We know you have one goal when traveling with kids – keep them occupied! Luckily, Boston is full of fun for the entire family that will prevent you from hearing those dreaded words “I’m Bored.” From throwing tea into the Boston Harbor to experiencing the energy of a crowd at Fenway Park (Have to start them young, right?), here’s our list of 25 family friendly activities to consider adding to your Boston itinerary.
New England Aquarium
Dive deeper at the New England Aquarium, where you'll discover thousands of aquatic animals from sharks, a giant Pacific octopus, Myrtle, the green sea turtle, and our favorite, the African penguins. Plus, you can even make art with Atlantic Harbor Seals! Even Picasso would give that the SEAL of approval.
Puttshack
Putt your way into a summer itinerary staple no matter the season at Puttshack. Offering a tech-infused mini golf experience that skips the paper, pens, and the outdoors, this is the perfect stop on those cold winter afternoons or rainy spring days. And don't worry, we won't judge you if you get a little competitive!
What to know before you visit: After 7:00 pm is 21+
Boston Museum of Science
Immerse the family in the latest in science and technology at the Museum of Science. Featuring permanent exhibits like To the Moon, Exploring AI: Making the Invisible Visible, and the Hall of Human Life, you might be the smartest person in the city after this stop. Well, at least you’ll feel like you are!
Have some free time away from the kids? Check out the Museum’s calendar of adult-focused events.
Boston Children’s Museum
Discover the power of play at the Boston Children's Museum. With three floors of exhibits created to encourage hands-on play, the museum is the perfect place to keep young kids busy for hours. Take it from us, you'll want to play too!
After your visit, check out Martin's Park & Playground just outside the museum.
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Channel your inner revolutionary at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum as you participate in the “Destruction of the Tea!” Start your journey in the replica Meeting House where Samuel Adams will guide you towards uprising before storming the 18th-century sailing vessels Brig Beaver and Eleanor to join in the “single most important event leading up to the American Revolution.”
Frog Pond
Experience four season fun in the heart of the Boston Common at the Frog Pond. Home to the summer spray pool, the Frog Pond Carousel, winter outdoor skating rink, Downtown Movie Nights and more, no visit to Boston with the family is complete without a stop at the Common.
The Freedom Trail
Earn your “Liberty” Junior Park Ranger badge offered by the National Park Service as you stroll the Freedom Trail. Featuring special activities at the Old State House, Old South Meeting House, Paul Revere House, Old North Church and USS Constitution Museum, this is the perfect way to immerse the kids in Boston’s revolutionary spirit.
Duck Tours
Take the best introDUCKtion to Boston with a Duck Tour, as you cruise by the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you’ll end with a big splash as your ConDUCKtor drives the DUCK straight into the Charles River. We bet this stop will leave you quaking!
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Get admitted to Harvard. Well, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, that is. Featuring 18 exhibits like the famous “Glass Flowers” and the “Roomer Hall of Vertebrate Paleontology,” the museum provides an unmatched look into the natural world.
LEGO® Discovery Center Boston
Let your imagination run wild at Lego® Discovery Center Boston. Featuring eight interactive exhibits with over two million bricks, a workshop led by master builders and even a 4D cinema, the possibilities for what you and your family can create are endless!
Swan Boats
Experience true nostalgia with a Swan Boat ride in the Public Garden. Virtually unchanged since opening in 1877, the Swan Boats are as uniquely Boston as Fenway Park, Boston Baked Beans, and the Boston Marathon. Plus, they provide some of the best views of the Public Garden!
Lawn on D
Challenge your kids to a game of giant Jenga, bocce, ping pong or pickleball at the Lawn on D. Open during Boston’s warmer months, the Lawn on D provides free access to its swings, lawn games and live entertainment, making it one of the top free things to do in Boston. Don’t forget to grab a drink from the onsite concessions while the kids play!
USS Constitution Museum
Enlist as a sailor on “Old Ironsides” at the USS Constitution Museum. Conveniently located on the Freedom Trail in the Charleston Navy Yard, the Museum offers interactive exhibits, hands-on activities and historic artifacts that entertain your kids for hours. Make sure to plan your visit around the Cannon firing at 8:00 am and sunset.
Kings Dining and Entertainment
Have a blast with the whole family at Kings Dining and Entertainment, a modern bowling alley with an upscale twist. With locations in Back Bay and Seaport offering 10-pin bowling, billiards, shuffleboard, a variety of arcade games and delicious food and drinks, there's something for everyone. And, in case you forgot, we won't judge you if you get a little competitive here!
Museum of Fine Arts
Explore the world of art at the Museum of Fine Arts. Home to over 450,000 works of art, including more Monets than any museum outside of Paris, an unrivaled Japanese art collection, treasures from Egypt and the ancient world and American art from colonial to modern times, this is a must-stop for any family with a young artist!
Zoo New England
Get up close and personal with over 160 species at the Franklin Park Zoo and the Stone Zoo. From African lions to western lowland gorillas, sloths, kangaroos, reindeer, and markhors, there's an animal for every animal lover. Can’t wait to visit? You can even livestream some of the animals from your home!
The Mapparium
View the world like never before at The Mapparium in The First Church of Christ, Scientist. The Mapparium, a three-story stained-glass globe bisected in the middle by a glass walkway, offers an undistorted 360-degree view of the world as it was in 1935.
What to know before you visit: The curved glass walls of the Mapparium do not absorb sound waves, so if you whisper at one end of the bridge, your kids will hear it on the opposite end loud and clear. Make sure to try it out!
Emerald Necklace
Escape to the great outdoors without leaving the city. Stretching over 1,100 acres from Back Bay to Brookline, the Emerald Necklace offers everything from hiking and biking trails to playgrounds and ball fields, so there's plenty of room to let the kids run and play. Don't miss the stunning views at Jamaica Pond and Arnold Arboretum.
Catch a Game
Experience the energy of a Boston sports team home game. No matter when you visit, the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, Patriots, or Revolution will be firing up crowds throughout the city.
Whale Watching
Set sail on a whale-watching adventure with Boston Harbor City Cruises. Departing from 1 Long Wharf, just steps from the New England Aquarium, this is your chance to get up close and personal with large whales, including humpbacks, finbacks, minkes and the critically endangered right whales. They even guarantee you’ll see a whale on your trip!
Fort Independence
Travel back in time by visiting Fort Independence on Castle Island. Built between 1834 and 1851 to defend Boston Harbor, the fort is now a top destination for families looking to explore Boston’s history. Plus, it has some of the most stunning views of the harbor and city skyline.
Institute of Contemporary Art
Explore the latest in art at The Institute of Contemporary Art and experience hands-on art-making at the museum's Art Lab or monthly Play Date, happening the last Saturday of each month.
Charles river Esplanade
Take a stroll or bike ride along the Charles River Esplanade, a 3-mile stretch of parkland that runs along the Boston side of the river. With beautiful views of the water, playgrounds, and a variety of events and activities, the Esplanade is the perfect place for a family outing.
The Black Heritage Trail
Stroll through Beacon Hill and uncover the story of the Boston’s largest community of pre-civil war African Americans on The Black Heritage Trail. Highlighting stops like the 54th Regiment Memorial, the Abiel Smith School and the African Meeting House, The Black Heritage Trail shares the story of struggle, persistence and hope as Black Bostonians organized toward the equality and freedom promised in America’s documents of national liberty.
View Boston
Let the kids curate their own Boston itinerary at View Boston. Featuring a 360-degree observation deck on the Prudential Tower's 52nd floor and an interactive neighborhood discovery tool, all the kids have to say is, "I want to go there!"
Family Friendly Events
4-D Films at Museum of Science
In our 4-D Theater, what’s on the screen is only half the fun. With effects you can feel (and even smell!) this is one giant leap…
Beacon Hill Guided Walking Tour
Explore the connection between architecture and politics in this tour along the charming streets of Beacon Hill's South Slope…
Boston Harbor City Cruises: Whale Watch
Set sail with us for the whale watch experience of a lifetime. Our destination: Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, a rich feeding…
Boston Race Amity Music Festival
Ben & Jerry’s Boston x National Center for Race Amity Offer Free Ice Cream, Music and Art at Third Annual Festival Featuring…
Dark Side of Boston Guided Walking Tour
Hear tales of misery, misfortune and murder - all based on true historic events! On this tour through the North End’s winding…
Family Music and Arts Festival
Join Inét Entertainment and House of Inspiration on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Almont Park in Mattapan for a day of FREE…
Ghosts and Gravestones Tour
Recurring daily. What do you get when you combine a cursed privateer, a pyromaniac circus ringleader, a demon spat out of the pits…
Greenway Carousel
We look forward to welcoming you at the Greenway Carousel at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove on The Greenway. Take a spin…
Heart of the Freedom Trail Guided Walking Tour
This 1 hour tour is the perfect introduction to Boston’s Revolutionary history! Visit some of the key sites along the world-famous…
House of Sport FUN-damentals
Join us at DICK'S House of Sport Boston on Saturday, July 27 for House of Sport FUN-damentals. Learn the basics of our sporting…
Hub of Literary America Guided Walking Tour
Journey to Victorian Boston and see where writers and poets including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott and Henry David…
Kidz Bop Live 2024
Don't miss Kidz Bop Live 2024 at Leader Bank Pavilion on July 27!
LEGO® Dreamzzz: Agents Wanted Event
Meet Mateo and Z-Blob from LEGO Dreamzzz and defend the dream world in the limited time event happening June 15th - July 31st…
Lexington Visitor Center: Walking Tours
Let our costumed guides transport you back in time to 1775 as they share the events that occurred on this hallowed ground over 240…
Mural Ride in East Somerville
Let's celebrate our colorful city with a leisurely ride around town! Join us for our fourth annual tour of the street art of East…
North End By Little Feet: Kids and Family Walking Tour
This child’s-eye view of the Freedom Trail in the North End, Boston’s oldest neighborhood, is specially designed for young walkers…
North End: Boston's Immigration Gateway Guided Walking Tour
Explore Boston’s oldest neighborhood, the North End, with our knowledgeable guide. Discover the charm of this unique, compact city…
OVO
An exciting Cirque du Soleil experience, OVO is a colorful intrusion into a new day in the life of insects; a non-stop riot of…
Perspective Play
Boston Children’s Museum recently opened Perspective Play, a collection of photographs taken while looking down from above…
Prince’s Pew Pursuit at Old North Church
In this new activity designed especially for families, visitors explore Old North through a scavenger hunt narrated by Prince, the…
Raptor Ridge at Franklin Park Zoo
Visitors to Franklin Park Zoo can now immerse themselves in a newly renovated outdoor habitat home to Andean condors. The condor…
Road to Revolution Guided Walking Tour
Explore the makings of a revolution! From the Boston Massacre to Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the birth of the American Revolution…
Swan Boats in the Public Garden
Embark on a uniquely Boston experience with a Swan Boat ride in the Public Garden. Nestled in the heart of the city, the Swan…
VR Experience at Key to Amaze
Don't miss the best fun around right under your feet! Fly, be an archer, captain a pirate ship, fight zombies, draw, play laser…
You, Me, We! at Boston Children's Museum
This engaging exhibition space encourages families to connect with each other around questions of fairness in the world, and…
One World 2024 at The Mary Baker Eddy Library
Explore the world this summer! “Visit” four countries this summer…without leaving Boston! The Mary Baker Eddy Library is hosting…
Bubbles & Books Storytime on the Seaside Lawn at Hammond Castle Museum
Join us every Wednesday morning in July & August for Bubbles and Books on our seaside lawn. Fairytales do come true at Castles…
The Coolidge at The Greenway
Experience cinema classics under the stars! The Coolidge is thrilled to be partnering again with the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy…
110th Annual St. Agrippina's Feast
Kick-off feast season in the North End with the return of St. Agrippina's 110th Annual Feast from August 1 to 4, 2024. Gather your…
Boston Landing Outdoor Movie Nights
Join us at Athlete's Park for our outdoor movie nights on select Thursdays this summer! Stroll through our Makers Market and enjoy…
Dog Days of Summer Yappy Hour at The Charles Hotel!
The Charles Hotel Presents: Dog Days of Summer Yappy Hour! Starting at 5:30 PM on most Thursdays throughout the summer, dog…
Movie Nights at The Lot
Join us for Movie Nights on The LOT! Admission is free, but drinks and snacks are available for purchase. Come early to enjoy…
Music and Movement
Join the Esplanade Association and Boston Music Project at the Playspace Playground on the Esplanade for family friendly music and…
Revere Beach Theatre Thursdays
Sink your toes in the sand while enjoying a film at Revere Beach Theatre Thursdays this season! Enjoy free entertainment from 6 to…
Movie Nights at MIT
Join us for a movie night under the stars. Free popcorn will be provided, while supplies last! SCHEDULE: June 28 at 7:00 pm…
DCR Hatch Shell Concerts
Enjoy free summer concerts at the Hatch Shell Memorial! Wednesday, June 5, 2024 | 6pm-8pm: Keep Ryzin Entertainment Presents the…
Landmarks Orchestra: Brahms & Dvořák
Enjoy a free Landmarks Orchestra concert on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at the Hatch Memorial Shell! The orchestra “sings” in two…
Parks Movie Nights
In parks citywide, Bostonians can enjoy recent films under the night skies with this popular series. The Park's Movie Nights are…
Summer Flicks at Patriot Place
Patriot Place invites you to Summer Flicks – a free outdoor movie series. Located outside Renaissance Boston Patriot Place…
The Coolidge at The Speedway
The Coolidge is excited to present a program of free, outdoor screenings hosted at the Charles River Speedway this summer! All…
50 Fun Things to Do in Boston
There are endless ways to explore the city. Here are 50 of the best things to do to get you started.
Museums & Attractions
Home to world-renowned museums, storied sports stadiums, star-studded concert venues, and distinguished performance theaters, you'll find what you're looking for in Boston.