dirt, capped with two feet of clay, and covered with two to five feet of topsoil. Thousands of trees were planted, and paths, buildings, and a dock were built. Spectacle Island opened to the public in June 2006 for use as a recreational area with hiking trails, a beach, a visitors' center with cafe, and a marina with 38 boat slips for visitors. Transportation Spectacle Island is accessible to the public either through a ferry from Long Wharf or to private watercraft at the island's marina. Ferries run from and to Boston as well as from and to Georges Island. The marina was closed for almost two years in the late 2010s due to repairs required as the result of a storm in the winter of 2015. As of July 2017, the marina is open and public moorings are available. Popular culture Spectacle Island is featured in the video game Fallout 4. The island plays an important role in the novel Zodiac: An Eco-Thriller, by author Neal Stephenson. Spectacle Island is mentioned in the book The Speckled Monster by Jennifer Lee Carrell. It is described as a quarantine island used especially during the smallpox epidemic as a place for ships carrying disease to unload ill passengers. Images Notes My grandfather was superintendent on Spectacle from approx 1923 until the landfill closed the 1950'. The landfill was always composting and there were occasional fires when things got too hot. A tractor did indeed fall through the surface. Operations were stopped immediately and the landfill eventually closed. It was a wonderful place for a child to visit his grandfather and wonder around the island. External links National Park Service Boston Harbor Islands page on Spectacle Island Boston Harbor Islands video: A History of Spectacle Island Boston Harbor islands Islands of Massachusetts Islands of Suffolk County, Massachusetts