Category Archives: Best Places to Go in Boston with Children

Touring Boston – What to Know About Visiting the Franklin Park Zoo

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First thing to know is that if you live in Boston/Cambridge and you have a library pass you can get discount tickets to the zoo, you just have to go to the library and ask for them.

Unfortunately the “T” doesn’t get super close to the Franklin Park Zoo so if you don’t have a car you’ll have to take a bus, and for us it was a bit of a hike.  We got there on a summer day where the weather was in the 90 degree range and I realized that zoos everywhere are pretty much the same. You do a lot of walking in heat to see lazy animals hiding out in the shade.  Going into it with that mentality here are my thoughts about Franklin Park Zoo.

1) Price
Fairly expensive.  Adult ticks are about $20, children 2-12 are $13, 2 and under are free.  If you have a library pass I think the adult tickets are lowed to about $12/person.

2) Stroller Access
Yes! Lots of it and lots of walking!  If you have children who will still fit in a stroller and you want to see most of the park I would suggest bringing it along.

3) Size of Zoo and Variety of Animals
Honestly I thought this zoo was surprisingly small.  I just looked up the website to double check but the animals total in at 46 different species, many of which share enclosures.  I guess it sounds like quite a few, but you can tour the whole park fairly easily in an hour or two.

4) Playground
One of the best things about this zoo was that they have an awesome and huge playground in the middle of it.  After seeing about ten animals my two year old son was bored with the animals but he was super interested in the playground, I think he could have played there happily for hours.

Summary & Stars ★★★☆☆

Three Stars. Franklin Park Zoo is fairly difficult to get to by public transportation.  The zoo itself is quite small compared to other zoos I’ve visited (Hogle Zoo – Utah, San Diego Zoo – California) but was really manageable for a toddler.   The playground was amazing and if your children get tired of animals it’s a great place to kick back and let them run around in an enclosed area.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Franklin Park Zoo
1 Franklin Park Rd.
Boston, MA 02121

Phone: 617-541-5466
Website: http://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo 

Winter Hours(October 1- March 31) 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily

Summer Hours(April 1 – September 30) 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. weekdays
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. weekends and major holidays 

Touring Boston – What to Know About Visiting the Frog Pond Summer Splash Pad and Wading Pool

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One of my absolute favorite summer activities is visiting the Boston Frog Pond! The Frog Pond is a giant pond in the middle of Boston common with water that’s 6-8 inches deep.  There is also a huge geyser of water that fountains out of the middle and this pond that is meant to be splashed in.  (Posted life guards and everything!)

I took my son and he loved every minute of it.  He loved being there to play in the water, he loved having friends to play with and he loved following the other kids and trying new things like laying in the water on his belly and his back.

It was a really hot day and I was glad I came in my swimsuit because I was right there next to him sitting in the water to cool off.  We had a great time and were so glad we had friends to join us.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free, free, free.  Just show up and start splashing.

2) Location & Amenities
Right in the heart of Boston, part of Boston Common.  The Red Line on the “T” stops pretty much at the park so you can get there without even having to bring a stroller. There is a bathroom located right next to the Frog Pond that has lockers you can use for the day.  There is also a snack bar attached to it if you need burgers and fries to get you through a busy day at the park.  Life guards are posted around the pond.  There is a carousel next to the pond ($3/ride) and an enclosed playground, not to mention plenty of trees and shade.

3) Hours
The Frog Pond opens in late June and seems like it usually open until about Labor Day.  Hours vary, and it’s closed if the weather is bad.  Generally its open 11am – 6pm.

4) Other Seasons
Even when the pond is closed there are all sort of events generally going on around the pond.  In the winter you can ice skate on it, in the fall they have pumpkin floating festivals and more.  All in all it’s a really fun place to visit.

Summary & Rating ★★★★★

Five stars.  I think the Boston Frog Pond is a blast and my son has adored it since the first time we let him put his toes in it about a 1.5 years old.  This past summer when he was 2.5 it was amazing to be able to sit on the side of the pond and let him run around in the water.  The water is shallow enough that I didn’t feel like I needed to shadow his every movement and he had so much fun playing with the other kids in the pond and splashing around.  This is one of our most favorite summer activities and if you’re around for the summer it’s something you shouldn’t leave Boston without trying.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Boston Common Frog Pond
Boston Common
Boston, MA 02116

Phone: (617)635-2121
Website: http://bostonfrogpond.com/

Touring Boston – What to Know About Free Ferry Day and Visiting Georges Island

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Every year Boston celebrates the ferries again running to the Boston Harbor Islands by offering free ferry rides for the day, which is a pretty good deal considering tickets run about $20/person otherwise.

Last year Free Ferry Day was Saturday May 9th, so I suspect free ferry day will be in the near future. There are no advanced registrations and the first ferry leaves promptly at 10am.  If you want to do this, get there early!  This event is super popular,  we tried to get to the harbor early, we aimed for getting there at 9:45, though we didn’t end up actually getting there until closer to 10 but by then tickets were already sold out until 1PM!   That was a little too  long for a toddler and a pregnant women to be waiting around so we decided we would save the trip for when my mother came to town and instead took our time exploring the city for little bit.

A few weeks later we again made attempted the harbor trip and we were not disappointed.  The little kids loved riding the ferry and I didn’t realize at the time that we would get to have a historical tour while we rode Harbor Ferry. The tour included pointing out the different islands and why they were important.  We also had the bonus of seeing the Blue Angels (Military Jets) fly overhead in formation a few times for a special event which was pretty awesome.

The ferry ride was about 45 minutes from Boston Harbor to Georges Island.  We got off and let the kids explore the little play ground for a few minutes and then attended one of the islands free tours.  There we were able to learn all about the fort, hear some interesting stories about prisoners trying to escape, and learn about the Bostonians feeling bad for the southern prisoners during the Civil War and sending over blankets and boots so they wouldn’t freeze during the horrible Boston winters.  

I didn’t realize until we got there that swimming wasn’t allowed from Georges Island because of the strong currents surround it, but we ended our day with a nice picnic lunch and a gorgeous view of the city.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free on Free Ferry Day, otherwise $17/adult, $10/children ages 3-11, under 3 free but call to make sure that they have space.

2) Free Ferry Day
No pre-reservations, and get there early if you want tickets because they sell out fast.  At 10AM (when they open) tickets were already sold out until 1PM.

3) Kid Friendliness
This is a great activity to bring your children too.  My toddler loved riding the ferry and once we got to Georges Island there was tons of things for him to explore from the playground, to the shoreline, to the green space to the open fort.

4) Stroller Friendliness
If you’ve got little ones you are probably going to want your stroller to walk around the fort.  We had no problem bringing ours on the ferry (but there weren’t many people riding the ferry) There seemed to be plenty of space on the ferry and I suspect they realize parents are going to need their strollers so on crowded days expect to collapse yours and have it stored in the corner for the ride.

5) Getting There
Take the “T”, parking downtown is an expensive mess. The Blue Line – Aquarium “T” stop is right around the corner from the ticket booth, less than a block away.

6) Things to do on Georges Island

  • Play on the playground
  • Relax on the shoreline and enjoy the amazing view of the city
  • Walk through the small museum
  • Tour the fort with or without a guide 
  • Play in the “Yard” (Huge green space that the fort surrounds)
  • Have a picnic 
  • Climb the fort

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  We loved this outing and it seems like one that is perfect for people of all ages.  We all enjoyed the ferry ride and the bonus historical tour on the way to George’s Island.  The Island itself was both beautiful and fascinating.  We loved being able to walk around and explore the fort, when the tour guide was not moving fast enough for our young son it was easy to step away and run around with him, then jump back in at different points.  It was the perfect place for a picnic and all in all a wonderful day trip.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 
Boston Harbor Cruises – Harbor Islands

Long Wharf
Boston, MA 02110

Phone: 617.227.4321
Website: http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/harbor-islands/ 
Ferry runs about Mid May – Mid October

Georges Island
42°19’11.7″N 70°55’43.1″W
53 acres
7 miles from Boston

Website: http://www.bostonharborislands.org/#!georges-island/cld4

7 Things You Need to Know About Visiting The Rhode Island Newport Mansions with Kids

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If you live in the Boston area one thing you really have to see are the Rhode Island Newport Mansions.  It’s not to bad of a drive (2 hours from Boston) and the mansions are like nothing I’d ever seen before.

You can get tickets to see a whole bunch of mansions from the Preservation Society of Newport County but if you only have time to see one… or really the one you have to see is the Vanderbilt Summer Cottage.. which is about as far from a cottage as I can imagine.

The Vanderbilt mansion is huge and the Vanderbilt’s spared no expense when building it. They were part of New York’s elite Millionaire club and the home was built in the late 1800’s for a sweet $11 million.  We found out that a wall in one of the rooms was made of platinum,  the ceiling of the study had gold pressed over leather to give it a decorative texture of books and on the lower floor most of the rooms had rich gold and marble ornamentation.

I wish they would have allowed pictures inside because it was amazingly lavish.  At least I got some good ones of the outside and the incredible yard/lawn they had.  It was huge and went right to the cliffs edge, and was very very enviable.

After seeing the house we walked around the garden and finally ended our trip by walking along the Breakers cliff walk (thankfully most of it was fenced in).

Things to Note:

1) Price
The prices vary, but it’s a fairly expensive tour.  You can see 5 of the Newport mansions for $30/Adult, $11/children ages 6-17 (children under 6 are free)

To just see the Breakers $21/Adult, $7/children ages 6-17 (children under 6 are free)

2) Tour Options
At the Breakers you have the option of touring the place via audio tour.  There is an adult version and child version… personally I thought the child version was more entertaining, though you will learn slightly different things depending on what tour you listen to.

3) Stroller Friendliness
Zero amount stroller friendly.  They don’t even have a place for you to check a stroller should you bring one and instead ask you to leave it your car.  The reasoning being that they are abrasive and damaging to the historic surfaces.  :/  This was kind of lame since I ended up having to carry my giant two year old all around the place to make sure that he didn’t run under the velvet ropes to touch all the off limits things.

4) Child Friendliness
Children are welcome at the Newport Mansions, but if you have younger children you’ll need to keep a close eye on them since many parts of the mansion are only roped off by velvet ropes.  We went with a friend and she ended up having to chase her young daughter across those off limits sections…

5) Parking
There is free parking available right out side the front of the Breakers and most of the other mansion as easily within walking distance from there.

6) Green space
After you tour the mansions you’ll definitely want to tour the gardens and lawns, they are huge, amazing and a great place for kiddos to get some energy out after having to be hands off during the tour.

7) Photography
None of the mansions allow you to take pictures inside of them, but you can take all the pictures you want of the outsides and gardens.

8) Cliff Walk
There is an amazing cliff walk that runs along the backside of the mansions, most of it has bars preventing young ones from getting too near the cliffs and we really enjoyed the scenic view, but again you’ll want to keep a close eye on your tots.  Also the cliff walk is a couple of miles long, if you did happen to bring a stroller this is where you would want to use it.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Summary & Rating ★★★★☆

Four Stars.  Honestly I thought that being able to see and tour a mansion of this caliber was incredible, if only it wasn’t so dang expensive!  I found myself fascinated seeing the lavish decor used in something as trivial as a summer home… one that was only used for a handful of years and to be able to imagine what it would have been like to live such a life style.  I feel like the opportunities to see this kind of wealth are fairly limited and in my opinion it was totally worth experiencing.

Newport Mansions (The Breakers Mansion)
44 Ochre Point Avenue
Newport, RI 02840

Phone: 401-847-1000
Website: http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers
Hours: Vary

Touring Boston – What to Know About Visiting the USS Constitution (or Old Iron Side) with Kids

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The Freedom Trail is pretty well split into two parts, the city part, where everything is pretty close together – you can easily see many famous buildings in a short amount of time, and the monument part (I guess I’ll call it?)…

To get to this second half/monument part you walk away from the main city, over a huge bridge and then are rewarded by seeing the USS Constitution and the Beacon Hill Monument, which are fairly close together.

The USS Constitution, or Old Iron Side, is the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy.  In order to keep her title she has to sail at least one nautical mile every year, so on Independent Day they sail her half a mile out into the harbor and half a mile back in. She was also named by President George Washington after the constitution of the United States.

The ship was incredible, and fierce.  It totally looked like a pirate ship, and you could walk onto it and see the different levels.  Mostly I just felt like barking orders and saying “Land Ho” which my husband might have found a little obnoxious.  🙂

In any case being able to walk all over the ship and explore it’s nooks and crannies was something I had been missing out on and is easily my new favorite part of the Freedom Trail.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free… with a suggested donation.  This amazing ship is sitting in the harbor just waiting to be visited by you and yours at whatever price you fancy… or don’t fancy.  You can walk through the gift/shop museum, then past the navy officers stations at the ship right onto the boat.  No charge, but an amazing chance to walk around a very cool ship.

2) Identification
Because this is still a navel ship they require some form of identification for anyone over 18.  This can be in the form of a passport, driver’s license, or state issued ID, and you will have to pass through a security check.

3) Stroller Friendliness
You can bring your stroller through the gift shop, but not onto the ship.  We were able to leave ours with one of the navy people stationed outside the gift shop and we carried our son onto the ship.  It makes a lot of sense since once you’re on the ship there is no space for a stroller and it would be impossible or at least very dangerous to try to bring one up and down the steep ship stairs.

4) Child Friendliness
Yes!  They love kids and they love seeing children being able to explore the ship.  There are giant wheels to see, cannons, port holes and all sorts of interesting things to touch, but you will be on a ship so you’ll want to keep an eye on your little ones to make sure they don’t try to climb on anything to dangerous.

5) Parking
Off street parking is available at the Nautica Parking Garage, located at 88 Constitution Road, Charlestown, MA 02129 (Validation is available at the museum and the National Park Service Visitors Center). The Museum is few minutes walk from the garage. Street and metered parking are available around the area.

Summary and Rating: ★★★★★

Five Stars. I thought this ship was amazing!  I loved being able to walk around and both touch and see it, and being able to do it all at the price I choose was great.  The ship was amazing and though my son was fairly little at the time I think he is only going to be more and more interested in seeing it as he grows older.  I would highly suggest walking the second half of the Freedom Trail to experience this gem.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

USS Constitution, or Old Iron Side
Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22
Charlestown, MA 02129

Phone: 617.426.1812
Website: https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/ 

 Museum Hours 
 April 01 – October 31 Open Daily | 9:00 – 6:00
 November 01 – March 31 Open Daily | 10:00 – 5:00

USS Constitution Hours 
October 1 – October 28 Open Tuesday – Friday | 2:30 – 5:00 Open Saturday – Sunday | 10:00 – 5:00 Closed Mondays
October 29 – March 13 Open Saturday & Sunday | 10:00 – 4:00* Closed Monday – Friday, *Last tour leaves at 3:30