Top Picks in Boston for Kids

Kids can have a great time in Boston, especially when it finally gets warm. Even in this history-laden city loaded with sights and activities for adults, there are a myriad of fun activities for kids. On rainy days, there are many museum choices, aside from activities like bowling and indoor amusement arcades. When the weather is nice, take advantage of the many outdoor activities and sightseeing. If you are a parent on a budget, here are a few of the best kept secrets:

• Free or discounted admission is available to many area museums if you time your visit right. For example, on Friday nights from 5 to 9 PM, adults and children can get into The Children’s Museum with discounted admission prices. See the related article for other special museum discounts.

• In addition, free passes to many area museums can be had just for the asking at your local public library. Each library has a few passes that are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

• If you are a member of WGBH, be sure you take advantage of their membership discounts at many attractions in the greater Boston area. The discounts are small, but they add up if you plan to do a lot with the kids this summer, or any time of the year.

Museums

• The Children’s Museum (617-426-8855) offers 4 floors for fun, learning and exploration. Kids can see themselves on TV, make giant bubbles, and watch golf balls go crazy because of a thing called gravity.

• If your kids are fascinated by aquatic animals, take them to the New England Aquarium. With more than 70 exhibits from around the globe, a visit there is fun and educational for the whole family. A "Thinking Gallery" with computer games and videos and a 1000-seat floating amphitheater are major features. The Aquarium also offers whale-watching excursions from April to October.

Outdoors

• Franklin Park Zoo (617-442-2002) is a huge open space offering ample opportunity for picnicking and for young ones to run wild. The Zoo’s 3-acre African Rain Forest, Bird Aviary and Flight Cage, Hooves & Horns, and Children’s Zoo will keep a family busy walking around for hours. Free admission on the first Saturday of the month from 10 AM to noon.

• The famous Swan Boats in the Public Garden in downtown Boston are a perennial hit with kids of all ages. Although a short ride, it’s cheap ($1.75/adult; $.95/child under 12) and mesmerizing. The Swam Boats glide on a lagoon located within an urban oasis that is the 24-acre Public Garden, America’s first public botanical garden. Spend a leisurely hour in the Garden to admire the ever-changing formal flower beds in the summer, delight in the historic statuary and fountains, and climb the charming bridges. Be sure to bring your camera. Then cross over to the Boston Common, America’s oldest public park. The park has a lot to offer, including summer concerts and a state-of-the-art tot lot. It borders on Beacon Street, which offers an opening to the historic neighborhood of Beacon Hill, Tremont Street which is where the downtown shopping district starts, and Boylston Street which leads to pricey shops and exclusive hotels.

• The Public Garden and Boston Common are part of the famed Emerald Necklace, consisting of a series of parks that rings Boston with green space. The Boston Park Rangers (617-635-4505) offer tours throughout the Necklace, giving glimpses of the history, architecture, ecology, and sailing along the Charles River. Some great spots to just hang out and watch the dreamy sailboats float by on the Charles are along Memorial Drive on the Cambridge side of the River. Hint: be on the lookout for free parking spaces near MIT.

From High Up

A great place to start or end a sightseeing excursion of Boston is the John Hancock Observatory, located on the 60th floor of John Hancock Tower, the tallest building in Boston. It offers panoramic views of Boston featuring interactive exhibits and kiosks. The Skywalk Observatory is another great place for viewing the city, except it is on the 50th floor of the Prudential building, which used to be the tallest. These observatories are great places to see the fireworks from a distance on July 4th.

Both of these skyscrapers are located in Copley Square, an historic district that now offers world-class shopping and dining in Copley Place which is connected to Prudential Mall through several tunnels/breezeways. After a tiring day of sightseeing or other fun activities, Copley Square offers a respite in the way of food courts located inside Copley Place and the Prudential Mall. Many fine restaurants and even movie theaters are located within this complex.

by Stella Chin

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