Visiting Boston Advice

Freedom Trail!! Diane B. has tons of good ideas! I'd follow what she said. I went on vacation this summer and followed the itinerary of someone who lived there who answered my question about vacation advice on this site. It was PERFECT. Can't go wrong when a local writes the script! Have fun!!

Tons of stuff to do. I've lived here for years so message me if you have additional questions.

The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) will be heading in for dry dock soon but it's still open just a few days a week (Thurs-Sun). It's in Charlestown which is across the river from Boston. You can do the Bunker Hill monument while you are there.

The Freedom Trail in Boston is a link to many historic sites. It's quite literally a painted stripe down sidewalks & across streets. You can get a guide on line and then walk any or all of it. Paul Revere's house is on the route, as is Fanueil Hall which has a museum in it. There's a colonial burial ground, a couple of churches, and more. You can start in the middle of it if you want to - you don't have to do the whole length, and you don't have to stop in every location. Next to Fanueil Hall is a refurbished warehouse area called Quincy Market - there are 3 sections with a lot of shops and little kiosks but the center section has a pretty neat food court (real food, not just like the stuff in every American mall). Everyone can get what they want and then eat in the open area. There are also restaurants for sit-down table service. Nearby is the Union Oyster House which is a colonial-times restaurant - uneven floors and all! Seafood and clam chowder are outstanding here and in most other Boston restaurants.

When you get to Paul Revere's house, you're close to some terrific restaurants in the historic North End, which is the old Italian section of the city.

The Tea Party site is, obviously, on the waterfront and the Children's Museum is nearby. You don't say how old your kids are, but that's a good and interactive museum.

The Museum of Science is outstanding. So is the New England Aquarium. But both take good chunks of time. If you have a museum membership where you are, there may be reciprocal admission to other museums. The Art Museum is fabulous but, again, it's a half day's commitment easily. I would check each one on line to see if the exhibits (permanent and visiting) of all of these line up with your home school curriculum. The MOS also has an IMAX theater with fabulous films if those are relevant to you. The intro is narrated by Boston native Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock).

Do not try to drive through the city. Use mass transit, called the MBTA or "the T" - the lines are color-coded (orange, green, blue, red) and easy to navigate, with lots of places where they cross and you can switch lines. Most of the major attractions are on these lines. Or you can take cabs or use Uber.

Remember that winter in Boston is iffy. Some sections are really old so the cobblestones and winding streets can make plowing difficult and walking challenging. It's on the water, which sometimes means temps are a little milder than inland, but it also means there's plenty of wind and sometimes fog. So consider the weather when you look at walking tours, waterfront activities, or even going up in the Prudential Tower for a scenic view of the whole city. If you get a mild day, you can cross the Boston Common and the Public Garden, although obviously not much is growing now! If your kids are young and/or fans of "Make Way for Ducklings", re-read the story and then visit the site where the story took place - and there are statues of Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings. Kids climb on them and it's a fun place to take pictures. There are tourist trolleys that go through some of the streets with a narrator, and they do have covered sides if the weather is cold but not miserably rainy.

The John F. Kennedy Museum is south of Boston but accessible by mass transit. It's an outstanding place to visit to discuss not only his presidency but the cold war, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Nixon/Kennedy debate (first televised presidential debate and still heralded as a real debate vs. a bunch of sound bites with 10 candidates up there!).

Cambridge is across the river as well, and there is a Museum of Natural History near Harvard that's small and doable in a few hours - great geology exhibit (geodes, crystals), fossils, and a whole wildlife exhibit with neat specimens. There are some cute restaurants and some funky neighbors & shops in some of the squares.

If you venture north to Salem, it's a very pretty town and tourist-friendly. You can learn about the witch trials and visit the Peabody Essex Museum which is fantastic. This is a bit of a hike so you might want to stay in the city itself if you only have a few days to try to cover a lot of history!

Otherwise there are tons of ethnic neighborhoods and restaurants, and overall Boston is a very small city in terms of square mileage. Choose well, get a really good map (don't just rely on GPS), and work your way around in a reasonable fashion.

Wild Woman mentioned "Cheers" - we used to go there for years before the TV show, and it doesn't look exactly like the bar did in the show, but it's fun. It's also crowded. It's at the edge of the Public Garden.

Newbury Street is eclectic shops and some expensive shopping but it's cute. It has a lot of little restaurants.

Not sure where you are staying, but it's cheaper outside of the city but then you have to deal with a car and parking fees which can range from manageable to exorbitant.

As you start to narrow down your choices, feel free to message me for clarification or more info. Obviously I haven't listed everything here, so if you have other preferences, that doesn't mean they are bad ideas!!!

L.,

Boston is an AWESOME city for history!!!

The U.S.S. Constitution - Old Iron Sides!!!

Boston Harbor

Bunker Hill

Fanueil Hall

We spent 4 days there before we got married. Went to Salem as well..

Don't forget CHEERS!!!!

We were there for our 20th anniversary last March and had a great time! We loved the art museum, and also loved the walking tour (Freedom Trail). It hits tons of historical highlights (Paul Revere's home is on the tour). We went to Salem, too and saw Hawthorne's house. I teach English so I loved all of the literature sights. Salem was beautiful! We were there the wrong time of year to see much Witch Trial stuff. We had a car and drove to Maine to visit friends. It's a gorgeous drive!

Have a wonderful trip!

*We also ate in Little Italy and Chinatown, and had a nice meal at The Top of the Hub where we could see for miles. We toured Finway Park, too, but it was cold!!

Absolutely -- what everyone else said! The "hop on, hop off" tour company I've used is Olde Town Trolley. Very informative!

If you have a car and some time, definitely make Lexington and Concord "must stops", especially since it will help bring your American history curriculum alive. In addition to the obvious American Revolution sites there, you'll also find quite a bit of our literary history: Emerson, Alcott, Thoreau and more.

A bonus this month is that the city is beautifully decorated for Christmas. Be sure to check out the lights on the Common!

Museum favorites in our house have always been THe Children's Museum (when the kids were younger), the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, the NE Aquarium, the old State House & The USS Constitution/Charlestown Navy Yard. If you have time to take a drive, the Peabody Essex museum has a great focus on the China trade. Exquisite! We're not huge fans of the Museum of Science (though the lightening exhibit is kind of cool).

You didn't mention exactly where you'll be staying or the ages of your children. If you'd like, feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to offer more suggestions.

Have a wonderful trip!

I love the Freedom Trail. There is so much History. I can't add much to the advice you have already gotten except to maybe to take a Duck Tour if you have time.

http://www.bostonducktours.com/

Also, the advice to use the T is really really great advice. Driving in Boston is a pain in the behind, and I drive for a living :)

Have a great time, Boston is an amazing city.

We live outside of Boston by 35 miles. I would go to mbta.com and look at the "T" (subway train) and commuter rail maps and then stay in a hotel in one of the towns on one of the " spokes" of the commuter rail lines. Hotels will be much cheaper and you will be a half hour ride away from down town. The ticketing system is called the Charlie Card which is a plastic debit card system that you can buy almost any convenience store or station and load up in the same places or online. One card can be used for the whole family. I would dress in layers since it can be freezing outside and then very hot in the museums and restaurants. If you do drive we always park in the Boston Common garage. Expensive but always had a s spot. Many people like the Duck Boat tours that go through the city and then onto the Charles river. , The perspective from the water is so different. They leave from the Museum of Science and from the Prudential mall area (in back). Enjoy!
PS the Charlie card works on all buses and trains buy I am not sure about the commuter rail.

Hi! There are some great suggestions here. As a homeschooling mom I have to recommend the Museum of Science. We went weekly for years and at 19 and 21 still like going. If you can make your way to Lowell (on commuter rail) the National Park does a great history of the Industrial Revolution. Actually, you should check the NPS 'cos they have great parks all over the area. Don't forget JFK and if you have a car a trip to Concord where it all started is a good idea. I think Plimouth Plantation is already mostly shut down and Sturbridge is only doing their Christmas by Candlelight this month. A trip to the zoo? Oh, the MIT Museum--- so cool! Just a few ideas, have fun!

I am "from" Boston and LOVE the city. I can't wait to get my kids back there. The things we will do when we go back:

1. Walk the Freedom Trail - you'll see SO much history on this and it's basically free. Only pay for places you want to tour, like Paul Revere's home (so worth it!!!).

2. Fanuel Hall and Quincy Market - and oh my gosh it is SO gorgeous this time of year!!

3. Eat at Union Oyster House - oldest restaurant! Lots of history there too.

4. Go walk around Harvard and Harvard Business School - it's just gorgeous there.

5. Go out to Lexington and Concord...some amazing battle sites.

6. Ralph Waldo Emerson had a place there, or maybe it was just a nice walk and pond area. I don't remember, but it was gorgeous. I'd research that again.

7. The Duck Tour there is fun and covers a lot of the city...but might be shut down this time of year because of the cold.

I could go on and on...but you've gotten a lot of great ideas already. Have a GREAT time!!

Definitely get tickets for hop on hop off bus. It takes you to all the great places. Get them on line. Much cheaper. So much to do there. Awesome children's museum. Everyone has covered just about everything in their answers. Have fun. It's a great place!

The Boston Children's Museum is fantastic!

We used both public transit and cabs when we were there. Have fun!

Definitely the Museum of Fine Arts. Fantastic permanent collection. Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market are fun to walk around but would depend upon the ages of your kids. Newberry Street is also a lot of fun. The Children's Museum is great, again age dependent. Winter is pretty unpredictable in New England so you may be just fine walking around or it could be truly bitter out.

My mother lives in Boston and we go visit regularly, twice a year. Public transportation (the T--subway and trolley system) is really good in Boston, and walking around is just a great way to experience the place (though chilly). Also, bringing a car to downtown is a real pain, and it is NOT an intuitive city to navigate. I never do it.

I'll say ditto to the Children's Museum, the Science Museum, and my favorite--the Aquarium. If the kids like art, the Gardner Museum is really interesting--an Italian villa transported to the Fenway by a very eccentric, wealthy couple who collected some beautiful pieces. The historic buildings downtown are neat too, and walking the Trail is pretty doable. I also just love walking around the downtown, old area--it just gives you the feel of an old city where the paths were laid out by the cows once upon a time (so the story goes).

It might be interesting to see some of the architectural history that's visible in the downtown, actually, organize a walking tour around that. Copley Square is a fine example. By the way, the Public Library is a beautiful building with some neat history in it. Might be worth a stop.

Enjoy!

I grew up in Boston and highly recommend the Children's Museum and Science Museum, Aquarium too! My kids are 5 & 6 and I recently took them to the Science Museum, we all loved it. The Omni theater there is great, they also really liked the "electricity" show. They LOVE the children's museum. Fanuel Hall is a really nice place to walk around, shop and go for lunch. The T is an easy way to travel although we often drive right into the city.