Boston for 5-6 days with kids in summer
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Anonymous
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Take a ferry to the Boston Harbor Islands.
Just north of Harvard Square there’s a really great playground with lots of sand. |
Anonymous
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If your kids are into sports, the Garden does a behind the scenes tour our kids thought was cool. Book in advance.
Seconding the science museum. We tried to do the Freedom Trail but all our kids were really into was the pond in the public garden. They were maybe 8 and 9 at the time. We also took the T everywhere. |
Anonymous
| Do not make a stranger sit in the middle seat between you and your children. |
Anonymous
This. That’s mean to your kids and the stranger. |
Anonymous
Op here. I thought there are only 2 seats each row on both left and right sides. I think it depends on the airline we pick. If it is 3 seats, I will do 3 seats and a separate 1 window seat for DH. |
Anonymous
Jet blue is usually 2 and 2 to Boston, American is usually 3 and 3. In august it will be hot, but evenings are often cooler, so pack what you would wear in DC, plus a light sweater/jacket for evenings. Do some kind of harbor cruise, or maybe even go over to Provincetown for a day trip. During the day it is lovely there (more of a scene at night). If your kids like baseball see if you can get tickets for a Red Sox game, or do a Fenway tour. |
Anonymous
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Just a heads up that we went last summer and it was in the 100s. We had a great time but be sure not to overplan.
Book any tours ahead of time, especially Duck boats and Tea Party museum. They sell out! |
Anonymous
Put each kid in a middle seat with you in the window and thank me for the extra elbow room later. |
Anonymous
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We went last summer with slightly older kids.
Duck Boat is a must. Surprise hit: We all loved the Tea Party Museum. The Aquarium was a bit of a let down. Not very big, extremely noisy & crowded despite timed ticket entry. Your kids may be a little too young, but we also enjoyed doing a whale watching boat tour (booked through the aquarium). The museums at Harvard are great. You pay one fee to see all 4. Behind the scenes tour of Fenway was fun. You definitely do not need a car. The T is very easy to use and parking is ridiculously expensive. |
Anonymous
| Revere Beach for collecting huge shells! |
Anonymous
| The fenway tour is surprisingly cheap! For $35 each got a tour and got to sit in the green monster during batting practice. |
Anonymous
+1 Some couples do this - they think they are being slick. Then they try to hold conversations over the middles eat person, instead of switching. But....they never know what that middle seat stranger is capable of..... |
Anonymous
It will probably be pretty hot in Boston, so you will need much the same clothes as you would here. Maybe consider VRBO or AirBnB as they are more flexible. College campuses will be deserted and not very interesting in August, although walking around Harvard is always fun. For things to see--children's museum, tea party museum, science museum, duck tour, south Boston beaches, north shore. Walk the Freedom Trail, maybe consider whale watching, trip to the harbor islands. Crabcakes are a Maryland thing. If you are in Massachusetts, lobster or scrod are what you get. |
Anonymous
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There are two types of city passes, either see certain number or attractions or see as many attractions within xx days.
It’s definitely worth it if you do the hoho bus and the cruise , plus 1 other attraction a day. Bus can be used to get around so save $ there. Could also get adult passes and not kids. New England aquarium, science museum, freedom trail, duck boat tour, boat cruise at night, Fenway park for baseball. Isabella Stewart Gardner museum to even just see the building. The art is a bit overwhelming. Can get a MIT tour with pass. Harvard campus has beautiful buildings, museums. |