The Boston Children’s Museum
General Info
Situated just over the river on Congress Street, the Boston Children’s Museum is a must-visit location if you’ve got kids and are near the city. Admission is $9.00 for kids aged 1-12 and $12.00 for adults. One key tip is to check out this list to see if your town/city library participates in the Museum’s coupon program. Participating libraries have coupons that are good for 4 tickets at a reduced cost of $2.00. That’s $40.00 in savings for a family of four! Call your library to reserve tickets ahead of time as they usually have one coupon available for each day of the year. Pack a lunch and you’ve got a very inexpensive, fun, and educational day with the kids.
Lay of the Land
The museum spans 3 levels with 5-6 themed areas on each floor. It seemed logical to us to start at the top and make our way down, but the centrally located large elevator and staircase make is easy to move between levels during your visit, so order probably isn’t too important. Peep’s World on the 2nd floor is primarily a hands-on water play area. Science Playground on the 1st floor also has a hands-on bubble area. Even though there are plastic smocks for the kids, they are bound to get wet, so take that into consideration when planning your path through the museum.
The third floor has the Global Gallery, which features visiting exhibits, usually for several months at a time. Check the website to see what is currently there. Let’s Get Curious was there when we visited and we timed our stop to this floor based on a scheduled visit from George himself. Make sure you check the daily schedule on your way in. This floor also has an actual Japanese-style home which you can visit (make sure you take your shoes off!) as well as a construction zone and a room focused on Black history in Boston.
If you’ve got toddler-aged kids you will want to make sure to check out the PlaySpace on the 2nd floor. It is dedicated to kids 0-3 years old with a museum staffer guarding the door to make sure the older kids don’t sneak in. In this area are a large train track, blocks, puzzles, a play house and kitchen, bubble making area, and a special zone for little crawlers.
General Information
If you want to plan for eating during your visit, there is an Au Bon Pain connected to the eating area and you are welcome to bring your own. The map of the museum also lists some nearby restaurants if you’d like to go that route. There are a decent amount of tables and if the weather is nice, plenty of areas outside to eat. Lockers are available if you need to store any valuables without having to worry about carrying them around. Bring a few quarters to rent one of the self-service lockers. Strollers are welcome and there are plenty of ‘parking lots’ for them throughout the facility.
Other Highlights
We like that admission to the museum is all-inclusive, meaning if your kids want to take part in a special event or the frequent KidStage performances, it’s included!
We really enjoyed visiting the Japanese House, an authentic two-story silk merchant’s home from Kyoto, Japan. You have to take your shoes off to visit this one and it’s worthwhile as you’ll wonder how they got a real home into the museum. Your older kids will enjoy viewing how a different culture lives and be very happy to go home to their bed when they see the sleeping space in this home.
Kid Power is an active area focused on teaching kids about the activities that will make them healthier. There is an interactive dance floor, a rock-climbing wall, power pump seats, and other fun exercise activities.
The 3-story New Balance Climb is the centerpeice of the lobby when you enter the museum and is something your kids will want to try out. Painted, curved platforms encased with carpet seem to float around the central pole with a net surrounding the entire structure to make sure nobody falls out as the climb up. Unlike many climbing structures, parents can follow their kid’s progress on the stairs next to this structure.
What did you do this weekend?