Hours & Fees

Larz Anderson Park is open dawn to dusk, every day of the year, and the Town lists no entry or parking fee. Dawn to dusk is the Town of Brookline's rule for all its parks. The places inside the park keep their own clocks: the Larz Anderson Auto Museum is open 10 am – 3 pm, Tuesday through Sunday, the outdoor ice rink runs public skate sessions in winter, and Green Dog off-leash time on the hilltop has its own seasonal hours.

Park Hours

Brookline's park rules let people enter and use public parks from dawn to dusk unless a permit says otherwise, and say no one may enter or stay in a park while it is closed without the Parks and Open Space Director's permission. Parking in the park is allowed only during those hours, so plan to have your car out by dusk. The same rules keep hard courts open 7 am to dusk on weekdays and 8 am to dusk on weekends and holidays, and let lit athletic facilities stay open until 10 pm.

What Costs Money

Walking the grounds, the Top of the Hill view, the lagoon, the playground, sledding and pick-up games on the fields carry no Town fee. These cost money, and each has its own page:

• Auto museum admission: $15 for adults, less for seniors, students, military and children. Museum prices.
• Lawn event (car show) admission: same as the museum, at the gate. Lawn events.
• Ice skating: a daily fee, cheaper for Brookline residents. Rink prices.
• Reserving a BBQ site or the picnic shelter. Permit fees.
• A wedding ceremony site. Ceremony fees.

Auto Museum Hours

The museum is open 10 am – 3 pm, Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays, New Year's Day, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Its online calendar sometimes posts updated hours or a closure for a single day, so check before a special trip. The museum's 2026 lawn events were listed with 9 am starts; the museum asks show visitors not to arrive more than an hour before the posted start. Details on the museum page.

Ice Rink Hours

The Jack Kirrane rink is a winter rink. On Brookline Recreation's 2025–26 schedule, public skating ran Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Friday afternoon and evening, and two sessions each Saturday and Sunday afternoon; last season closed Saturday, March 7, 2026. The 2026–27 schedule had not been posted when we checked on October 18, 2026. Full times and prices: ice skating.

Green Dog Off-Leash Hours

Registered Green Dog dogs may run off leash on the hilltop (Avon Street side only) from dawn to 1:00 pm from March through November, and from dawn to dusk from December through February. The Town keeps dogs off its fields while the ground thaws, generally all of March, and can close an off-leash area for wet fields; its Green Dog hotline (617-879-4850) has the day's status. All dog rules: dogs at Larz Anderson.

Picnic and Wedding Permit Times

Brookline Recreation books the BBQ sites, the shelter and the wedding ceremony sites in fixed blocks: a half day of 10 am – 2:30 pm or 3 – 7:30 pm, or a full day of 10 am – 7:30 pm. Wedding ceremonies are half-day only. Fields are first come, first served unless a league or event holds a permit. See picnic permits and weddings.

Seasons at a Glance

• Spring: dogs stay off the fields while the ground thaws, generally all of March; Brookline Recreation's picnic-table and field permits run April to October.
• May–October: car-show season at the museum; the busiest weekends for parking.
• Fall: the Town lists the slopes for watching sunsets, and the hilltop has the skyline view; car shows run through October.
• Winter: the ice rink opens, and the slopes are the Town's premier sledding spot after snow.