History of Revere Beach

Revere Beach is a public beach in Revere, Massachusetts, located about five miles (8 km) north of downtown Boston. The beach is over three miles long. In 1875, a rail link was constructed to the beach, leading to its increasing popularity as a summer recreation area, and in 1896, it became the first public beach in the United States. It is still easily accessible by the MBTA Blue Line from Boston, and can accommodate as many as one million visitors in a weekend during its annual sand sculpture competition.

Narrow Gauge Railroad

The Narrow Gauge Railroad was constructed to stretch along the beach to connect Lynn, Revere Beach, and East Boston which increased the area’s popularity.

1875

Massachusetts legislature

The Massachusetts legislature seized nearly three miles of private seacoast land for the Metropolitan Park Commission.

1895

Charles Eliot was selected to decide how Revere Beach Reservation could be best used by the public. As a result, Revere Beach became the first American public beach with about 45,000 people attending opening day on July 12, 1896.

1896

Revere Beach Boulevard

John O’Brien & Company begin construction on the Revere Beach Driveway that would later become known as Revere Beach Boulevard.

1897

Dance Pavilion

Revere Beach had many dance pavilions beginning in 1900. Many famous people performed here and during the 1930’s it was famed for dance marathons.

1900

The Hippodrome

Built in 1903, the Hippodrome was the iconic carousel on Revere Beach.

1903

Wonderland Park

Wonderland Park opened this year as America’s foremost self-contained amusement park and is said to be some of the inspiration for Disneyland.

1906

Wonderland Park Closes

Due to financial problems, Wonderland Park closed after six years.

1911

Cyclone Roller Coaster

An all wood roller coaster was built by Harry Travers called the Cyclone Roller Coaster. At the time, it was the world’s fastest and largest roller coaster and existed for nearly 50 years.

1925

Wonderland Dog Track

Wonderland Park reopened as Wonderland Dog Track.

1935

Kelly’s Roast Beef

Kelly’s Roast Beef has been a staple at Revere Beach since 1951. It was here in Revere where they came up with the famous Original Roast Beef Sandwich.

1951

The Blizzard of ‘78

The Blizzard of ‘78 can be viewed as the start of the rebirth of Revere Beach. Many shops and businesses were wrecked, leading to culminating with a new Wonderland Station, the start of the condominium phase on Ocean Avenue, and the taking of land that was turned into a park on Revere Beach Boulevard.

1978

Revitalize The Beach

After efforts by the state and the city of Revere to revitalize the beach, it reopened in May 1992 with replenished sand and restored pavilions.

1992

Three-day Celebration

Revere commemorated the centennial of the first opening of Revere Beach with a three-day celebration.

1996

The BEACH Act

The passage of the BEACH Act led to a concentrated effort to improve the water quality of Revere Beach and other Massachusetts beaches.

2000

National Historic Landmark

On May 27, 2003, Revere Beach was designated a National Historic Landmark.

2003

International Sand Sculpting Sculpture Festival

This was the first year of the International Sand Sculpting Sculpture Festival. Every year the exhibition has a different theme; the first year’s theme was Tales of Enchantment.

2004

Landscaping & Sidewalks

Revere Beach Boulevard was redesigned with new landscaping and sidewalks, and improved parking.

2007

125th Anniversary

On July 13, 2021, Revere Beach celebrates its 125^th Anniversary with live music and fireworks put on by the City of Revere and Revere Beach Partnership.

2021

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The 2021 International Sand Sculpting Festival was an amazing success. Thank you to the over 1,000,000 who came down to America’s first public beach and enjoyed the magnificent sand sculpting competition. We are already planning for 2022 and can’t wait to share new details as we get closer.

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