If you're traveling with kids who love animals, the New England Aquarium is a must-see attraction. Down on the waterfront, the breathtaking centerpiece of this excellent aquarium is the colossal 200,000-gallon salt-water replica of a Caribbean coral reef. Moray eels, stingrays, enormous sea turtles, and sharks are all present in the tank, which has a 40-foot diameter and three-story height. On a smaller scale, a touch tank exhibit lets children stick their hands into the cold water of a tidal basin to get up close and personal with starfish, sea urchins, and hermit crabs.

There are over 800 different marine species there, including 80 African penguins that were bred as part of a conservation program, tiny seadragons, seals, stingrays, and sharks. A coral reef and Caribbean reef life are housed in the magnificent four-story Giant Ocean tank. A spiral walkway leads you past sea turtles, tropical fish and eels, as well as jellyfish.

But you can also transport yourself to the Amazon Rainforest, with its piranhas and anacondas, as well as watching Atlantic Harbor Seals play, among other marine habitat areas, before learning more about the challenges facing the world’s oceans. Don’t miss the seadragons, with both of the world’s two seadragon species on display in this exhibit – as long as you can spot these masters of camouflage!

• Website: https://www.neaq.org/
• Admission: Adult: $20.95, Senior (60+ yrs): $18.95, College: $18.95, Child (3-17): $13.95, People with mobility(wheelchair bound) or visual disablilities may vivist free of charge.
• Hours: Daily 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM
• Google rating: 4.5/5.0
• Address: 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110

Boston Children’s Museum offers an amazing list of fun activities and exhibits for children of all ages and their parents or care-givers. For over 100 years it has been engaging children in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of the world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning.

The museum is packed with educational interactive toys and exhibits for children of all ages to enjoy. As you walk through the various exhibits, your children will learn about race and ethnicity (Boston Black exhibit), dig, climb, and build (Construction Zone), and discover the wonderful world of bubbles (Bubbles exhibit). They can also learn about dance and theater at KidStage and have a lot of fun at the three-story New Balance Foundation Climb. The museum also offers a variety of educational workshops, including science and technology, as well as kindergarten readiness programs.

The museum houses a large collection of over 50,000 objects from all over the world. Many are kept in storage, rotated through permanent or special exhibits, and loaned out to schools for educational programs. Each exhibit is intended to be an educational, innovative, and engaging interactive experience.

You can eat outside near the Milk Bottle or on the first floor of the museum. Food and beverages are not permitted in the exhibit areas. There are also several restaurants within walking distance of the museum in the Fort Point Channel area.

• Website: https://bostonchildrensmuseum.org/
• Admission: Adults: $20; Children (1-15): $20; Children (Under 12 months): FREE; Members: FREE
  
• Hours: Wednesday - Sunday with two time slots 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
• Google rating: 4.7/5.0
• Address: 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Museum of Science, a popular and incredibly kid-friendly museum, is dedicated to offering an interactive and educational experience, making science accessible through a wealth of hands-on activities and captivating exhibits that kids don't even realize they're learning.

Children can experiment with color and light, examine dinosaur bones and fossils, and learn about gravity and physics by balancing objects and swinging around. The topics covered in this book range from astronomy and astrophysics to anthropology, earth sciences, medicine, and much more. This is most definitely a place to stay and play rather than just stop by briefly. It's also great if you're visiting Boston in the winter or looking for things to do with kids on a rainy day in Boston.

Highlights include the domed Mugar Omni Theater for IMAX movies and the multimedia Charles Hayden Planetarium. The Discovery Center, which allows children to participate in interactive learning activities, is the greatest reprieve for parents of children under the age of eight. In addition, the back of the museum has a huge gift shop, a café, and a breathtaking view of the river that visitors can take in.

• Website: https://www.mos.org/
• Admission: Adult $29, Child (3-11) $24, Child (Under 3) Free, Senior (60+) $25
• Hours: Daily 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Google rating: 4.7/5.0
• Address: 1 Museum Of Science Driveway, Boston, MA 02114

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world with a collection that exemplifies the breadth, richness, and diversity of artistic expression, from prehistoric times to modern day. It has some clever touches to help make the collection accessible to children, contrary to popular belief that a place dedicated to the fine arts won't be family-friendly.

The Art of the Americas Wing has been added between the building's two main volumes as a freestanding, glazed structure called "a crystal spine." With fifty-three galleries spread across four floors, the new wing has significantly expanded the museum's exhibition space and allowed for the permanent display of about 5,000 works from the collection. The crystal spine partially encloses an existing courtyard in a glass "jewel box" where it meets the central axis. With a new gallery for special exhibitions below, this makes room for visitor orientation and a café.

Some areas have special family labels on the exhibits, to help younger visitors relate to the works, as well as tips on exploring the Museum of Fine Arts with kids – everything from choosing a theme for your visit, such as animals or crowns, as well as games to play, from l Spy to copying sculpture poses. And you’re encouraged to bring your own art materials to sketch and draw as you go (you need advance permission if you’re planning to bring paints and an easel though).

• Website: https://www.mfa.org/
• Admission: $25 for Adults, $23 for Seniors & Students, $10 for Youth (7-17); Free admission for youths on weekends/weekdays after 3 pm; Children under 6 years of age get in for free.
• Hours: Mon, Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Fri 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Google rating: 4.8/5.0
• Address: 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115

The Franklin Park Zoo has everything for kids in addition to zebras, gorillas, giraffes, and a whole host of other exotic animals that aren't typically found in the wilds of New England. The Franklin Park Zoo's mission is to inspire people to protect and sustain endangered species. A trip to the zoo with the family is always recommended. Each and every member of the family will enjoy their time at Boston's Franklin Park Zoo as they get to know and admire a wide variety of animals from around the globe.

Younger kids will love the seasonal Aussie Aviary because they can feed the colorful collection of budgies by hand. Children will also enjoy exploring the Children's Zoo, where they can interact with red pandas and other fascinating animals and reptiles while having fun. The Tiger Tales Exhibit, the Giraffe Savannah, and the Tropical Rainforest, where you can see hippos, primates, and more, are just a few of the zoo's highlights. The zoo also has a sizable playground for little ones. The children's zoo offers a variety of attractions for young visitors, including a grass maze and a neighborhood of prairie dogs. Visiting the Franklin Park Zoo is undoubtedly one of the best things to do with kids in Boston that you should not miss.

• Website: https://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo
• Admission: Adults: $22.95, Senior Admission (62+): $20.95, Child Admission (ages 2-12): $15.95
• Hours: Mon to Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sat to Sun 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Google rating: 4.4/5.
• Address: 1 Franklin Park Rd, Boston, MA 02121

The Mapparium is an intriguing exhibit that will make your kids consider the world they live in, and it is situated in the Mary Baker Eddy Library in Back Bay. Visitors can experience a dramatic three-dimensional view of the world of 1935 thanks to the Mapparium, a massive stained glass globe that is three stories high. A glass walkway that leads visitors directly to the globe's center is a feature of this amazing structure.

Your kids have the uncommon opportunity to view the world through the Mapparium without distorting the Earth's surface. Even when looking at an accurate globe, perspective distorts the sizes of the continents because of how the spherical shape makes different regions appear at different ocular distances. But with a view from the very center of a globe, looking out, the eye is the same distance from every point on the map.

The first time seeing the Earth in this way is fascinating. Africa is very big. Asia, Europe, and North America are pressed up against the North Pole. Your familiarity with the sizes and locations of continents and nations has suddenly changed. "A World of Ideas," a multifaceted word, music, and light show that demonstrates how ideas have influenced people's lives all over the world, will be playing as you travel the globe.

• Website: N/A
• Admission: Generally is $6.00 per person
• Hours: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Google rating: 4.4/5.
• Address: 210 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115

The Boston Public Library offers families a remarkable learning resource for all ages. The original structure, completed in 1895, now serves as the research library, which might appeal to sophisticated tots who enjoy a good Sargent painting. But it’s the modern wing of the library—which underwent a multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation—that will be the main event to future literati.

The new Children's Library is twice as big as the one it replaced, has a cheerful interior, and is stuffed to the gills with books, computers, early literacy stations, reading list recommendations, and comfortable seating. In the summer, the BPL offers a variety of unique children's programming both inside and outside its boundaries.

You can start bringing your child to the kid’s activities at just about any age – it is never too early to get your child hooked on books. The library offers morning Story Time sessions for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarten children and you can also bring your child to start learning about music, film and dance at one of the regular children’s film shows and family dance programs. Older children can receive homework help and mentor after school and there are always librarians on hand to suggest age-appropriate books to capture the imagination of even the most reluctant readers.

• Website: https://www.bpl.org/
• Admission: $5 per person, free for Children under the age of 18
• Hours: Mon to Thu 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Fri to Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sun 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
• Google rating: 4.8/5.0
• Address: 700 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116

This amazing indoor playground is a child's paradise and the ideal place to connect with your inner child. In addition to the many Lego-built replicas of Boston landmarks that make up Miniland, there are 12 rides there, one of which is a mission to save a princess.

Although the Legoland Discovery Center Boston's entrance is on the ground floor, once you've entered and paid your admission, you'll need to take the elevator to the second floor, where all of the attractions are located. The interactive Factory Tour is your first stop after exiting the elevator. Here, you can learn about the various steps involved in creating Lego bricks, including mixing, heating, molding, and decorating.

Kids of all ages enjoy Legoland's giant blocks and race cars, as well as the Kingdom Quest Laser Ride and 4D theater. Miniland, a miniature Lego recreation of well-known Boston landmarks, is the main draw for both young and old. Send a boisterous child to one of the two on-site play areas where there are climbing walls and jungle gyms if you want to tire them out. Check out the workshops that are being offered if you want to advance your Lego expertise and learn some insider knowledge from the Master Model Builder professionals.

• Website: https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/boston/
• Admission: $27.95 for ages 2+ and free for children under 2
• Hours: Daily 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Google rating: 4.0/5.0
• Address: 598 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA 02145

The Boston Common Frog Pond sits at the heart of Boston Common and is a perfect place for all families with kids to visit! It’s a four-season family attraction. In summer, a spray pool will be in operation, the easiest way for city families to cool off without leaving town. You can take a seat by the benches nearby and watch your kids splash around in the water, making some new little friends along the way! There’s a lifeguard on duty so it’s safe for anyone! While you are free to participate in the other fun activities, you are highly recommended to stay by the side, watching the little ones go wild and having a great time.

In the winter, you can bundle up, grab the kids’ skates or rent them on-site and take a spin in the middle of America’s oldest public park—preferably on a clear, starlit night. Bobby the Skating Seal is a rink prop that can be rented for the littlest of ones who are just learning to skate, and kids can sign up for skating lessons with the Skating Club of Boston. There’s also a carousel set up on the far end starting in April and going through the fall.

• Website: https://bostonfrogpond.com/
• Admission: Free
• Hours: Daily 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Google rating: 4.6/5.0
• Address: 38 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108

The Swan Boats of Boston has been an institution in the city since the first swan boat was launched back in 1877. The inventor of the original Swan Boat got his inspiration for the swan design from the opera Lohengrin, in which the hero crosses a river in a boat drawn by a swan. In those days, each of the unique Swan pedal boats could seat just two people and their driver, but over the years the vessels have evolved and now carry up to 25 people for a fun trip around the Public Gardens Lagoon. Your ride on the Swan Boat will take around 15 minutes and children under two get a free ride. The Swan Boats only operate in summer.

What better way to explore Boston Common than riding the iconic swan boats? With their pretty appearance, the kids are sure to be amused by them! Not only are these swan boat rides affordable, but they are also an interesting way to take in all that Boston Common has to offer!

• Website: https://swanboats.com/
• Admission: $2 for children over 2 years old; $3.50 for adults
• Hours: Daily 10:00 AM - 4:00
• Google rating: 4.6/5.0
• Address: 4 Charles St, Boston, MA 02116