Lagoon & Temple of Love

The lagoon at Larz Anderson Park is a figure-eight pond with a small domed temple, the Temple of Love, on its bank, plus a causeway and a footbridge — all three rebuilt by the Town of Brookline in 2021–22 and reopened in 2022. It is for looking at and walking around: Brookline's park rules ban swimming, wading and boating in any of its ponds, the Town's brochure bans fishing in the lagoon, and dogs are not allowed in the pond. Brookline Recreation books the Temple of Love for wedding ceremonies of up to 100 people.

The Temple of Love

The Temple of Love, which the Town also calls the Tempietto (Italian for "little temple"), is an open temple of columns under a dome, standing on steps that lead down into the lagoon. Brookline Recreation says it was modeled after the Temple of Love at Versailles. The Town's project page notes a fountain element inside it that draws water from the lagoon and recirculates it back, rebuilt with a new filtered system during the restoration.

How the Town Rebuilt It

The Town's Lagoon Structures Project replaced all three historic structures from the ground up. The old Temple of Love came down on May 3, 2021; workers salvaged pieces of it to copy its details, and the Town said some would be kept for future display. Digging the footings turned up a deep layer of clay, so the new footbridge and causeway sit on ductile iron piles and the temple on a modified stone base. The new temple was cast off-site in precast concrete and set in pieces through the winter of 2021–22, with the dome pieces expected in January 2022. A terrazzo floor and the fountain's new water system went in after Memorial Day 2022, the paths around the lagoon were repaved, and the weir — the outlet at the Goddard Avenue end where water leaves the lagoon — was repaired. The Town reported the work complete in August 2022 and planned a grand reopening for September 11, 2022. Its project page keeps the full timeline.

The Town also noted that the 2022 drought dropped the lagoon's water level so far that the temple's fountain couldn't run until the water came back, a reminder that the lagoon's level rises and falls with the weather.

The Causeway and Footbridge

The causeway, a raised walkway across the lagoon, and the footbridge are the two crossings the Town rebuilt. The new causeway has curved stairs on the side facing the temple, and both crossings got new railings. The Town's map of surviving landscape features lists the lagoon causeway and lagoon bridge alongside the Tempietto, the Goddard Avenue wall and the Lionhead Fountain, a surviving piece of the estate's old Chinese Garden.

What You Can and Can't Do

• Walk the paved paths around the lagoon and across the causeway and footbridge.
• Picnic on the lawns; the Town says its picnic areas with grills are close to the pond. Reserve a grill site.
• No swimming, wading or boating — Brookline bans all three in any park water.
• No fishing in the lagoon (Town brochure).
• No dogs in the pond, even on leash; the Green Dog off-leash area is up on the hilltop instead. Dog rules.
• Don't disturb wildlife: the Town's rules forbid injuring or disturbing any animal or taking nests or eggs.
• Don't stand or climb on structures not meant for it, and don't pick flowers or plants.

Weddings at the Temple of Love

The Temple of Love is one of three Town wedding ceremony sites in the park and holds up to 100 people. A half-day ceremony permit from Brookline Recreation costs $175 for Brookline residents and $275 for non-residents. Everything you need is on our weddings page.

The Lagoon Then and Now

Early-1900s photographs of Weld, the Andersons' estate, show a temple at the end of a willow alley in the water garden and its reflection in still water; photographs of the park today show the rebuilt temple among willows on the lagoon's bank. The Town is still working on the wider landscape: its master-plan page lists drainage and erosion work meant partly to improve water quality at the pond. More on the estate's gardens: history of Larz Anderson Park.

Getting There

The lagoon drains out through a weir at its Goddard Avenue end. Park in a designated lot (parking) and walk over; cars can't drive on the paths. See the park map for how the pieces fit together.