Boston Children’s Museum - The fun and interactive Boston Children’s Museum has something for everyone. Favorite exhibits include: a three-story climbing sculpture, an authentic Japanese House, a kids' construction zone, a hands-on art studio, equipment for kids to test their power, the world of Arthur & Friends, and much more. In addition to the more permanent exhibits, the Boston Children’s Museum offers regularly changing special exhibits as well as daily activities such as messy activities, movement and music, and yoga. You could easily spend a whole day exploring all that the Children’s Museum has to offer. Kid Comment - Wear green clothes to the Museum and then go to the green screen video room in Arthur’s world. You will be invisible! www.bostonkids.org
Boston Duck Tours - See Boston by both land and water. The Boston Duck Tours are an exciting way to learn about the city of Boston. Step aboard a World War II-style amphibious landing vehicle for a comprehensive tour of beantown. The talented "conducktors" are sure to entertain and inform you. One of our conductors was a perfect John Lennon impersonator. A highlight for all kids is when the Duck takes to the Charles River and children get a chance to “drive” the boat while enjoying views of Cambridge and Back Bay. It’s convenient to pick up the Duck Tours at one of three locations - the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science, or the Prudential Center. Reservations recommended. Kid Comment - The Red Sox conductor was the best! Ask for his boat. www.bostonducktours.com
Old Town Trolley - Hop aboard the Old Town Trolley and see all the historic and tourist sites of Boston. The Trolley makes 18 stops around Boston at such places the Old North Church, the USS Constitution, the “Cheers” bar, Fenway Park, the Boston Tea Party Ship, The Prudential Skywalk, the Swan Boats, and the Museum of Fine Arts. While you ride the trolley, your conductor provides a narrated tour of Boston. Feel free to get off at any point of interest, look around, take a tour, have lunch, and then get back on the next trolley. The conductors make the ride fun by providing great trivia about the city. And, you can set your own pace as you hop on and off the trolley tour. Kid Comment - Stop at the old Charles Street Jail (now the Liberty Hotel) for lunch at the Clink. They have the best bread! www.trolleytours.com/boston
New England Aquarium - Do your children like fish, penguins, coral reefs, turtles, sharks, seals or lobsters? Then the New England Aquarium is the place to be. Your children will delight in coming face-to-face with the marine life (including sharks) living in the four-story ocean tank which serves as the centerpiece of the Aquarium. Or explore the Amazon Rain Forest, the Pacific Reef Community, or the Gulf of Maine. The penguins, which look like they are right out of central casting for Happy Feet, are always a hit as well. In addition to its many animal exhibits, the Aquarium also has an amazing six-story IMAX theater and is the launching point for whale watches. Kid Comment - Look for the glowing jelly fish. You can change their color. www.neaq.org
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) - It’s never too early to ignite your child’s interest in art. The Institute of Contemporary Art is a great place to start because contemporary art is so accessible to children. Contemporary art often involves large exhibits and sometimes everyday objects. In addition, contemporary art is expressed through many mediums children can relate to like sculpture, room installations, video, music, and performances. The ICA also has Saturday morning programs specifically for families. Make sure to check their website. It’s easy to combine a trip to the ICA with lunch at Boston’s famous Anthony’s Pier 4 restaurant, which serves great seafood with habor-side seating and views of Boston. www.icaboston.org
The Swan Boats of Boston - What could be a more classic Boston experience than taking a ride on the Swan Boats in the Boston Public Garden? See the flora of the gardens and skyline of Boston proper as these pedal-powered craft move about the lagoon. First launched in 1877, the Swan Boats are a Boston tradition. After you finish your ride, walk across the garden toward Beacon Street to see the bronze sculptures of the mallard ducks made famous by Robert McClosky’s Make Way for Ducklings. There, Mrs. Mallard is joined by her eight ducklings Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Pack, Ouack, and Quack. Make Way for Ducklings is the official children’s book of Massachusetts. Kid Comment - Go across the street (Charles Street) to Boston Common and look for the bronze statues of the frogs. In the winter, they make the Frog Pond into an ice skating rink. www.swanboats.com
Tour of Fenway Park -- A tour of Fenway Park brings out the Red Sox fan in all of us. During the 50-minute guided walking tour, you will get to sit in the press box, try out the new green monster seats, and learn about the history of the oldest and most beloved ball park in Major League baseball today. Kid Comment - You'll really like going into the press box where all the reporters sit. http://mlb.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp
Mapparium - Journey to the middle of the world! The Mapparium is a three-story glass globe showing the world in 1935. Step onto a thirty-foot glass bridge and you are surrounded by this hand-painted globe. A dynamic narrated presentation, punctuated by music and LED lights, brings the globe to life and tells of the geographic changes over the last 35 years. www.marybakereddylibrary.org/exhibits/mapparium
Prudential Skywalk Observatory - See Boston from the sky. The Prudential Skywalk Observatory provides a 360-view of Boston from the 52nd floor of the Prudential. Enhance your experience by taking the Acousticguide audio tour, which helps you identify points of interest in and around Boston. Maybe pair a trip to the Skywalk Observatory with lunch at the Top of the Hub also located on the 52nd floor of the Prudential building. www.prudentialcenter.com
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum - A visit to the John F. Kennedy Library is a lesson in campaign politics, the Space Race, American history in the early 1960s, and historic restoration. The library brings the legacy of our 35th president to life through film, period settings, and multimedia exhibits. Make sure to find the "family programs" section of the library's website. On a monthly basis, the library brings in a variety of theatrical groups, story tellers, and musicians. www.jfklibrary.org
Boston Duck Tours - See Boston by both land and water. The Boston Duck Tours are an exciting way to learn about the city of Boston. Step aboard a World War II-style amphibious landing vehicle for a comprehensive tour of beantown. The talented "conducktors" are sure to entertain and inform you. One of our conductors was a perfect John Lennon impersonator. A highlight for all kids is when the Duck takes to the Charles River and children get a chance to “drive” the boat while enjoying views of Cambridge and Back Bay. It’s convenient to pick up the Duck Tours at one of three locations - the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science, or the Prudential Center. Reservations recommended. Kid Comment - The Red Sox conductor was the best! Ask for his boat. www.bostonducktours.com
Old Town Trolley - Hop aboard the Old Town Trolley and see all the historic and tourist sites of Boston. The Trolley makes 18 stops around Boston at such places the Old North Church, the USS Constitution, the “Cheers” bar, Fenway Park, the Boston Tea Party Ship, The Prudential Skywalk, the Swan Boats, and the Museum of Fine Arts. While you ride the trolley, your conductor provides a narrated tour of Boston. Feel free to get off at any point of interest, look around, take a tour, have lunch, and then get back on the next trolley. The conductors make the ride fun by providing great trivia about the city. And, you can set your own pace as you hop on and off the trolley tour. Kid Comment - Stop at the old Charles Street Jail (now the Liberty Hotel) for lunch at the Clink. They have the best bread! www.trolleytours.com/boston
New England Aquarium - Do your children like fish, penguins, coral reefs, turtles, sharks, seals or lobsters? Then the New England Aquarium is the place to be. Your children will delight in coming face-to-face with the marine life (including sharks) living in the four-story ocean tank which serves as the centerpiece of the Aquarium. Or explore the Amazon Rain Forest, the Pacific Reef Community, or the Gulf of Maine. The penguins, which look like they are right out of central casting for Happy Feet, are always a hit as well. In addition to its many animal exhibits, the Aquarium also has an amazing six-story IMAX theater and is the launching point for whale watches. Kid Comment - Look for the glowing jelly fish. You can change their color. www.neaq.org
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) - It’s never too early to ignite your child’s interest in art. The Institute of Contemporary Art is a great place to start because contemporary art is so accessible to children. Contemporary art often involves large exhibits and sometimes everyday objects. In addition, contemporary art is expressed through many mediums children can relate to like sculpture, room installations, video, music, and performances. The ICA also has Saturday morning programs specifically for families. Make sure to check their website. It’s easy to combine a trip to the ICA with lunch at Boston’s famous Anthony’s Pier 4 restaurant, which serves great seafood with habor-side seating and views of Boston. www.icaboston.org
The Swan Boats of Boston - What could be a more classic Boston experience than taking a ride on the Swan Boats in the Boston Public Garden? See the flora of the gardens and skyline of Boston proper as these pedal-powered craft move about the lagoon. First launched in 1877, the Swan Boats are a Boston tradition. After you finish your ride, walk across the garden toward Beacon Street to see the bronze sculptures of the mallard ducks made famous by Robert McClosky’s Make Way for Ducklings. There, Mrs. Mallard is joined by her eight ducklings Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Pack, Ouack, and Quack. Make Way for Ducklings is the official children’s book of Massachusetts. Kid Comment - Go across the street (Charles Street) to Boston Common and look for the bronze statues of the frogs. In the winter, they make the Frog Pond into an ice skating rink. www.swanboats.com
Tour of Fenway Park -- A tour of Fenway Park brings out the Red Sox fan in all of us. During the 50-minute guided walking tour, you will get to sit in the press box, try out the new green monster seats, and learn about the history of the oldest and most beloved ball park in Major League baseball today. Kid Comment - You'll really like going into the press box where all the reporters sit. http://mlb.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp
Mapparium - Journey to the middle of the world! The Mapparium is a three-story glass globe showing the world in 1935. Step onto a thirty-foot glass bridge and you are surrounded by this hand-painted globe. A dynamic narrated presentation, punctuated by music and LED lights, brings the globe to life and tells of the geographic changes over the last 35 years. www.marybakereddylibrary.org/exhibits/mapparium
Prudential Skywalk Observatory - See Boston from the sky. The Prudential Skywalk Observatory provides a 360-view of Boston from the 52nd floor of the Prudential. Enhance your experience by taking the Acousticguide audio tour, which helps you identify points of interest in and around Boston. Maybe pair a trip to the Skywalk Observatory with lunch at the Top of the Hub also located on the 52nd floor of the Prudential building. www.prudentialcenter.com
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum - A visit to the John F. Kennedy Library is a lesson in campaign politics, the Space Race, American history in the early 1960s, and historic restoration. The library brings the legacy of our 35th president to life through film, period settings, and multimedia exhibits. Make sure to find the "family programs" section of the library's website. On a monthly basis, the library brings in a variety of theatrical groups, story tellers, and musicians. www.jfklibrary.org
Metro Boston with Kids
©KidsNewEngland.com 2010