Boston’s Top 10 : Activities for Children

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  1. Boston Duck Tours

    Board
    a refurbished, World War II era, amphibious vehicle that plies the
    Charles River waters as smoothly as it navigates Back Bay streets. This
    historic tour encompasses all the peninsula and is conducted by
    courteous drivers and informative, entertaining guides who are great at
    keeping kids engaged.

    Prudential Center and Museum of Science




    Boston Duck Tours

  2. Children’s Museum

    This
    venerable funhouse pioneered the interactive-exhibit concept now found
    in museums worldwide and is a real blast for kids and parents. It
    includes a climbing wall, a Big Dig-style construction zone, and an 800-gallon (3,000-liter) tank that explains the workings of Boston’s marine environment.




    Children’s Museum

  3. Swan Boats

    If Boston were to have a mascot, it would most likely sport white feathers and a graceful, arching neck. The swan boats have been a Public Garden fixture since the first fleet glided onto the garden’s shimmering pond in 1877.

    • Public Garden

    • 617 522 1966

    • Open mid-Apr–mid-Sep: usually 10am–5pm daily

    • Adm

  4. Museum of Science

    Hands-on
    learning exhibits, like assembling animal skeletons or racing marbles
    on sloping tracks, teach children about the physical world. The Omni
    Theater thrills with its fast-paced IMAX projections, while the
    planetarium places the cosmos within reach.

    • Science Park

    • 617 723 2500

    • Open 9am–5pm Sat–Thu, 9am–9pm Fri (Jul–Sep: 9am–9pm Sat–Thu)

    • Adm


    • www.mos.org

  5. New England Aquarium

    The
    aquarium goes to great lengths to keep kids engaged through a variety
    of interactive displays. Nothing illustrates this better than the Edge
    of the Sea exhibit, where children can touch some of the region’s
    typical tidepool dwellers. 

  6. Fenway Park

    For children with even the slightest interest in sports, a Red Sox game at legendary Fenway Park
    is pure magic. Fans always feel part of the action at the country’s
    most intimate professional baseball park. The peanut, hot dog, and soda
    vendors keep kids’ enjoyment – and blood sugar levels – elevated.

  7. Prudential Skywalk

    Located on the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower,
    this observatory provides a rewarding Boston geography lesson. Should
    the jaw-dropping, 360-degree views not keep the youngsters enthralled,
    the audio/ video tours of Boston’s neighborhoods will. The swift,
    ear-popping elevator ride to the top is also a thrill.

    • 800 Boylston St

    • 617 859 0648

    • Open Mar–Oct: 10am–9:30pm daily; Nov–Feb: 10am–8pm daily

    • Adm

  8. Frog Pond

    The
    Frog Pond makes children feel like protagonists in a quaint picture
    book. As soon as temperatures dip below freezing, kids flock to the pond
    for ice skating and hot chocolate at the adjacent warming hut. Boston’s
    oft-oppressive summer days lure them back for splashing and frivolity
    beneath the central fountain.

    • Boston Common

  9. Street Entertainment

    The
    best part of a visit to Faneuil Hall Marketplace is that you never know
    who – or what – you will see. “Benjamin Franklin” might administer a
    quick colonial history quiz to an unsuspecting child, a juggler might
    ask another to participate in a performance, or a street musician might
    stick the mic in a child’s hand for a singsong. 

  10. Franklin Park Zoo

    Boston’s
    urban zoo houses over 200 species of animals. Its Tropical Forest
    section boasts gorillas, leopards, tropical birds, and many other exotic
    creatures. Butterfly Landing, open during the summer months, positively
    brims with the brilliantly colored insects. The Children’s Zoo allows
    kids to get up close and personal with animals of the decidedly huggable
    variety.

    • 1 Franklin Park Rd, Dorchester

    • 617 541 5466

    • Open 10am–5pm Mon–Fri, 10am– 6pm Sat–Sun

    • (Oct–Mar: 10am–4pm daily)

    • Adm


    • www.zoonewengland.com




    Franklin Park Zoo