It is served all year by ferries from Boston, and on weekends and summer weekdays by a shuttle boat to and from nearby islands.

The island is now composed of two artificial earth mounds, terraced with retaining walls, roads and newly planted vegetation.

With its tallest height above sea level being 157 feet (48 m), Spectacle Island is one of the highest points on Boston Harbor.

A horse rendering plant was built on Spectacle Island in 1857, followed by a city trash incinerator that remained active until 1935.

[5][6] In September 1846, Spectacle Island became a pivotal location in the story of George, a freedom seeker escaping from slavery.

This event sparked outrage within Boston's abolitionist community, leading to Hannum's arrest on charges of kidnapping.

[7] The Pacific Guano Company, based in Boston, established its first plant in 1861, on Spectacle Island before moving it in 1863 to Woods Hole, Massachusetts.