What to See and Do in Boston with Kids

If you are looking for a child-friendly city, Boston is certainly one of them. The capital of Massachusetts, in the United States, offers many places of attractions for families and children. Fun is guaranteed at various points of interest and even museums are often kids-friendly or even designed for the little ones.

We went in search of the most interesting places that answered the question: what to see in Boston with children and what to do.

What to do in Boston with kids: amusement parks

• Kings Bowling Alley

16 state-of-the-art lanes, cool graphics, customization with name for each lane and automatic scoring.

• LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Somerville

Interactive scenes to immerse kids in a world where imagination runs wild; activities, playground and workshops: from the Kingdom Quest race to the recreation of Boston’s most famous buildings. In Somerville, a neighborhood near Cambridge and well connected by the Orange Line subway. Pure fun for everyone. Somerville is one of the best communities for young people, with a healthy quality of life; full of festivals, diverse and historic attractions.

LegoLand Discovery Center at Assembly Row (an entertainment paradise, cinema, shopping, restaurants) is the largest in the world, the sixth to open in the USA. It all started with a competition Lego launched at the Boston Public Library in January 2014 to identify the best Lego builder. Among the hundred participants Ian Coffey qualified first and was immediately hired as Master Model Builder at the Somerville shop. Legoland built an impeccable Boston at the Discovery Center with 3 million Lego bricks. In the MINILAND, visitors discover iconic city attractions, historic buildings treasured by the city: everything comes alive with interactive systems, touch screens and sound effects. You can admire the LEGO population exploring the city! There is the famous Fenway Park baseball stadium; there’s Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market; the Leonard Zakim Bridge with the TD Bank North Garden stadium of the Celtics and Bruins; there’s the Boston Waterfront.

Legoland also offers other attractions ideal for families with children from 3 to 10 years: 2 LEGO rides, 4D cinema, a large play area, a Model Builder Academy to learn from experts every tip to build buildings with LEGO. Open every day from 10 in the morning. Visiting Legoland requires at least 2/3 hours, but adults must be accompanied by at least one child!

• SKYWALK OBSERVATORY

On the Prudential skyscraper, the Skywalk dominates the spectacular 360° city view. With Antenna Audio Tour, you sharpen your hearing to listen to descriptive explanations of some historical and cultural aspects of the city.
Update from 2023: Skywalk Observatory no longer exists. In its place, View Boston.

• 5 WIITS, Foxboro

This attraction is adventure: sounds and action with lots of fun. Live-action for kids and adults in a realistic and challenging adventure, against giant octopuses or to save the world.

• Rock Spot Climbing

Climbing is the perfect activity for energetic kids of all ages. Guaranteed fun on climbing walls.

What to see in Boston with children: the museums

It makes technology, science, and engineering interesting subjects capable of capturing the attention of children and teenagers; also available is a Planetarium or films on the big screen of the Mugar Omni Theater. Interesting is the exhibit Science Behind Pixar, a first look at Pixar’s process on the science and technology that supports one of the most beloved animated films and characters in the world. The interactive exhibit presents concepts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) used by artists and computer scientists who help bring to the big screen Pixar’s award-winning films. A face-to-face experience with the creations of Pixar’s favorite characters Buzz Lightyear, Dory, Mike and Sulley, Edna Mode, and WALL•E! The exhibit was created through a collaboration between the Museum of Science, Boston and Pixar Animation Studios.

More than 15,000 fish and marine mammals. A gigantic tank with 700,000 liters of water with corals, nurse sharks, and other creatures. A tank with rays and sharks, a sea lion show, an IMAX theater with 3D films. Also, the program “Trainer-for-an-afternoon“: which includes meeting Myrtle the sea turtle, Reggae the seal, Guthrie and Ballou, the sea lions. An experience for visitors of all ages, starting from 6 years old. A trainer guides small groups explaining tricks and curiosities, but the interaction with the animals is certainly the most exciting part.

Interactive exhibits, through which children can visit a Japanese house, act in a theater, or try to build a building. A milk bottle (Hood’s Milk Bottle) 12 meters tall recalls the typically Anglo-Saxon tradition of fresh milk every morning in front of the house door. It stands curiously majestic next to the Boston Children’s Museum and is a fully wooden structure made by Hood Dairy in 1930. Currently, it houses an ice cream kiosk and a snack bar open during the summer. Outdoor tables and chairs are available for customers to relax. A curiosity: filling the bottle would require as much as 189,500 liters of milk. 

• Larz Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline

Near Boston, 25 hectares of Larz Anderson Park, the museum offers individual tours for permanent exhibits and fun with 27 outdoor events on the lawns, exploring the park and having a nice picnic. Treasure hunts for children. In winter you can ice skate or sled.

• Boston National Historical Park

The history of events and the Navy that led to the American Revolution. Historic sites with a 60-minute walking tour, guided by a Ranger, every day from Charlestown Navy Yard, Bunker Hill Monument, the downtown visitor center, and Faneuil Hall. You take the Junior Ranger booklet for children and once completed, you receive the Master Junior Ranger diploma!

Tickets for all family attractions in Boston can also be purchased online.

What to do in Boston with kids: city tour

Let’s start with the city’s entertainment spots. There are several points of interest and things to do with kids in Boston. Here are some.

• Public Gardens

Pose with the statue of Mrs. Mallard and her 8 ducklings, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. Take a Swan Boat ride on the pond; then buy Robert McCloskey’s book “Make Way for Ducklings,” to read to children before bedtime!

• Boston Duck Tour

City tour with the Duck, an amphibious vehicle between land and water. The “ConDUCKtors” let children drive the vehicle on the river. The Duck is an amphibious vehicle that takes passengers on a tour with a total ride of 60 minutes on land and 20 minutes on water. It’s a great way to get a first look at Boston and kids particularly love it. You can board at three points: Museum of Science (1 Science Park, Boston, MA); Prudential Center (53 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA); New England Aquarium (Central Wharf, Boston, MA). Tip: arrive early at the departure point to spend some time before boarding.

• Codzilla

Adrenaline, laughter, and speed, zig-zagging in the ocean at over 60 km/h. Don’t be scared: it’s exhilarating, kissed by breezes and music, by the waves crashing during the sensational and fun 40-minute ride.

• Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Food court with over 50 gastronomic stalls, from pizza to clam chowder, from hot dogs to lobster rolls. Sit at the indoor long tables or outside, on a bench. In the warm months, the square is full of street artists, magicians, jugglers, and clowns.

What to do in Boston with kids: the parks

• Boston Public Garden

Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings . In 1987 the Boston Public Garden commissioned the sculptor Nancy Schon to create the work “Mallard, and her eight ducklings”. The sculpture depicts a duck and her eight ducklings – Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack Ouack, Pack and Quack – and recalls a real Boston story celebrated every year in the festive and colorful event Make Way for Ducklings. Once upon a time, one might say, there was a family of ducks living on an island in the middle of the Charles River. One fine day, 8 lovely ducklings were born and Mr. and Mrs. Mallard decided to find a better place to raise their young. So, with the help of some police officers who stopped traffic to let them pass, the Mallard family crossed Charles Street and reached their new home in the Public Garden. Schon’s sculpture is one of the favorite spots for children in Boston, who are often found climbing, or rather clinging, to the friendly ducks.

• Whale Watching from the pier on the Waterfront

4 hours of trip to admire the largest whales in the world. Unmissable!

• Captain Bille and Sons Whale Watch

In the region north of Boston, North of Boston, unmissable is the sea adventure aboard the ships of Captain Bille and Sons Whale Watch: 3 hours of pure adventure to admire the whales.

• Boston Harbor Islands National Park

Excursion to over thirty islands in the city bay, a green lung with relics of colonial history and the oldest lighthouse in America. Six islands can be visited with seasonal ferry service from Long Wharf North, the city pier: the largest outdoor recreational space in eastern Massachusetts with various programs for children. Every day, from late June to early September.

Tickets for all Boston attractions for families can also be purchased online.