Boston Budget Winter Activities?

[MKCP5]

Anyone from the Boston area have any great ideas? We live around here but I am sooooooooooo tired of the same stuff. Fanueil Hall, Museum of Science, Aquarium, etc etc etc. All good stuff, but w 2 teens we have "been there, done that" ALOT! The weather isn't looking great, so inside is probably going to rule the day. What am I missing out on in our great city that won't break the bank? Heading in on Friday and lookin' for ideas : )

 

[stefplus3]

We're just outside the city and with 3 kids ages 15, 11 and 5 I feel your pain!! Especially now that 2 are older and not at all interested in what the little one wants to do.

What about those indoor water parks? I think there is one in Dedham maybe. IMAX movie at the Aquarium. The new planetarium just opened at the Science Museum, that might be fun. Day pass to a hotel for the pool.

Oh....I just remember about this place!!! It looks awsome!!! It's an indoor trampoline park!!

http://boston.skyzonesports.com/

 

[3kidsfordis]

Are you driving in? Are you familiar with the sections of Boston and surrounding areas? One place we are trying this week is in the Hyde Park Neighborhood- Dedham line. It's an indoor trampoline park. My oldest thought it would be lame but when he saw it and the large group of teenagers there, he was impressed. Unfortunately we did not know that you needed to make reservations at least the day before so we just got to watch. It's called SkyZone. In the same industrial park there is a place called Rock Spot that has rock climbing walls. I haven't checked it out yet. but it might be fun to do both the same day. Definitely not budget though.

If you go to Patriots Place in Foxboro there is an interactive show/theater adventure type thing called 3 Wits. My son did it at a birthday party and really liked it. They had one in the Fenway area. Not sure if that site is gone now that they are at Patriots Place.

What about checking BOSTIX for half price day of show tickets. Have you checked out the Skywalk at the Prudential Building or the JFK library/museum in Dorchester. Kings bowling is a fun eating/bowling place. We went to the one at Legacy Place in Dedham. There is another in town near the Prudential. Good luck-I don't think any of these places are budget!!!

 

[tapplebapple]

What about skating on Frog Pond? Then finish that off with a nice cup of hot chocolate. That is one of our favorite special Boston activities.

Also, I will mention that I went to the new Planetarium the first day it opened 2 weeks ago at the Museum of Science and it was AWESOME. Such an upgrade and amazing experience.

 

[csharpwv]

Boston is a COLLEGE TOWN!!!!

Look at the websites of all of the different colleges that are in Boston and see what is going on around campus! From Theater, to lectures, to music, and other types of fun and free or very low cost activities.

So often, people don't take advantage of all of the stuff that happens on a college campus that is free and totally open to the public!

It's also a great way to show your kids the college campuses that are right in their back yard!

 

[MKCP5]

We're just outside the city and with 3 kids ages 15, 11 and 5 I feel your pain!! Especially now that 2 are older and not at all interested in what the little one wants to do.

What about those indoor water parks? I think there is one in Dedham maybe. IMAX movie at the Aquarium. The new planetarium just opened at the Science Museum, that might be fun. Day pass to a hotel for the pool.

Oh....I just remember about this place!!! It looks awsome!!! It's an indoor trampoline park!!

http://boston.skyzonesports.com/

I like sky zone--looks cool! Not expensive either : ) Keep up the suggestions!

 

[HeatherC]

5WITS Boston?

 

[MKCP5]

What about skating on Frog Pond? Then finish that off with a nice cup of hot chocolate. That is one of our favorite special Boston activities.

Also, I will mention that I went to the new Planetarium the first day it opened 2 weeks ago at the Museum of Science and it was AWESOME. Such an upgrade and amazing experience.

Frog pond was high on our list but it's supposed to be rainy all day on Friday : (

 

[3kidsfordis]

Hi OP! Just wondering what you decided on. It rained like crazy today. Two of my kids went to Skyzone for a birthday party. Were you there?

 

[tigger51276]

I live north of Boston and if you don't mind traveling past Boston, there is indeed an indoor water park up this way in Danvers, MA. It's called Coco Key Water Park. My kids LOVE it there. In fact we have annual passes. It isn't super cheap though to go for just a day, weeknights are $24 and weekends are $32 or something like that. There are water slides, pools, a lazy river, and more. Also for something outside, on the Mass/NH border in Amesbury they have the Amesbury Sports Park where you can go tubing. They have a lift to bring you to the top of the mountain and then you zip on down. You pay for a certain number of hours and it's a blast. There are also a bunch of things in Salem MA to see. They have the Witch Museum, Wax Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, Pirate Museum and other stuff as well. This is something you could actually take the commuter train to out of North Station.

 

[clori]

My kids are younger (6 and 10). I live just outside of Boston. We tend to do the Museum of Science since we have a membership there. I told them we went often enough that we were going to skip it over Feb vacation. We went to the new Art of the Americas at the MFA which both kids enjoyed. I believe kids from 4-17 are free. Mine enjoyed the audio guide.

For skating rinks besides the frogpond both Fanieul Hall and the Prudential have rinks this year though I've only gone to the Frog Pond. Last summer we spent over 3 hours at the Skywalk listening to the entire audio tour. Have you done the smaller places like Old South Meeting House, Old State House etc. My kids love the USS Constitution Museum which is pay what you wish but I'm guessing teens may feel it is too childish.

I think 5WITS moved to Patriots Place.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

FYI if you want to do the MoS planetarium, go early (or maybe you can get tix online?) We were there last Saturday {with half of the Maine and Massachusetts kids on vacation at 930. All but the last (6pm?) planetarium shows were sold out.

If your kids haven't seen it, Tron is playing at the IMAX at the aquarium (later show, I think it was 7pm)

 

[MKCP5]

We ended up doing exactly what I didn't want and COMPLETELY blowing the budget in a desperate attempt to get the He** out of the house for a while!!! LOL Aquarium, dim sum, Imax Too many $$, pretty average day, but it's okay. The sun will be here soon.


I really would love to do the city scavenger hunt It looks fun!