with an elevator providing direct access between street level and the paid fare lobby, ensuring compliance with accessibility standards. These elevators also contain small fare lobbies featuring single faregates at street level. Additionally, mini-high platforms are installed at both ends of each platform to facilitate accessible boarding for older Type 7 LRVs.
With an average of 873 daily boardings in FY2019, Science Park stands as the least-utilized fare-controlled stop on the Green Line and ranks second-lowest in ridership within MBTA’s subway system overall.
Construction
The Lechmere Viaduct and the Causeway Street elevated commenced operations in June 1912, establishing a grade-separated transit corridor for streetcars traveling from Somerville, Cambridge, and Charlestown into the Tremont Street subway. This elevated alignment significantly reduced travel times between Lechmere Square and downtown Boston; only one intermediate station existed at that time. This development represented a major improvement in public transit access to Boston's northern West End area. Some surface streetcar lines continued to cross the Charles River Dam Bridge until the 1920s, with bus services intermittently operating along Charles Street from 1925 through the early 1940s. A proposed infill stop near Barton Street was considered in 1917 but never realized.
The Museum of Science inaugurated its campus on the Dam Bridge in 1951. Beginning in 1953, its director Bradford Washburn advocated for a new transit stop at Leverett Circle to serve museum visitors. Initially, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) opposed this proposal due to concerns that fare revenues would not offset construction expenses estimated between $150,000 and $250,000 (equivalent to approximately $0.15–0.25 million in 1954 dollars). Nevertheless, legislation authorizing MTA to construct the station was enacted on April 29, 1954, officially designating it as Science Park.
On May 14, 1954, MTA’s board approved moving forward with building the station at an estimated cost of $225,000 (about $0.225 million in 1954 dollars). Beyond serving museum patrons, this new stop aimed to enhance access to Massachusetts General Hospital, which previously required lengthy walks from North Station or transfers via other routes. Additionally, it provided improved transit connections for a nearby Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles office, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and supported urban renewal efforts underway in Boston’s West End neighborhood.
Construction commenced following contract approval on November 3, 1954. The Metropolitan District Commission simultaneously erected a pedestrian footbridge over Storrow Drive—opened in 1951—at a cost of $120,000 ($0.12 million in 1954 dollars), linking directly to the station’s mezzanine level. By April 1955, steel framing for the station was completed, and Science Park officially opened for service on August 20, 1955. Despite initial projections anticipating annual ridership around half a million passengers, actual usage remained minimal according to MTA reports.
MBTA era
In 1964, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) succeeded the MTA. Science Park station experienced minimal alterations for many years following this transition. The station was closed from June 25, 2004, until November 12, 2005, to facilitate the replacement of the Causeway Street elevated line with a new tunnel beneath TD Garden. A gently inclined concrete viaduct was constructed to connect Science Park station to this new tunnel. The pedestrian bridge spanning Leverett Circle was dismantled in 2005 as part of the Big Dig project, with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation initiating plans for its replacement in 2016. On January 21, 2009, the station’s signage was revised to read "Science Park/West End," although MBTA maps continued to display the original, shorter designation.
Planning for a $22 million accessibility upgrade commenced in 2006 under the MBTA’s direction. By mid-2009, design and environmental evaluations were finalized, and the approach shifted from closing platforms one at a time to a single full closure lasting six months to optimize both cost and timeline. Construction began with the station’s closure on April 30, 2011. Improvements included installing elevators connected to street-level fare lobbies, broadening the platforms, replacing existing canopies, rebuilding staircases, and elevating platform heights to allow level boarding on low-floor Type 8 LRVs. Additionally, "mini-high" ramps were incorporated to accommodate older high-floor Type 7 LRVs. During this period, a complimentary shuttle bus service linked Science Park and Lechmere stations. The station officially reopened on November 5, 2011.
Following its reopening and until 2022, Science Park was exclusively served by the E branch. Beginning May 24, 2020, shuttle buses temporarily replaced service between North Station and Lechmere due to ongoing Green Line Extension construction efforts. In January 2022, platform enhancements included installing new tactile edge strips to improve accessibility. The E branch resumed service north of North Station on March 21, 2022, coinciding with the launch of the Union Square extension. From August 22 to September 18, 2022, the Green Line was closed between Union Square and Government Center to finalize integration of a second northern branch alongside infrastructure upgrades. Since September 2022, both D and E branches have been serving Science Park station.
External links
- MBTA – Science Park
- Nashua Street and Martha Road entrances on Google Maps Street View