sightseeing in boston for children

[jackie101]

I grew up in MA but we have never done any sight seeng in Boston . We are looking to take the children in ages 9,8,6, & 6 any suggestions? The duck tous look like fun then I saw guided freedom trail tours? I think we are going to get a hotel near the city and make a weekend out of it. ANy budget suggestions? Thanks!!

 

[ptmmg]

the science museum is awesome

 

[Bren's Mom]

Staying outside the city and taking the T in is a great way to go. Cheaper hotels, free parking, etc.

Aside from the Duck Tours and doing the Freedom Trail, they might like Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall (shopping and a big food court of sorts with lots of great dining choices), New England Aquarium, Children's Musem, Swan Boats/Public Gardens, Fenway Park (if you're into baseball), Durgin Park is a fun, irreverent restaurant they might like, Whale Watching (boat out of Boston Harbor), Franklin Park Zoo, if it's warm out there's also the Frog Pond sprinkler park in Boston Common.

 

[robin09]

We went there this fall for a weekend and had a great time. We went to Paul Revere's home, saw the old NOrth church. We walked on the freedom trail and went intothe old state house where the Declaration of Independence was read. We took the train which was a treat for dd11 to CHinatown and had a great meal there.

Old state house admission is $5 an adult, $1 a kid and free under 6.
Paul Revere house was 3 an adult $1 for kids and under 5 free.

We went to the Quincy markets, and they had magic shows outside, my money breaker though was BUild a bear... Just had to do it! I think You'll have a great time!

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Love the USS Constitution (free!), the Museum of Science (though that could take all day!), Public Garden (read Make Way for Ducklings first- then do the Swan boats and visit the duckling statues. Fenway has tours if you're Sox fans. We do like the Duck Tours, too.

 

[lvinay]

Welcome to Boston - there is a ton to do!
The obvious is the Freedom Trail, Fanieul Hall, and Quincy Market - but that is a lot of walking/shopping for kids in your age groups. There is a lot more.

First, look into a Go Boston or CityPass card - they bundle popular museums and attractions together for a discounted price. They have different offers, including trolley/duck tour packages - so you'll have to look at each to see which is best for your family. One offer includes the ferry to Provincetown and whale watching - a great day trip.

Also, there are lots of bargains - for example, the Children's Museum is $ 1.00 on Friday nights from 5 - 9 pm. The Frog Pond and play ground on the Common are free. The Museum of Science is also open late on Fridays, but can be pricey. If you are visiting family in the Boston area, they might be able to get you free tickets from their local library (many libraries have them). Libraries also might have free passes to the Aquarium.
The Museum of Contemporary Art is $1.00 on Thursday evenings. The Museum of Fine Arts is $1.00 on Wednesday afternoons (and open late).
On Friday nights, there are free movies at the Hatch Shell (along the Charles). There are also free concerts at Columbus Park (near Quincy Market) on Wednesdays, and feasts most weekends in the North End. There are daily street performers at Quincy Market too.

At the Charles, community boating offers sailing lessons very inexpensively.

If you stay outside of the city, be sure to get T passes, they are generally $15 for 7 days - well worth it!

Also, look into the Fenway Park tour and a game. The Red Sox are struggling a bit this year, so you might be able to get some tickets at a reasonable price. Right near the park is the John Hancock building, and at the top is the Ted Williams museum (as well as the Dreams of Freedom Museum).

In the summer, there are theater groups on the Common too. Check out the calendar section of www.boston.com you'll find a slew of events and activities.

Enjoy a chowder and Boston!

 

[trinchick]

I can't tell from your post if you're still living in Mass and just now thinking of dedicating a weekend to exploring the city. If so, you may want to look into getting a membersthip to the Capron Park Zoo. I think it's about $45 for the year, but it gives you free admission to that zoo as well as Franklin Park Zoo, Stone Zoo, and (best of all) the Museum of Science. Just the admission to the MOS more than covers the cost of the annual membership.

Some of the things we did last summer with DD(5) were:

USS Constitution. We took the MBTA boat over there from Long Wharf, so we got a budget harbor cruise as well as the tour of the Constitution.

Rose Kennedy Greenway. There is a carousel there, as well as a GREAT spray fountain that the kids just love. There isn't a convenient place to change there, so we had DD wear her bathing suit under her clothes, and we planned that as our last activity of the day. This isn't just a kiddie spray park; many much older kids were really enjoying themselves there.

Boston Children's Museum. We go there A LOT, and she looooves it every time. It may be a bit too young for your older kids, though. Someone mentioned the $1 Friday nights. That's the best deal in town! There is a great bakery/cafe down the street called "Flour". Yummmm.

Whale Watch. This was fun. We found that the Sunday morning whale watches were about half the price of other times. Plus, you can park at a meter for free on Sundays, so we try to do most of our activities in the city on Sunday.

Institute of Contemporary Art. They have free family weekends once a month where the WHOLE family gets in free (not just the kids!). They usually have art workshops there during those weekends.

The New England Aquarium. This is a fun way to spend an hour or two, but I think it's quite pricey for what it is. I think it's just fun to visit the sea lion tank at the museum entrance. It's right across from the spray pool at the greenway.

Another thing that we haven't tried is "Boston by Little Feet." It's a walking tour of the city geared specifically to children. That looked like fun to me and is something we may try this summer.

Have fun!

 

[30ishmom]

My kids love taking the ferry out to the Boston Harbor Islands in the summer!
http://www.bostonislands.com/

A budget-friendly idea is to just walk around Quincy Market and watch the outdoor performers and then walk over to the North End for a cannoli at Modern Pastry on Hanover St.

If you like baseball, you could also try to get on a tour of Fenway Park. Not cheap, but it is fun touristy thing we like to do when we have out-of-town visitors. http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp

Have fun!!

 

[jackie101]

Thanks for all the suggestions . We do still live in MA but we are going to make a weekend out of it.