Swan Boats (Boston, Massachusetts)

Inspired by the knight's gallant rescue of the damsel by riding a swan across the lake, Paget decided to capitalize on the recent popularity of the bicycle and combine the two, designing a two-pontooned boat with two wooden benches and a brass seat on top of a paddlebox concealed by a swan.

[citation needed] Swan boats have since operated every year until 2020, when they stayed closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts.

Each boat has kept the original design, with two pontoons, a brass seat atop a paddlebox concealed by a fiberglass swan, and wooden benches for passengers.

[5] In 1954 service was interrupted during the summer for the first time, when city officials drained the lake after 30 ducks died due to an infection.

[6] The post-apocalyptic video game Fallout 4 included Swan Boats in its Boston Common location, where players can collect swan boat fragments and find other notable landmarks such as the Parkman Bandstand and the first marker of the Freedom Trail.