The New England Aquarium is one of those places that seem to show up on all of the “Top Things to do in Boston” list so of course we had to check it out.
The New England Aquarium is in a huge building near the Boston Harbor. The center of the aquarium is characterized by a giant, round, multi level tank filled with all manner of sea life. There is a spiral incline that follows the tank and at each level there are also smaller tank exhibits on the outside walls. The vast majority of the aquarium is housed in one huge room with lots of paths leading in different directions so you can easily access what interests you.
Things to Note:
1) Price Fairly expensive. $27/Adult, $18/Children, 3 and under free. However if you’re a Boston local check out the library for discount passes.
2) Stroller Friendliness Super stroller friendly. There is tons of space to maneuver a stroller around and the walks ways up to each level are huge ramps, but if you get there and decide you don’t want to take your stroller along they also have a free stroller check at the entry.
3) Child Friendliness Again super friendly. This place was built for children to explore and while most of the things to do are visual (look into the tanks and various fish) there are also some interactive areas with buttons little ones can push as well as two different tanks where you can touch live sea creatures. (Thankfully hand washing stations and sanitizer and everywhere near the stations)
4) Crowds This is a really popular destination and every time we’ve been the place has been crowded, I think it comes with the territory, however the exhibits are spaced out enough that we’ve never had a problem seeing the things we were interested in, though we have had to wait a few minutes to “pet” the sea creatures in the petting area.
Summary and Rating ★★★★☆
Four stars. The giant fist tank and penguins are super fun to see but without a pass/discount this place is quite expensive. We’ve been to the aquarium a couple of times, it’s a great activity during the cold winter months when you need to get out of the house and walk around someplace warm. We always enjoy seeing the sea creatures, but the crowds paired with the big open space and low lighting makes my son feel the need to dash around like a mad man until he is worn out and cranky so most of our visits have been short lived. :/
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.
New England Aquarium 1 Central Wharf Boston, MA 02110
Hours: Fall-Winter Hours Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm Saturday – Sunday 9 am – 6 pm
Summer Hours July 1 – September 7 (Labor Day) Sunday – Thursday 9 am – 6 pm Friday – Saturday 9 am – 7 pm
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1) Boston Bike Party Presents: Neon Masquerade (Jan 15)
2) Casual Friday at BSO (Jan 15)
3) Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 16)
4) Bio Blitz (Jan 16)
5) Cambridge Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 16)
6) Potter’s Talk with Ben Owen III (Jan 17)
7) Martin Luther King Jr. Day Open House at the MFA (Jan 18)
8) Many Helping Hands MLK Day of Service 2016 (Jan 18)
9) Lego Club (Jan 19)
10) Frog Pond Ice Skating (Jan 21)
11) ICA Free Thursday Nights (Jan 21)
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Detailed Listings
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1) Boston Bike Party Presents: Neon Masquerade (Jan 15)
When:
Friday, Jan 15, 2016 7:00p –
9:00p
Where:
Copley Square
1 Copley Sq
Boston, MA 02115
Admission:
FREE
You are cordially invited to Boston Bike Party’s Neon Masquerade! Stay warm behind a mask and choose when to reveal your true identity, if ever. Add some feathers, glam, or glitter, but make sure to be bright! We’ll be lighting up the streets before we dance our way to midnight.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Copley Square, 7:00pm
Short ride followed by EPIC after party at POPAllston
Where:: Boston Symphony Orchestra / Boston Pops / Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Cost: $25-$45
Fran?ois-Xavier Roth conducts Mozart and Stravinsky featuring Elizabeth Rowe and Jessica Zhou
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Hall Boston MA
Artist & Program Information
Fran?ois-Xavier Roth, conductor
Elizabeth Rowe, flute
Jessica Zhou, harp
MOZART Concerto in C for flute and harp, K.299 (29 min)
STRAVINSKY Petrushka (1911 version) (35 min)
You are invited to wear your favorite casual attire, and to arrive early to enjoy a free, pre-concert reception before you take your seat. This lowerpriced series also allows you to use tablets-to be provided by the BSO-if you choose to sit in a designated area in the rear of the orchestra floor. Tablet seating is in Orchestra Price classes 5 & 6 only. If you do not wish to participate in the tablet seating, please do not select these price areas.
Presenting the very best variety of products from New England farms and specialty vendors including vegetables, fruit, meat, cheese, fish, baked goods, and lots more.
Live music, delicious treats in two cafe areas and a chance to meet friends — Chase away the chill of even the coldest winter day with us!
December through March at 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA. Every Saturday from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM (closed Dec 26, 2015)
Unseasonably warm weather in Boston has changed how plants and animals hunt, sleep, migrate, feed, reproduce and thrive in our environment. Come explore and investigate how life is adapting to our changing climate in the beautiful Arnold Arboretum this January. Bring your curiosity and a smart phone. We will be uploading our findings to citizen science platform iNaturalist during our (indoor) debrief immediately following our outdoor musings.
Join us for the 5th Annual Opening Day of the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market at the Cambridge Community Center! We will be open every Saturday from 10 am – 2 pm from January through April!
The opening day will feature local food and drinks, live music, an art project hosted by the Riverside Gallery, a photo booth, and face painting.
Our vendors for opening day:
Valicenti Pasta Farm Winter Moon Roots Copicut Farms Jubali BirchTree Bread Company Marblehead Salt Co. Sweet Lydia’s Apex Orchards El Recreo Estate Coffee, Inc. Fungi Ally Freedom Food Farm Levend Bakery Chickadee Farm Silverbrook Farm Narragansett Creamery The Soup Guy Honeycomb Creamery Kitchen Millie Lilac Hedge Farm Dan’s Power Plant Moose Cup Samira’s Homemade Just Add Cooking Soluna Garden Farm Jennifer Lee’s Gourmet Bakery
Our musicians:
JackKnife Valentines
JackKnife Valentines influences run from Bob Dylan and the Band to James Brown, Bill Withers and Gil Scott Heron. With two amazing lead singers in Jimmy James and Gene McAuliffe, their songs span roots americana, soul and country. Members of the band have played in prominent blues, rock, and alternative groups around Boston for several decades. Basically, it’s all about soul and playing from your heart.
James McCarthy
James McCarthy is a singer, pianist that performs upbeat pop music and catchy original songs.
6) Potter’s Talk with Ben Owen III (Jan 17)
When:
Sunday, Jan 17, 2016 2:00p –
4:00p
Where:
Pucker Gallery
240 Newbury St, 3rd floor
Boston, MA 02116
Admission:
FREE
Ben Owen III is an American studio potter working in Seagrove, North Carolina. Born into a traditional pottery family, he was first introduced to clay by his grandfather when he was eight years old. Ben?s natural talent and unusual level of interest led to an apprenticeship with his grandfather and father by age 13. Through high school, he carefully studied the shapes, glazes, and traditions of the Owen aesthetic and learned to appreciate the history and legacy of generations of craft.
During college, Ben?s interest in form, design, and color piqued; and he began to forge his own unique path in clay. Through technical exploration and academic influences, Ben?s clay vernacular began to evolve. Travels in the US attending workshops and conferences along with a fellowship in Japan, extended his continued research. Ben?s recent passions have included glaze creation and experimentation.
Works created by Mr. Owen are included in numerous museum collections including the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC; The International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, NM; The Schein-Joseph International Museum of Art in Alfred, NY; and The Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, NC.
The exhibition Rich History, Vibrant Present will be held from 16 January through 28 February, 2016 at Pucker Gallery.
7) Martin Luther King Jr. Day Open House at the MFA (Jan 18)
When: Monday, January 18, 2016, 10am ? 4:45pm
Where: Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Cost: Free
Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by surrounding yourself with art, culture and community. Enjoy free admission all day long and an array of vibrant programs and activities for all ages.
8) Many Helping Hands MLK Day of Service 2016 (Jan 18)
When:
Monday, Jan 18, 2016 2:00p –
5:00p
Where:
Central Square, City Hall and Cambridge Senior Center
795 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
Admission:
FREE
Make Jan. 18 MLK Day A Day of Service for the Cambridge Community
This is the 6th Annual Cambridge Day of Service that Many Helping Hands 365 has organized to celebrate the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
The event is free and open to the public.
All ages are welcome to help with hands-on crafts projects that benefit Cambridge residents in need. Join us for an afternoon of hands-on service projects! Make fleece scarves and blankets for homeless children and adults. Make Valentines for elders and veterans. Sort food, winter clothing, books and toiletries for people in need and more!
Come spend an afternoon making a difference in the lives of others. Many people. Many needs. Many Helping Hands.
Many thanks to the many organizations, city departments, businesses and individuals who help make Cambridge MLK Day of Service possible.
Don’t come empty handed!
Bring a can of food, gently used winter clothing or a children’s book for someone in need. We are also collecting and sorting donations of food, children’s books and winter clothing at the event.
All ages welcome! We need everyone’s helping hands
9) Lego Club (Jan 19)
When: Tuesday, January 19, 2016, 3:30 ? 4:30pm
Where: Children’s Library
Central Library in Copley Square
700 Boylston Street
Boston MA 02116
Cost: Free
Details: Children of all ages build and play together with LEGO and DUPLO bricks.
10) Frog Pond Ice Skating (Jan 21)
When:
Tuesday, Dec 22, 2015 10:00a – Thursday, Mar 10, 2016 10:00p
Where:
Frog Pond
Boston Common
Boston, MA
Admission:
$5
The absolute best place to skate outdoors in Boston. Open to the public with skate rentals available. Weather permitting, ice skating returns to Boston Common Frog Pond mid-November of each year.
Open Daily starting Saturday, Nov 22, 2015:
Mon 10AM-4PM
Tue-Thu 10AM-9PM
Fri-Sat 10AM-10PM
Sun 10AM-9PM
Daily Admission:
Adult Admissions (14+): $5.00
Kid Admissions (13 & under): FREE
Rentals:
Adult Skate Rentals: $10.00
Kid Skate Rentals: $5.00
Locker Rentals: $2.00
Skate Sharpening
$8.00 per pair
11) ICA Free Thursday Nights (Jan 21)
When: Thursday, January 21, 2016, 4 ? 9pm
Where: The Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave
Boston, MA 02210
Cost: Free
FREE for all every Thursday from 4 to 9 PM during ICA Free Thursday Nights. Special hours: From Oct, 10, 2015 to Jan 24, 2016, Free Thursdays will start early at 4 PM in conjunction with Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933?1957.
Winters are long and cold here in Boston and it’s easy to start feeling locked in and going a little crazy. One place I kept hearing that we needed to check out to assuage these winter blues was the Boston Children’s Museum.
I wanted to go check it out for a while but felt like it was ridiculously expensive for a one time visit ($14 per person, including young children) but not awful for a year long family membership ($150/year). I needed to get out to stay sane so I decided it was worth it and that we may as well just get a membership.
We waited for a warmish day and walked the 2 miles to get there, but there are lots of other transportation options to get you their more easily, I’ll list them below.
The Boston’s Children’s Museum is tall and laid out with a bunch of different themed rooms, like a music room, a community room (where they have a small grocery store, a barber shop, and a dress up station), a construction room where kids can build things or climb in crazy tunnels and most importantly for us at the time, a little kid room where you were only allowed if you were under… I want to say two… This room had books, puzzles, a climbing area, and bubbles.
We made it to the museum and let our son go wild. He loved it… and I’ve never seen him throw so many tantrums so he also might have been a little over stimulated… :/ I mean there were about a million-billion kids there going crazy and so many new things to see and do.
After having a membership for a while I realized that the Children’s Museum is always crowded, even during week days during the school year. My son really loved it, but I felt like at a 1.5 years old he was constantly getting plowed over by other, bigger kids, and when our membership expired I decided not to renew it until my son is a little older and more able to enjoy the bigger exhibits.
Things to Note:
1) Price I think it’s fairly expensive for a single visit. $16/person for anyone over 12 months or $150 for a four person family year long membership. Also if you want to try it out before you commit, and you don’t mind large crowds, you can check out the museum for $1/person on Friday nights between 5-9pm.
3) Stroller Friendliness Surprisingly not very stroller friendly for such a child centric place. We always ended up there with a stroller and had to drag it around room to room with us. There is a little bit of stroller parking near the toddler area and you can leave your stroller at the end of a couple of corridors, but there really isn’t a place to check them in and some of the room spaces are too tight to accommodate them. The museum suggests leaving them behind or bring a smaller umbrella stroller that can fit in a storage locker.
4) Lots of Kids, Always This places is a mad house of kids during the weekends, but I found it to also be quite busy during the week with field trips and the like, and the toy and exhibits are all fairly well loved/used.
Summary and Rating ★★★★☆
Four Stars. This place has a lot to offer, but I think it’s fairly expensive and much better suited to children older than two years. I felt like my little son ended up getting run over by less well accompanied older children and the baby/toddler room didn’t hold our interest super long. We’ll try going back when he’s a little bit older, but for now we’re going to stick with the Boston Museum of Science.
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 Children’s Museum 308 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210
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1) Ottawa International Animation Festival (Today)
2) La Fete des Rois (Jan 9)
3) Ben Rawlence discusses CITY OF THORNS: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp (Jan 9)
4) Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market (Jan 9)
5) Kids’ Shows: Debbie and Friends (Jan 10)
6 Urban Gardening Series: Water Conservation in the Garden (Jan 10)
7) South Station Chess Simultaneous Exhibition (Jan 12)
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1) Ottawa International Animation Festival (Today)
When:
Friday, Jan 08, 2016 7:00p –
Sunday, Jan 10, 2016 5:00p
Where:
Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave
Boston, MA 02210
Admission:
$5-10
Fri, Jan 8, 7 PM
Sun, Jan 10, 3 PM
FREE for Associate Members + above / $5 members + students / $10 nonmembers
Enjoy the world’s most cutting-edge, thoughtful, funny, and provocative animation at the ICA’s presentation of the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s best selections from 2015. Whether you love classic cartoons, mind-bending experiments, fantastic digital creations, dazzling effects, technical fireworks, thought-provoking observations, or pure gut-busting fun, there is something for everyone. Intended for mature audiences.
A traditional French holiday, la F’te des Rois (Feast of the Kings) is a festive event and an opportunity for families to gather for some delicious Galette des Rois (King’s cake).
Children will enjoy fun activities while the galettes are warming up in the oven, then we will all enjoy a generous slice of the cake! If it’s your lucky day, your piece of galette will hold the I’ve (bean) and you will be crowned king or queen!
Pricing
Members:
$8 adults, $4 children, $15 family (2 adults and 1 or 2 children).
Non-Members:
$12 adults, $6 children, $25 family (2 adults and 1 or 2 children).
3) Ben Rawlence discusses CITY OF THORNS: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp (Jan 9)
When:
Saturday, Jan 09, 2016 11:00a – 12:00p
Where:
MIT Coop at Kendall Square
325 Main St
Cambridge, MA 02142
Admission: FREE
Book talk and signing with author, Ben Rawlence, about his latest work, “CITY OF THORNS: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp.”
Former Human Rights Watch researcher Rawlence (Radio Congo: Signals of Hope from Africa’s Deadliest War, 2012) tells the distressing story of Kenya’s vast Dadaab refugee camp, where nearly 500,000 people fleeing civil war in nearby Somalia live in a “teeming ramshackle metropolis” the size of Atlanta. Drawing on hundreds of interviews conducted during a series of extended visits to Dadaab since 2010, the author plunges readers into this hellish city of “mud, tents and thorns,” where three generations of displaced persons have lived amid malnourishment and disease.
Organized by the MIT Center for International Studies.
Presenting the very best variety of products from New England farms and specialty vendors including vegetables, fruit, meat, cheese, fish, baked goods, and lots more.
Live music, delicious treats in two cafe areas and a chance to meet friends — Chase away the chill of even the coldest winter day with us!
December through March at 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA. Every Saturday from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM (closed Dec 26, 2015)
Debbie and Friends concerts are fun for the whole family! Celebrate the release of the new Variety Show DVD with this multimedia kids/family concert. Proceeds from DVD sales will be donated to The Greater Boston Food Bank.
6) Urban Gardening Series: Water Conservation in the Garden (Jan 10)
When: Sunday, Jan 10, 2016 1:30p – 3:00p
Where:
Cambridge Public Library
449 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 01238
Admission: FREE
All gardeners aim to beautify the world. But we also have a responsibility to ensure that our actions contribute to, rather than detract from, the environment. Learn how water conservation practices can help you to create beautiful garden spaces without wasting precious water resources.
This class is part of our Urban Gardening Series a set of classes designed to help city dwellers grow healthy, sustainable, and beautiful urban gardens. Led by Society staff in partnership with the Cambridge Conservation Commission, these free classes take place at the Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA.
Sunday, January 10, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Cambridge Public Library,
449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
Program Code: LEC6551
Instructor: Mark Richardson, Horticulture Director, New England Wild Flower Society
7) South Station Chess Simultaneous Exhibition (Jan 12)
When: Tuesday, Jan 12, 2016 12:00p – 2:00p
Where:
South Station
700 Atlantic Ave
Boston, MA 02111
Admission: FREE
Now at lunchtime: 12pm – 2pm
Come to South Station for a chance to play Grand Master Larry Christiansen – for free! A 3-Time American Chess Champion, Mr. Christiansen will play 25 games simultaneously.
All are welcome to play, or come watch Larry’s technique and skills.
We went to the Museum of Science with some friends shortly after we moved to Boston (before we had kids) and we loved it! There was so much to do and so much to explore. They had a fantastic lightening exhibit, a weather station where you could see touch and feel all sorts of weather related things, science puzzles that test probabilities given different circumstances, pirate ships and more. We spent three hours there, saw maybe half the museum and had to head home because my husband had a take home test and MIT is not very forgiving when it comes to testing. Grr.
Fast forward a few years and I went back with my toddler son in tow, and was amazed all over again at what the Boston Museum of Science had to offer. This time I was amazed by the live animal shows, ball runs and an amazing little kid only area that is crowd controlled so that once you’re inside your child can enjoy the toys without being over crowded.
We love the toddler area, it’s got stroller parking right out front and two levels of awesome things to play with and explore. The top level has a ball run that sucks up ping pong balls and then drops them down a shoot. The shoot has a bunch of magnetic pieces that can be moved and manipulated to change how the balls drop down and my son happily played with just the ball run for over an hour.
Things to Note:
1) Price It’s expensive if you don’t have a discounted pass ($22/person, children under 3 are free) However you can get discounted passes from the library if your a Boston local and MIT has a sweet deal where students can get in for free and can buy discount tickets for $7 for anyone else.
2) Stroller Friendliness This place is huge! Bring a stroller! If you use the baby/toddler area you will be asked to park your stroller out front near it, but if you want to see some of the other amazing things the museum has to offer and you have little ones you’ll want the help of a stroller to get them around.
3) Baby/Toddler Area The Museum of Science has an amazing baby/toddler only area. We go and only go there and still feel like we’ve had a great trip. They have tons for your little one to do and it’s crowd controlled so your little one wont be over run.
4) Getting There The “T” drops off nice and close to the Museum of Science they also have a parking garage so getting there is a snap.
Summary and Rating ★★★★★
Five Stars. I have loved the Boston Museum of Science every time we’ve gone. It was a ton of fun to go as an adult and to be able to explore interesting bits of science and I love taking my son. The toddler room is clean, there is plenty to see, and even I find the toddler toys interesting and engaging. If you’re looking for a membership somewhere to get away from the winter blues this would be my location of choice.
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.
