Boston Children’s Museum & Beyond: The Ultimate Family Adventure

Don’t stop at the museum doors—plan your Boston adventure nearby!

Published: March 27, 2026
Child Blowing Bubbles at the Children's Museum

You’ve unlocked the wonder inside the Boston Children’s Museum, but trust us—Boston’s waterfront district offers so much more for curious families! From hands-on science experiences and riverside parks to delicious kid-approved eats and ferry rides with skyline views, you’ll find plenty to fill your perfect day (or weekend). We’re sharing our favorite kid-friendly spots and experiences a stone’s throw from the museum, so your Boston adventure can keep going long after the last exhibit. 

Our favorite things to do near Boston Children’s Museum include: 

  • Museum of Science 
  • Franklin Park Zoo 
  • CityView Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley 
  • Boston Harborwalk & Seafood Tour by Top Dog Tours 
  • Samuel Adams Brewery Tour 
  • USS Constitution Museum 
  • The Barking Crab 
  • Fort Point Channel Parks 

Museum of Science: Where Curiosity Comes Alive  

Just across town from the Children’s Museum, the Museum of Science lets budding inventors and future scientists get hands-on with everything from dinosaurs to robots. What sets this science palace apart? It’s all about play and discovery. The exhibits aren’t behind velvet ropes—kids can build bridges, experiment with wind tunnels, and even see live lightning in the jaw-dropping Theater of Electricity. The rooftop planetarium brings the solar system to life, while daily live shows keep everyone on their toes. We love how the museum combines Boston’s local history—think Charles River ecosystems and engineering marvels—with global wonders like space exploration.  

If you need a break, don’t miss grabbing lunch at the museum café, where you’ll have panoramic river views. Bold, bright, and brilliantly interactive, the Museum of Science is one Boston experience where everyone gets to be a kid again. 

Franklin Park Zoo: Roars and Wild Encounters 

If your crew craves a little fresh air and animal adventure, Franklin Park Zoo is a winner. It’s just a quick drive from downtown, set in 72 acres of leafy parkland. Here, giraffes graze beside zebras, and friendly zookeepers are always sharing fun facts. But what truly makes the zoo special? The immersive habitats! The Tropical Forest indoor exhibit feels like a real jungle, with swinging monkeys and gorillas relaxing against lush backdrops.  

Be sure to swing by for special animal encounters, seasonal events, and zookeeper chats; there’s always something new to learn. Add in shady picnic spots and a carousel, and Franklin Park Zoo brings family joy to a whole new level. 

CityView Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley: Boston’s Best Sights on Your Schedule

Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley

Want to see all of Boston but not hear endless grumbling about tired feet? Jump on the CityView Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley for a breeze of a sightseeing experience. The open-air trolleys stop at all the city highlights—think Boston Common, Quincy Market, and the waterfront stop steps from the Children’s Museum.  

What do we love about it? You can disembark wherever catches your fancy, spend as long as you want exploring, then simply catch the next trolley—no planning stress required. The lively guides keep the ride upbeat with funny local stories and tips (you might even pick up some Boston slang!).  

Boston Harborwalk & Seafood Tour by Top Dog Tours: Scenic Sights and Local Bites 

The waterfront is buzzing, and Top Dog Tours’ Boston Harborwalk & Seafood Tour turns your stroll into a culinary adventure. Picture this: you and your family meandering along the sparkling Harborwalk, sampling clam chowder, lobster rolls, and all the flavors that make Boston a food lover’s haven. Your guide packs in stories about the vibrant Seaport District—past pirate skirmishes, wharves, and the evolution of the waterfront. Even kids who swear they “don’t like seafood” change their tune after a hot fresh fried clam or chunky chowder.  

It’s the perfect way to sneak in a dose of Boston’s history and culture, all while tasting the city’s most famous bites and soaking up those waterfront views. This experience finishes just a short stroll away from the Children’s Museum, so you can keep the energy going without missing a beat. 

Samuel Adams Brewery Tour: Cheers to Boston’s Heritage 

Yes, this classic Boston brewery tour is family-friendly! At Samuel Adams, grown-ups can sample innovative brews, while kids enjoy behind-the-scenes fun seeing how a working brewery operates. The lively guides explain everything from malting to bottling with stories that keep all ages tuned in. Inside the visitor center, you’ll learn why beer is an essential part of Boston’s story—from the founding fathers to the city’s current craft boom.  

There’s plenty of memorabilia and interactive displays, so even if you’re not sampling a cold one, everyone walks away with a nugget of Boston trivia to share. And hey, plenty of great restaurants and play spaces decorate the area, so you can round out your experience with lunch or an outdoorsy outing afterward. 

USS Constitution Museum: History at Anchor

Child at USS Constitution Museum

“A ship older than your grandparents’ grandparents!”—that’s how your kids might describe Old Ironsides after exploring the fascinating USS Constitution Museum in the Charlestown Navy Yard. Climb aboard a real vessel, ring the ship’s bell, and try hoisting a sail. This museum packs history into hands-on fun, with activities tailored for little ones and thought-provoking displays for grown-ups.  

The museum also features interactive exhibits on knot-tying and navigation, and the fun scavenger hunt will give your group a new perspective on America’s maritime past. For ship-loving kids or history buffs, this museum makes Boston’s proud seafaring heritage come alive. 

The Barking Crab: Seafood With a Side of Fun 

This red-shingled seafood shack along the Fort Point Channel is a Boston family legend. The Barking Crab draws a crowd with its casual picnic tables, strings of fairy lights, and playful décor (look for giant crustaceans hanging from the rafters). Here, you’re treated to kettle-steamed lobsters, heaping baskets of fried clams, and perfect corn on the cob—with views stretching straight across the harbor.  

Kids can dig into fish fingers or grilled cheese, while adults love the Crab Cake Sandwich and local oysters. In summer, the outdoor patio buzzes with laughter, breezes, and the sound of boats bobbing by. Inside, everything feels just as lively, with nautical maps and old-school seafaring kitsch. For families looking to refuel after museum time, there’s no better spot to relax and enjoy that waterfront energy. 

Fort Point Channel Parks: Urban Green Space With Waterfront Views 

Sometimes all you need after a morning in the museum is fresh air and space to roam. Fort Point Channel Parks deliver just that, with landscaped lawns, playgrounds, and walking paths along the water. Kids can run free, duck boats glide by, and public art pops up around every corner. There are benches for resting parents, snack stands for ice cream or coffee, and plenty of shade to relax. 

Spring and summer bring outdoor concerts, pop-up markets, and food trucks, adding a little extra buzz. Perfect for a picnic, a game of tag, or simply soaking up skyline views reflected on the Channel, these green spaces turn Boston’s urban core into a playful, peaceful escape. 

 

There you have it—plenty of unforgettable ways to fill your family’s day within easy walking (or trolley-hopping!) distance of the Boston Children’s Museum. Whatever your crew’s style—science buffs, history hunters, foodies, or playground pros—Boston’s vibrant Seaport and waterfront districts serve up fun and adventure at every turn. Pack your energy, curiosity, and appetite into your Boston itinerary, and you’ll be making lifelong memories in no time. 

Enjoyed this? Check out Things to Do Near Franklin Park Zoo or Things to Do in Boston in the Morning 

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And, you'll hear from patriots like Josiah Quincy and Phillis Wheatley as they tell you their own stories and share lively anecdotes about the places, events, and drama of the American Revolution and beyond. Easily one of the best things to do in Downtown if you're taking a vacation in Boston. If you miss out, maybe you're a red coat after all. Homerun fun Are you a sports person? Does the thought of people getting together and competing against one another excite you? Do you like balls? Well then, you must be a fan of the old baseball. Right? Boston is home to one of the most recognizable teams on the planet, the Boston Red Sox. Their socks? Red. Their arena? Fenway Park. So why not take a tour of this historic stadium and learn more about the stadium's history, the players that stepped into the diamond, and the team's highs and lows throughout the years. 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Things to do in Boston in December

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Etched with creeks, rivers and wharves, its waters were the ignition point for the American Revolutionary War when protestors poured an entire shipment of tea into it – an extraordinary insult to any Englishman. Reenactments take place at Old South Meeting House on December 16. A different view of harbor life can be had at Boston’s New England Aquarium on Central Wharf. Spanning the globe’s seas and oceans, it’s home to a fascinating variety of life usually hidden beneath the waves, be that the sharks, turtles and corals of the magnificent 760,000 liter Caribbean habitat or the octopus of the Pacific Northwest tanks. Cross by the artworks dotting Rose Kennedy Greenway and you’re just a couple of streets away from Faneuil Hall Marketplace. A shopping precinct that has been serving Bostonians since 1743, it hosts a popular December holiday market, but is better known for its street performers. 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Fill up on Christmas cheer Right at the heart of Boston’s Christmas festivities, Boston Common is the location for the annual switch on of the city’s lights by its mayor, with a decorated Christmas tree forming the backdrop for the evening. Elsewhere in Boston the arching trellises of Christopher Columbus Park twinkle with fairy lights whilst Blink! back at Faneuil Hall Marketplace usually boasts the northeast’s largest Christmas tree. Around 24 m (or seven stories) tall, it sits alongside more than a quarter of a million individual LEDs. If that wasn’t enough, the common’s Frog Pond becomes something like a scene out of Frozen. Skaters can take a turn on the ice before cheering on the Bruins ice hockey team at The Garden Arena. And although it’s not baseball season, it’s still possible to take a tour of one of the most famous ballparks in America – the Red Sox’s Fenway Park. Line up the snow day activities The mildest month of the Boston winter, average temperatures are still less than balmy with highs of 5°C and overnight lows of -2°C. With rain, sleet and snow all possibilities, it’s wise to mix up any Boston December itinerary with indoor and outdoor alternatives. Thankfully, Boston has an extraordinary array of museums to lose a few hours – if not a few days – in. Top of the list has to be the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. One of the largest galleries in the world, its artworks are by greats from Claude Monet to Andy Warhol. History buffs won’t want to miss the historic ship USS Constitution and its next-door museum. Forming part of Boston’s Freedom Trail, the museum details the vital role the ship lovingly known as ‘Old Ironsides’ (despite having a wooden hull) played during the War of 1812 against the British. She technically remains on active service with the US Navy more than 200 years after her construction. 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Ian Packham

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