Family Vacation: 4 Kids-Friendly Sights in Boston
Boston is one of the most interesting cities on the northeast coast of the United States. Since this is one of the oldest cities in America, it doesn’t look like other cities. Boston is a very cozy, calm, as well as nice place to walk on foot or explore by car. There is a huge variety of rental cars at Boston airport. You can find the best car rental rates in Boston to get to a pedestrian zone in the Quincy Market area, to enjoy a beautiful park and a long wooden promenade.
In addition, the presence of a large number of educational institutions and the most famous of them – Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – contribute to the wonderful atmosphere of this city.
Of course, all these features make Boston an attractive place to relax with the whole family. Here are some suitable attractions to visit…
Museum of Science
Museum of Science in Boston features about 700 interactive exhibits devoted to various sciences. In Mathematics, these are stands that clearly demonstrate mathematical laws, examples from mathematics that we can see in nature – for example, Fibonacci numbers in sunflower seeds.
Want to see a tornado or lightning, and check on yourself the effect of optical illusions – welcome to the numerous demonstrations that are held in the museum. A huge part of the exhibition is devoted to wildlife and human. How life originates, what systems the human body consists of, how it all interacts – this exhibition will give answers to all questions.
If considering that so many exhibits make you explore, perform some actions, observe, experiment, – children in this museum won’t get bored at all! The museum also has an IMAX room with a huge dome-shaped screen.
How to get there: the museum is located near the Science Park metro station, there is a paid hourly parking.
Opening hours: Saturday-Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-9pm; in the summer from Saturday-Thursday 9am-7pm.
Ticket price: up to 3 years old – free of charge, 3-11 years old – $19, adults (12 and older) – $22.
Public Garden and Boston Common Park
These two parks are adjacent to each other and are separated by the road. Boston Common Park is the oldest park in the United States, and Public Garden is America’s first public botanical garden. Public Garden in Boston is very pleasant to walk around – you can feed the squirrels, take a ride on the famous swan boat or go to a large children’s playground with water activities. In winter, there’s a skating rink in the park.
How to get there: you can walk from Arlington station. Both parks are located between Arlington Street and Park Street and are separated by Charles Street.
Opening hours: the park and the garden are open all year round; the swan boats operate from mid-April till mid-September; in the summer 10am-5pm, the rest of the time 10am-4pm.
Ticket price: entrance to the park and garden is free of charge; boats – adults (from 16 years old) – $2.75, children – $1.50.
New England Aquarium
The Aquarium is home for more than 600 species of marine inhabitants. This is not only fish, but penguins, seals, sea lions, sea turtles, green anaconda, and much more sea creatures!
You can walk among the jungles of the Amazon, then you will find yourself near the shores of Antarctica, and then off the coast of Australia, where you will try to find sea dragons among the algae.
By the way, there are only two species of sea dragons in nature, and both can be found in the New England Aquarium.
Children will have the opportunity to watch stingrays, small sharks and even touch them! After passing four tiers around the huge aquarium, you’ll be able to consider the underwater life of coral reefs with their numerous small and large inhabitants.
How to get there: the aquarium is located on the waterfront, not far from the Quincy Market. You can take the subway to the Aquarium station or reach it by car.
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday, and holidays 9am-6pm; December 24-26 and January 1 is closed.
Ticket price: for adults (from 12 years old) – $22.95, for children (from 3 to 11 years old) – $15.95, up to 3 years – free of charge.
Boston Harbor Cruises
Right next to the New England Aquarium there’s the marina, where interesting activities are available. The entertainments are offered for any taste: families with kids can have unhurried boat trips to historic sites and attractions of Boston, while the fans of extreme sports can enjoy a crazy attraction Codzilla. Also, those who like marine nature can go on a three-hour whale-watching tour.
By the way, the best time of year to try it is from April till October. If you’re going to Cape Cod – the ships run between Boston and Provincetown. Perhaps during the peak season, this will be the most comfortable and easy way to get to Cape Cod. Only an hour and a half – and you are in Provincetown, with no traffic jams and no parking searches.
How to get there: the embankment is a block from Quincy Market, Aquarium metro station.
Opening hours: Codzilla – from May till October – daily at 12pm, 2pm and 2pm; July-August – from 10am almost every hour until 6pm; sightseeing cruises – usually daily in summer; whale watching – in spring and autumn – every day, once a day in the morning; in the summer – two or three times a day.
Ticket price: Codzilla – $27 adults (from 13 years old), $23 children; boat trips – an average of $24 for adults, $20 for children; whale watching – $39.95 adults (from 13 years old), $31.95 children, $125 family ticket (2 adults and 2 children).