Directions: You can walk to the birthplace John F. Kennedy from either the Coolidge Corner stop of the MBTA C Branch of the Green line or from the Harvard Ave. stop of the MBTA B Branch of the Green line. From Coolidge Corner turn off Beacon Street onto Harvard Street and walk down Harvard Street until you reach Beals Street on your right. The home of John F. Kennedy is located at 83 Beals Street.
What’s There: The home and birthplace of our 35th President and youngest President in history is not a large and lavish estate, but a simple single-family home that reflected the architectural needs of Brookline during a time period of population growth, as well as the needs of a young couple that was only just beginning their family. John F. Kennedy was born in this home in 1917 and lived there with his family and three siblings until 1921 when they had to move in order to accommodate their growing family. The home is now owned and maintained by the National Park Service and is open for the public to enjoy. It has even been restored back to the state of the house during the family’s occupancy, complete with recorded descriptions of each room by Kennedy matriarch Rose Kennedy .
A few blocks from the home of the Kennedy family you can also find the “Kennedy Family Mural” that was commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Crossing Neighborhood Association. The large mural sits on a wall facing the street and depicts the importance of the years that the Kennedy family spent at their home in Brookline. If in the area, this mural is worth a visit.
John F. Kennedy birthplace
John F. Kennedy National Historic Site
83 Beals Street, Brookline
