29 Things to Do in Boston with Kids

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 29 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 and a giant Pacific octopus to 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. This tech-infused mini golf experience skips the paper, pens, and the outdoors, making it the perfect stop on 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 9:00 pm, it is 21+ on Fridays and Saturdays.

Boston Museum of Science

Immerse the family in the latest in science and technology at the Museum of Science. With exhibits like Colossal Fossil: Triceratops Cliff, Exploring AI: Making the Invisible Visible, and the Hall of Human Life, you might just leave feeling like the smartest person in the city after this stop. 

Have some free time away from the kids? Check out the Museum’s calendar of adult-focused events.

F1® Arcade Boston​

Assemble your pit crew and trade in the minivan for the racetrack at F1® Arcade Boston. Featuring 69 race simulators and five skill levels from rookie to elite, F1® Arcade brings the excitement, glamour, and thrills of Formula 1® to Boston's Seaport. Just maybe consider hiding the car keys for a little bit after you leave.

What to know before you visit: Visitors must be 7 years old to race, and after 9:00 pm is 21+.

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 toward an uprising before you storm 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, an outdoor skating rink in the winter, and Downtown Movie Nights, no visit to Boston with the family is complete without a stop at the Common. 

Museum of Ice Cream

Treat the kids (and yourself) to a sprinkle-filled adventure at the Museum of Ice Cream. Serving up tons of immersive exhibits like the sprinkle pool, Funway Park, and the Hall of Freezers, this is sure to be the sweetest stop on your Boston itinerary. And the cherry on top: UNLIMITED ICE CREAM! So... who’s ready to rediscover their inner child?

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, including the famous “Glass Flowers” and the “Roomer Hall of Vertebrate Paleontology,” the museum offers an unparalleled glimpse 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 on-site 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!

Museum of Illusions Boston

Challenge your senses with the mind-boggling exhibits at the Museum of Illusions. Enter perspective-changing rooms, interact with intriguing installations, and experience optical illusions that let you hang out with your doppelgangers, swap noses with friends, and even serve up your own head on a platter!

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 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.

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum

Start your engines at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Located just 10 minutes from downtown Boston and home to America’s oldest car collection, including an electric car made in 1908, this pit stop thrills car lovers of all ages. Visiting on a Sunday between May and October?  Make sure to catch one of the museum’s weekly car shows. 

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!"