Boston - fun ideas?

[mrsap]

Did I mention how wonderful you guys are?! Thank you again SO much!!!!

I have one more question, is there a specific area you would recommend us looking for a hotel? Obviously it's large area, but I guess we'd like to be in an area we can walk places. Thought it might be fun. Thanks again!!!!!

 

[mrsksmithvt]

Do you belong to a local science center apart of ASTC? Most memberships entitle you to free admission to more than 310 museums and science centers through the ASTC Passport Program. We have a membership at ECHO in Vermont, ($120 a year) so when we travel to Boston we can visit both the Boston Children's Museum ($56.00 savings on admission) and the Boston Science Museum for free ($83.00 savings on admission). We also use it when we visit Fort Myers. Check out the following and see if you are traveling in the next year near any of these science museums:

http://www.astc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/May-Oct-15-8pg-6pt-font.pdf

Take a tour of Fenway Park, buy a T Pass and ride the T. Have fun planning.

 

[2kidsForMe]

We really like the Lenox Hotel in Boston, near the Prudential Center. Good location and very quaint. My kids love to eat at Legal Seafoods near the Harbor.

 

[Spoony Bard]

We lived in Boston for 8 years - we only went down to the Esplanade one time to watch the fireworks because the crowds were akin to WDW during Christmas. Instead, watched them from Telegraph Hill in South Boston (we lived in Southie) - much less crowded but you'll have a GREAT view of the fireworks!

 

[seb65]

FYI- I haven't read the details of the deal, but living social has duck tour and harbor cruise tickets as a deal right now.

 

[kreckl]

Another fun idea is to check out the harbor islands. There are several, and boats will take you from one to another for cheap. Lots of fun and a great way to beat the crowds and stay cool- theres always a breeze!

 

[KBoopaloo]

The 4th of July will be busy. The Pops concert is fantastic, but mobbed.

If your kids are into boats and history, right around the 4th is when the Constitution goes out for it's annual sail - you can get tickets to go out on it. It was fantastic- we went when my son was 6, and he loved every minute of it.

The duck boats are fun, the Franklin Park Zoo is also a fun afternoon.

The USS Constitution is in drydock right now and will be until 2018 so no turnarounds this 4th of July, unfortunately. However, the ship is still open for visiting which is always fun.

To the OP, the 4th of July is the busiest week for tourism in Boston (I worked in a museum on the Freedom Trail for 9 years) so be sure that you have a plan and purchase tickets for things you definitely want to do in advance to avoid missing out.

The 4th of July concert on the Esplanade is a mob scene but the do a rehearsal the night before. That is also usually pretty crowded but more manageable. Have fun!

 

[ReneeA]

Check out a go Boston card...discounted and free access to tons of different places.

 

[mrsap]

Thank you all again!! I think we're going to need more than 3 days!!!! LOL

I've been searching for a water front hotel so we can watch the fireworks! Found a few, but its nice to hear recommendations from people who actually stayed there. Any suggestions would be great!!!! Thank you all again!!!!

 

[pjlla]

If you like theme parks there is a six flags in Springfield Mass. Also look at a place called 5 wits at Patriot PLace. They aren't in Boston but they are fairly close. If you don't like huge roller coasters try Canobie LAke PArk instead it is in nearby Salem, NH. I would not recommend Faneuil Hall market it is a tourist trap. The New England Aquarium is a nice place for a one day visit. Boston museum of science could take you a couple of days in my opinion. I don't know where you live but Boston museum of science has an annual pass and it gives you entry into many museums around the country. Look up the list to see if they are associated with a museum near you. Then you can get an annual pass and use it many times all year. Just walking around Boston is pretty cool.

I must interrupt here and say that, relatively speaking, Springfield is not "fairly close" to Boston.... at least not in my travel terms. It is about 90 minutes (not including traffic) from Boston to Springfield. Canobie Lake Park is a little closer at about 40 minutes (not including traffic). And I'm going to slightly disagree and say that Faneuil Hall is a tourist trap, but still fun... especially for lunch!

Five Wits at Patriot Place is a great suggest for a family with kids and if you are sports fans you can see inside the Patriots Stadium while there. But again, it is about a 30+ minute drive (without traffic) out there.

I echo the 5 Wits post. Very clever and fun. Patriot Place is great.
Take a tour of Harvard across the river...interesting history
USS Constitution is interesting
For young kids try the a Children's Museum. The aquarium is sorta meh compared to others. Harbor Islands are amazing. Ferry out to George's Island is a great way to see the city from the water

We might still have snow on the ground.

I guess I'm in a mood to disagree today, because I disagree that the aquarium is "meh".... have you seen the newly refurbished Giant Ocean Tank??! It is beautiful! If you take your time, there is SO MUCH to see at the NEAq! The Shark and Ray touch tank and the Edge of the Ocean touch tank are both great for kids (and adults!). The Museum of Science and the Children's Museum are both terrific.... but given the ages of your children, the MoS might be too much for them (although it does offer really cool Imax movies and has a planetarium).

Also in Boston there are history tours, walking tours, Segway tours (I realize your kids are too young for that though), etc.

I second the recommendation of the Duck Tours. If anyone in your group is into history, there is the Old North Church, the Paul Revere House, the Bunker Hill Monument, and just outside Boston in Salem is, of course the Salem Witch trials stuff.

And there are a few zoos within driving distance.... Franklin Park Zoo and the Stone Zoo..... and while I admit I've never been to the FP Zoo and had a less than stellar visit to the Stone Zoo (many years ago), it might be a good afternoon visit if your kids like zoos.

To get a good view of the city you can visit either the top of the Prudential Building or the John Hancock Tower.

If you have a car and don't mind driving, in addition to the things that others suggested, you could visit the National Seashore on Cape Cod or the mansions in Newport, RI.

If you do visit during the July 4th holiday, just keep in mind that EVERYTHING will be more crowded in the city and probably more expensive (hotel rooms, rental cars, etc). But it would certainly be an exciting time to visit!....................P

 

[sharona]

Forget the Stone Zoo. It has not gotten any better since pjlla's last visit, in fact it may be worse. Franklin Park Zoo is better - it used to be in sort of a sketchy neighborhood but that may have changed, it's been years since we went there. But for that and a few of the other suggestions, you'd need a car and that I would not recommend. Boston parking and driving is frustrating at best. You're better off using the T and taxis to get around and just touring what is right in the city itself. Lots of things are walkable from Copley area hotels and many others are walkable from waterfront area hotels.

I've also always thought the NE Aquarium is just meh and it's ALWAYS very crowded but DD12 has been since the renovation and she tells me it's great.

The fireworks are not on the harbor on the 4th, they're above the Charles River. Not sure which Boston hotels have views... There is a Sonesta hotel on the Cambridge side of the river - they have a terrace with views where they usually have a ticketed entry party, piping in music from the Pops concert and food. It's very close to the Science Museum and the T stop at Lechmere.

Since we're local we rarely stay at any of the hotels in the area so can't offer a review of any of them. The Marriott Longwharf is very conveniently located and there are a couple of Hiltons in the financial district that are close to Faneuil Hall area. It may be quiet there over the weekend but easily walkable to the waterfront. Hope this helps.


Edit to add that John Hancock tower observation area closed to the public after 9-11 and never reopened as far as I know.

 

[Dawnlight]

Highland Street Foundation offers free events during the summer on Fridays. If you are looking for a deal, this might work depending on what will be on schedule (not yet released for 2015). This could also go against you if you are looking for a less crowded attraction and happen upon one of the FFF events without knowing it's taking place.. Here's the link: http://highlandstreet.org/freefunfridays.html

I think the Constitution is a must. There's a great museum and visitor's center in addition to the ship itself. There is also a battleship there. You can also take one of the water shuttles from the Constitution wharf to the aquarium (and back, if you wish). It's a great and inexpensive way to see the city from the water and fun for kids.

 

[HubbDave]

I do like the NE Aq but have not been in a couple of years. I have been going since the early 1970s. However, compared to the Mystic Aquarium or Baltimore's it is very cramped and overcrowded. It does have a lot of cool things though and great views

The Pru is a good way to view the city. As far as zoos, Franklin Park is far superior to Stone. If they don't mind the drive to PVD the Roger Williams zoo is good.

 

[sharona]

Mystic Aquarium is our favorite!

 

[JusbKoz]

My kids are older but for hotels we stayed at Lowes Boston and used Old Town Trolley Tours to get around. We walked to one of the starting points for the trolley cars and then they made approx. 9 stops to go back to the start.

 

[pjlla]

Forget the Stone Zoo. It has not gotten any better since pjlla's last visit, in fact it may be worse. Franklin Park Zoo is better - it used to be in sort of a sketchy neighborhood but that may have changed, it's been years since we went there. But for that and a few of the other suggestions, you'd need a car and that I would not recommend. Boston parking and driving is frustrating at best. You're better off using the T and taxis to get around and just touring what is right in the city itself. Lots of things are walkable from Copley area hotels and many others are walkable from waterfront area hotels.

Sorry to hear that the zoos haven't improved. And I agree about having a car in Boston.... more trouble than it is worth!

I've also always thought the NE Aquarium is just meh and it's ALWAYS very crowded but DD12 has been since the renovation and she tells me it's great.

Glad your DD likes the new renovations! I find it to be like Disney.... to see the most with the least crowds, arrive when they open in the morning!

The fireworks are not on the harbor on the 4th, they're above the Charles River. Not sure which Boston hotels have views... There is a Sonesta hotel on the Cambridge side of the river - they have a terrace with views where they usually have a ticketed entry party, piping in music from the Pops concert and food. It's very close to the Science Museum and the T stop at Lechmere.

Glad you said this about the fireworks! I was thinking the same thing. There is (or was, last time I checked) a Hampton Inn near the Museum of Science and within walking distance of a T stop. It was reasonably priced AND had a parking garage on-site. We stayed there a few years ago during school vacation week, parked our car when we arrived and took the T or walked everywhere we wanted to go. It was so much more convenient and cheaper than paying to park all over town.

Since we're local we rarely stay at any of the hotels in the area so can't offer a review of any of them. The Marriott Longwharf is very conveniently located and there are a couple of Hiltons in the financial district that are close to Faneuil Hall area. It may be quiet there over the weekend but easily walkable to the waterfront. Hope this helps.

Marriott is VERY nice and very centrally located.... but you pay dearly for that convenience.


Edit to add that John Hancock tower observation area closed to the public after 9-11 and never reopened as far as I know.

I guess when my DBIL offered to take us up it was because he was working there at the time. I never thought about whether it was still open to the public. Thanks for the heads up!.............P

 

[FLmomof2]

Living Social has a deal today for $25 a ticket for the duck boats from Museum of Science. Saves $12 a ticket!

 

[Happyjen27]

The Children's Museum a million times over. We spent the whole day and still didn't have time to do everything we wanted. We stayed at the Hilton on Broad street. The rooms were not adequate for our family of 4, I would not stay there again. I did like being able to valet the car and just walk or taxi everywhere, but we will try another property our next trip.

 

[katie111]

I live outside of Boston and would avoid July 4th weekend if at all possible. Everything will be mobbed and hotel prices will be sky high. If you do a long weekend, definitely try to hit some of the museums on a weekday rather than a weekend. The Children's Museum (recommend) and Aquarium (don't recommend) can almost become unbearable on weekends. My kids love the playground down by the waterfront, it's to the left of the Marriott hotel if you are looking at the water. There is a Joe's American there that has decent food and you can sit outside or the North end is also very close. There is also a merry go round between there and Faneuil Hall. If you walk further down that stretch towards the Aquarium there is a giant fountain. My kids LOVE this, it is really fun. It is free & one of their favorite things to do in Boston. It's a giant circle and water randomly shoots up from the ground. Just bring bathing suits and towels or a change of clothes. There are no changing rooms there but I usually just wrap the kids in a towel & do a quick change. The ferry out to George's Island is fun and you can explore the old fort when you get there. If your kids are brave, they might like Codzilla. It is a speedboat that goes out into the harbor. My youngest was 2 the first time we went on it & he loved it. There is also a good playground at the Boston Common as well as Frog Pond which the kids can wade in (personally I find it kind of gross, but kids love it). There are also good playgrounds and some wading pools along the Charles River near the Esplanade. Just walking around Boston can be a lot of fun, especially for kids that age. I wouldn't try to plan too much stuff.

 

[pookybean]

I grew up right outside of Boston and always stay with family when I go back but I had friends visit a year or so ago that found a great rental on homeaway. There were 6 of them so it was better than just having 2 hotel rooms. Just a suggestion! Enjoy your trip, I love Boston over the 4th!