Boston is a great family destination! There are so many different things to do in Boston with kids. We spent four days in the city and had a great visit, check out our itinerary below. Boston with kids is a lot of fun!
We booked our trip for Boston, MA for Spring Break. I had received a flight sale notification from United Airlines in my email and checked it out. Sure enough it was a great deal and we booked our flights. We were off to Boston with kids for a four night stay. I had always heard that going to Boston with kids was a great trip.
The flight to Boston from Washington, D.C. is so easy! It was only one hour. We took a taxi to our hotel, Hyatt Regency Cambridge, which was only a 15 minute ride. The cost was exorbitant and we were not traveling during a peak time. I would recommend you travel via Uber or Lyft from the airport. We had no problem checking in early to the hotel. It was Easter weekend and the kids were told by the Concierge that there were Easter eggs hidden all over the lobby. It was so much fun for the kids to go on the hunt.
Great Hotel to Stay in Boston with Kids:
Our family had decided to stay at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge based on kid-friendly hotel reviews. While it did always require a Lyft or Uber ride or walk across the bridge it was enough of a cost savings for our family to make it worth while. There was an amazing pool for the kids to enjoy in the evening too! Staying here also afforded us an opportunity to enjoy the city of Cambridge which has amazing places to eat and some fun activities for the kids!
Great Discount Sites for Boston with Kids:
Before departing for Boston while coming up with the plans for the kids I purchased the Boston CityPASS and I purchased a Build Your Own Pass offered by the Go Boston Card. Definitely research both and see which one works best for your family. Sometimes even Groupon will offer discounts on these discount services!
Day One in Boston with Kids:
Boston Public Library
Day One: We went to Flour in Cambridge which was delicious! It is a very popular lunch spot but we waited and got seats and enjoyed an amazing lunch. We then got an Uber and were off to the city. We visited the Boston Public Library which the kids LOVED! Not only was the original library gorgeous the children’s library was amazing. They each found a book to enjoy for a bit. The kids did not want to leave!
Boston Public Gardens
Once we convinced them we had more to see and do we headed to the Boston Public Gardens. I had read the kids the Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey on the flight to Boston so they were anxious to see the Mallard ducks statues! The lagoon was drained but we were still able to enjoy the other sites. Lots of flowers were about to burst into bloom and the grass was already green. If you go when the lagoon is full you can enjoy a swan boat ride. We enjoyed a snack in the park and people watched all of the many Bostonians out walking their dogs! It was the first good weather day in sometime and the city was full of people enjoying the beautiful day.
Cambridge Family Fun Show at the ImprovBoston
After enjoying the gardens we headed back to Cambridge. I had purchased tickets for the Family Fun show at the ImprovBoston. It was a sold out show and the kids LOVED it. I would highly recommend this show. They both laughed so hard and the cast was great with all of the kids. **Check Groupon for discounted tickets to the show too! You just might luck out. We did!** After the show we headed to Area Four for amazing pizza with friends! This was a great place to not only reconnect with old friends but to enjoy great food! The kids ate really well here. After dinner we headed back to the hotel where we had an amazing view of the moon over Boston! What a full day.
Day Two in Boston with Kids:
Freedom Trail: Bunker Hill
Day Two: We started our Easter Sunday with a walk over the bridge from Cambridge to Boston for brunch at Tatte Bakery! Yummy! Today our plans were to explore the Freedom Trail. I had come across this amazing family blog, The Earth Trekkers, that outlined their walk on the Freedom Trail. While we did not follow their path exactly, we used it as reference as we started at the other end…Bunker Hill Monument where we all climbed 294 steps to the top! The kids still talk about this feat and have not forgotten the number of steps they climbed.
Freedom Trail: USS Constitution
Next stop, the USS Constitution! The tour of the ship was nicely done. The kids loved the active duty military on board who were so friendly and informative. You can come and go as you wish from the tour and explore on your own. Watch your step and head as you go to the lower levels. After exploring the ship we were back on the Freedom Trail and headed for the Old North Church. I was most excited to see this site. It is so beautiful and hearing the bells chime was too.
Boston Duck Tour
At this point on the trail it was time for us to head over to the Prudential Center to catch the Boston Duck Tour! We used our Go Boston Card for discounted fare for the duck tour. The kids had a blast and our daughter took a turn driving the boat. Our son opted out saying he only drives the Pittsburgh duck boat! They are duck boat alumni. The tour was outstanding. We learned a lot of new fun facts and got our bearings on areas of the city we had not yet been to but had plans for later in our trip. After the duck tour we then got some photo opps at the Tortoise & the Hare statues & the ducks again as they were dressed for Easter Sunday. We headed to Beacon Hill for pictures on Acorn Street. As a new blogger I had read over and over again about Acorn Street being the most photographed street in the United States. I believe it! We were all taking turns getting fun shots! It is a really special street and blogger or not you should check it out!
Boston North End
We ended our day in the North End for an amazing Italian Easter dinner at Trattoria Il Panino. We made reservations via Open Table and were glad we did because it was busy. The food was delicious and the service was great! We went to Modern Pastry Shop for dessert. They had the best cannolis and cream puffs too! After dessert we headed back to the Prudential Center for a night view of the city at the Prudential Skywalk! We used our discounted tickets from the Boston CityPass for the skywalk. It was a clear night and really neat to see the cityscape at night. The kids loved the skywalk exhibits too! What a day!
Day Three in Boston with Kids:
Day Three: SNOW! Yes, it snowed on our Spring Break. We went from sunny and 50s to snow! It didn’t stop us! But it is something to consider when packing for your trip – pack for all weather. It changes so quickly. We started our morning with another breakfast at Tatte! It’s just so good! With so many convenient locations we figured why find something new when we knew we all liked the menu.
Museum of Science
After breakfast we were off to the Museum of Science where we closed it down! We used our discounted admission passes from the Boston CityPass for this museum. The money we saved on admission we spent on the Butterfly Exhibit, the 4D show on Sharks and the Omni film about China. All were worthwhile. We were lucky enough to experience the awesome mirror maze and the Lightening Show where our daughter was picked as a volunteer! Such an exciting day! I would say this is a museum that you should not miss. We love interactive museums and this is a great one.
Boston North End
We ended our day in the North End again where we enjoyed another amazing meal at La Famiglia Giorgio’s. They were so kid friendly. The food was delicious. We then headed back to Modern Pastry Shop for dessert! After dessert we headed back to the hotel. The kids were so excited to be back early enough so they could take a swim. We enjoyed another full day!
Day Four in Boston with Kids:
New England Aquarium
Day Four: We had a VERY SPECIAL visitor on day four! My kids met their Great Aunt who they loved to pieces! We had such a special time at the New England Aquarium! The discount tickets from Boston CityPass for the aquarium had a nice perk at the aquarium…our own ticket line. We all enjoyed the touch tank exhibit where they were able to touch all different types of sting rays and some shark species. Wow! They also enjoyed the penguins. We got to see a HUGE lobster, amazing octopus and the sea turtle up close at the very top of the tank for a live demonstration/feeding. After making our way back down the spiral walk we enjoyed a nice lunch at the Bostonia Public House together before having to say goodbye! After lunch it began to rain but the ole A Team kept going!
Paul Revere’s House
We were off to Paul Revere’s House which my son had requested we visit. We did not have discounted admission for this site but it was $12 for us to visit ($5/adults and $1/children). It was a worthwhile stop and my son really enjoyed it. After our short tour we headed back on the Freedom Trail in the rain to the Boston Massacre site before heading to Eataly for gelato. We have been to Eataly in NYC numerous times and always find ourselves leaving because it is just so crowded. Boston’s Eataly, while definitely busy, was manageable. It was a great place to stop for a sweet treat.
Fenway Park Tour
After we refueled (and dried off) we were off to the Fenway Park Tour! The Go Boston Card offered discounted admission for the tour. It is a good idea to stop here first thing in the morning to select the tour you want incase they fill up (if you are using the Go Boston Card). We had stopped here on our way to the aquarium to get our tickets for the tour time we wanted. We picked the last tour of the day so we would not be rushed with my Aunt! It was the perfect choice. This was the highlight of our trip. We had an amazing guide, Vic, who kept the kids interested for the full hour! He was a great story teller and would be worth requesting if possible. It was the best tour even in the cold rain! Go Red Sox!
After the tour we were all hungry and it was raining. It was also rush hour so an Uber back to our hotel was really expensive. We decided to find a place to eat near Fenway. Standing under an awning we quickly found Hojoko. This is not a restaurant I would recommend with the kids and maybe even at all. It was one of those moments when you sit down and read the menu and think what on earth are we going to eat here!?! We made it work but I would alter your itinerary at this point! We headed back to the hotel to pack and settle in for the evening. The kids were ready for a movie night.
Day Five in Boston with Kids:
Day Five: Our original plans for our last day in the city were to use our last admission pass from the Boston CityPass to visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge. However, when United Airlines sends you an email that your flight is likely to be canceled due to awful weather and they will not charge anything to change your flights (Say whaaaa!?) you book the earliest flight you can! We called it the East Coast Red Eye. The kids did great considering we woke them up at 3:15a. We made it home before any turbulence hit. Thank goodness! Boston was a great destination for our family, my kids love city trips.
A few more recommendations… If you have younger children I think you should definitely check out the Boston Children’s Museum. You can find discounted admission for this location at the Go Boston Card site. We had really hoped to make it to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum during our visit but the weather did not cooperate when we did have the time to go there. It is rated the #1 museum of Boston so check it out! It is on our list for our next visit. You cannot go wrong with the North End for dinner. We ran out of time and room but we would have liked to also try Regina Pizzeria and Neptune Oyster.
If you are planning a trip to Boston with kids I hope this post is helpful to you. I would love to know what your favorite spots are in Boston with kids. Please post in the comments below!
