Boston Children’s Museum: Why it Belongs on Every Itinerary

One of our favorite activities when we’re traveling with my son is checking out new children’s museums in the cities we visit. When we visited Boston, that was no exception. We had the best afternoon at the Boston Children’s Museum!

It’s located in the South Boston Waterfront neighborhood, so super easy and accessible for families who are staying downtown. We learned that it’s actually the second oldest children’s museum in the world. That was a fun fact when exploring other historical Boston landmarks! And it has so much to explore. There are three stories of interactive exhibits for all ages (even baby and toddler-friendly!) and all interests. 

In this post, I’ll cover why the Boston Children’s Museum should be on any itinerary for families traveling to Boston with kids. 

Quick facts about the Boston Children’s Museum

Location: 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., closed on Tuesdays

How long you should plan to stay: Plan for at least a half day! There is so much to see. We were there for 3 hours and didn’t get to all of the exhibits. I wish we would have planned more time!

Boston Children’s Museum is ideal for traveling families with young children for so many reasons, but most notably:

• Location: The location is easy to get to no matter where you’re staying in Boston. We visited the same day that we did the Old Town Trolley hop on-hop off tour. One of the stops was right there!
• Indoor: So no issues with weather! Since we visited in October, Boston’s weather was a little unpredictable. We loved having an indoor activity that wasn’t dependent on if it was a sunny day. 
• Hands-on: All of the exhibits were SO hands on! The kids learned so much, and got different experiences depending on where we were in the museum. It has everything from physical exhibits like a rock climbing wall, to ones where we got to explore shadows and how light works. 

Wondering what ages are best for visiting the Boston Children’s Museum? I’d honestly say it is great for all ages, babies to elementary school-aged. There are so many exhibits and so many ways to tailor each to different age groups.

Want more planning tips for visiting Boston with kids? Check out my full travel guide for hotel, restaurant and activity recommendations! 

Our favorite exhibits at the Boston Children’s Museum

While we loved all of the exhibits and they truly kept the kids so occupied, I could tell there were a few favorites. One of the things that I loved most was that they combined play with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) learning SO WELL. The kids learned so much while still getting in so much play, and even getting energy out for the day. 

The first was the New Balance Foundation Climb, which is an enclosed climbing maze that goes from the first floor all the way to the top. It encourages kids to problem solve by finding their own way up and down. While my son did it (successfully!) he might have been a little young. It’s more geared towards 6-8 year olds.

Another was the Arthur and Friends exhibit, based on the popular book and cartoon character. It had an interactive airplane that the kids loved pretending to fly, a pretend kitchen area and even a room where the kids could dance on a green screen with Arthur and his friends. 

The last one that we loved was Dinos in Space. There was a giant dinosaur and space dome, and the kids could even dress up a couple dinosaurs for their space flight. 

(I wish I could list them all! But you can also just visit their website that has a full description of every exhibit 🙂)

For younger kids, the second floor has an area just for 0-3 kiddos called PlaySpace, so be sure to check that out with younger kids. 

When to visit and logistics

We visited the Boston Children’s Museum the same day that we did the Old Town Trolley hop-on hop-off tour. It was so convenient because the trolley has a stop right in front of the museum! If you’re driving, there are also several nearby parking garage options listed here. 

You can book tickets in advance on the Boston Children’s Museum website, or in person when you arrive. We visited on a Sunday afternoon, and even though it was a weekend, I didn’t think it was overly crowded at all! 

And there are tons of ways to save on tickets. Check out this page for more details. We didn’t even notice that they had the special offer for $1 Sunday afternoons when we visited, and think that is a great way to save money on your visit! In that case, you just need to buy tickets in advance. 

There are plenty of restrooms located throughout the museum and all have changing tables. 

Benefits for the whole family

While the museum is geared towards kids, the benefits for parents are very clear. All of the exhibits both allow for individual play if parents want a little downtime or together play. When we visited, it was a mix, and I loved being able to take a little downtime while my son learned and played. 

Every exhibit was so hands-on and fostered creativity, exploration and imagination, and those are really important skills for me in activities with my son. I think learning through play is so important and the Boston Children’s Museum totally delivers on this. I only wish we lived closer and could visit more frequently!

We are so thankful to the Boston Children’s Museum for hosting our experience! If you visit, share your favorite exhibit below and let me know how much you enjoyed it!