The white, ship-shaped building at the foot of Polk Street is the Aquatic Park Bathhouse, built in 1939 as a Works Progress Administration project in the Streamline Moderne style. It now houses the Maritime Museum, with WPA murals by Hilaire Hiler covering the interior in an undersea design.
The curved cove in front is Aquatic Park, a protected swimming area used year-round by the Dolphin Club and South End Rowing Club, whose members swim in the cold bay without wetsuits. The bleachers along the cove and the curved municipal pier are good places to watch the water.
Part of a self-guided walking tour
