| Pope John Paul II Park Reservation | |
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  Location in Massachusetts Show map of Greater Boston area Pope John Paul II Park Reservation (Massachusetts) Show map of Massachusetts Pope John Paul II Park Reservation (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°16′47″N71°2′42″W / 42.27972°N 71.04500°W /42.27972; -71.04500 |
| Area | 66 acres (27 ha) |
| Established | 2001 |
| Named for | Pope John Paul II |
| Administrator | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| Website | Official website |
Pope John Paul II Park Reservation, officially theSaint Pope John Paul II Park,[1] and also known asPope Park,[citation needed] is a 66-acre (27 ha)Massachusettsstate park bordering theNeponset River in theDorchester section ofBoston.[2] The park was reclaimed from the former site of alandfill and the NeponsetDrive-In as part of the Lower Neponset River Master Plan and the development of theNeponset River Reservation.[3] It is managed by theDepartment of Conservation and Recreation, which has restored asalt marsh area and planted native trees and shrubs. The area now attracts an increased variety of birds to the habitat, includingsnowy egrets andgreat blue herons.[citation needed]
The park received funding and work began in 1998, following several years of delays.[4] It was constructed on the sites of a formerdrive-in theater (the Neponset Drive-in Theater) and an adjacent landfill (the Hallet Street dump) purchased in 1984 and 1973, respectively, by the Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission (now theDepartment of Conservation and Recreation).[5] It was named in honor of the visit byPope John Paul II to Boston in 1979,[6] in which the Pope celebrated his firstMass in the United States.[7] The park was dedicated in 2000 by then Massachusetts GovernorPaul Cellucci,[8] and opened to the public in 2001. Following thecanonization of Pope John Paul II, the park was officially redesignated as the "Saint Pope John Paul II Park", in a bill signed by Massachusetts GovernorCharlie Baker in 2019.[1]
The park includes trails for walking, hiking and running, including theLower Neponset River Trail.[9] It also offers bird watching, fishing catch and release in some parts of the park, open space fields for soccer, picnicking, restrooms, and playgrounds, and it is home to many road races.[2]
Born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005
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