Exploring South Weymouth Naval Air Station by foot and air offers a glimpse into the site’s rich history and ongoing transformation.

The Naval Air Station South Weymouth operated as a U.S. Navy airfield from 1942 to 1997. The Navy initially established it during World War II as the nation’s key northeastern hub for blimps (lighter-than-air craft) to patrol the Atlantic coast. After the war, the Navy briefly decommissioned the site. However, it renewed its activity in the early 1950s when the Navy moved the Naval Air Reserve Training Program from the Squantum airbase to South Weymouth.

Today, developers are significantly transforming the area, redeveloping it into a massive 1,400-acre Smart Growth community known as Union Point (or the SouthField redevelopment).

The site offers ideal locations for recreational activities like biking and walking, with wide-open spaces perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, all set against a fascinating backdrop of historic military structures like the old control towers and hangars.