Families, volunteers, and town officials gathered at Hall's Pond Sanctuary on Wednesday, July 15, to cut a ribbon on the North Brookline conservation area's newly rebuilt boardwalk and welcome neighbors back after months of construction.

The Brookline Department of Public Works hosted the celebration in partnership with the Friends of Hall's Pond, the nonprofit that has stewarded the 3.5-acre sanctuary since 1976. The event ran from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Amory Street and Freeman Street site and featured a speaking program, kid-friendly activities, boardwalk tours led by natural resource staff and volunteers, and light refreshments.

The sanctuary had been closed to the public while contractors rebuilt the boardwalk as part of the broader Amory Playground renovation project. A December 2025 town construction update described the site as focused on "the south side, which includes the Halls Pond boardwalk and Amory Woods boardwalk." The Friends of Hall's Pond asked visitors to stay out during the closure, calling it "an active construction site" in their fall 2025 newsletter.

The town officially reopened the sanctuary and Amory Woods to foot traffic on Thursday, June 18. The July 15 celebration marked the formal public event.

"The reopening of the fully accessible Hall's Pond boardwalk is a significant milestone for our community," Milee Pradhan, Parks and Open Space Director for the Town of Brookline, said in the town's June reopening announcement.

The renovated paths allow universal access, according to the Department of Public Works. Hall's Pond Sanctuary, together with the adjacent Amory Woods, is the only conservation land in North Brookline. The sanctuary provides habitat for great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, kingfishers, red-winged blackbirds, amphibians, and pollinators.

Brookline purchased the pond as its first wildlife sanctuary in 1975. The site is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places and sits within the Cottage Farm Historic District. A previous major restoration was completed in 2002.

Friends of Hall's Pond Co-Presidents Ann Frechette and John Shreffler wrote in their fall 2025 newsletter that the year had been "momentous" for the sanctuary, citing the 50th anniversary celebration, the start of the boardwalk renovation, and invasive-species removal projects. Board member Fran Perler filmed the July 15 ribbon cutting; the video was posted to the Friends of Hall's Pond website on Friday, July 17.

Hall's Pond Sanctuary is open daily. Visitors can enter from two gates off Amory Park. The Friends of Hall's Pond can be reached at [email protected] or 617-232-0466 for information on volunteer stewardship opportunities.