13 Family-Friendly Places in Boston for Kids

Boston is brimming with fun, enriching spots that kids (and parents!) will love. As a parent living in the Boston area, I’ve rounded up some favorite family-friendly venues we love.

Boston Children’s Museum

Address: 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Outside the Boston Children’s Museum stands the giant 40-foot Hood Milk Bottle – an ice cream stand shaped like a milk jug that’s a perfect photo op. Step inside the museum and you’ll find three floors designed just for kids. Highlights include the New Balance Climb, a three-story climbing sculpture, and the Science Playground, where kids blow giant soap bubbles and experiment with golf balls on ramps. Every exhibit is hands-on: kiddos can build and splash in the water play area, put on shows at KidStage, or create art in the studio. There’s even a dedicated PlaySpace for toddlers, making this museum a whole day of play and discovery for ages 0–12.

Tip: Look for Arthur the Aardvark on the roof, and after your visit, let the kids burn off energy at Martin’s Park playground next door!

Discovery Museum

Address: 177 Main St, Acton, MA 01720

This hands-on STEM museum in Acton beautifully blends science, nature, and play. Indoors offers interactive exhibits on water, air, light, color, sound, and more – all designed for open-ended exploration. Kids can don lab coats in the STEM lab, serve pretend pizza in a diner, or build and tinker in the maker spaces. Outside, the museum’s Discovery Woods features an accessible 550-square-foot treehouse connected by a wiggly bridge to a nature playscape. Children love climbing the giant treehouse, scrambling up the net, soaring on the nest swing, and zooming down the slide hill – all in a 4.5-acre campus abutting 180 acres of forest. Programs like outdoor art and nature scavenger hunts run year-round.

Bonus for parents: admission is free on the first Friday night of each month (Oct–June), making this award-winning museum as budget-friendly as it is fun.

New England Aquarium

Address: 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110

Boston’s waterfront aquarium is a splashy hit with kids who love sea creatures. The centerpiece is the Giant Ocean Tank, a four-story coral reef habitat you spiral around on a ramp – an ingenious way to keep little ones moving while gazing at sharks, sea turtles, and tropical fish gliding past. At the base, an open penguin colony waddles and swims, eliciting happy “oohs” and giggles (fans of Happy Feet will be delighted!). The Shark and Ray Touch Tank is often the grand finale – children can gently stroke cownose rays and small sharks as they glide by, an experience that always generates excitement. Don’t miss the mesmerizing moon jellies and the playful seals; in fact, Atlantic harbor seals can be watched for free in an outdoor tank on the plaza, no ticket required. With IMAX films, a hands-on tidepool, and even harbor cruises for whale watching, the New England Aquarium offers endless marine magic for all ages.

Museum of Science

Address: 1 Science Park, Boston, MA 02114

Boston’s Museum of Science packs in so much interactive learning that kids won’t even realize how much they’re learning. Budding paleontologists can come face-to-face with a life-sized T. rex model and one of the world’s only near-complete Triceratops fossils (“Cliff”) on display. Active kids make a beeline for Science in the Park, essentially an indoor playground of seesaws, slides, and race tracks that demonstrate physics concepts like momentum and leverage through play. Don’t miss the famous Lightning! Show in the Theater of Electricity – a hair-raising 20-minute presentation where the world’s largest Van de Graaff generator shoots genuine lightning bolts overhead (warning: loud but thrilling for ages ~7+, and utterly awe-inspiring). The museum’s Hall of Human Life engages kids with 70+ interactive exhibits about the human body – they can test their balance, check their pulse, see live honeybees in a hive, and watch chicks hatching. Between the planetarium star shows, live animal presentations, and hands-on engineering design workshops, there’s something to ignite every child’s curiosity here.

Insider tip: The museum is huge. Plan on spending a few hours, and catch a break by watching a short film in the domed IMAX theater.

Franklin Park Zoo

Address: 1 Franklin Park Rd, Boston, MA 02121

Head to this 72-acre zoo in Boston’s Franklin Park for animal adventures in the city. Kids can come face-to-face with a gorilla troop at the new Gorilla Grove habitat, where floor-to-ceiling viewing stations and an overhead treetop walkway let you watch gorillas climb above you! Elsewhere, stroll past giraffes nibbling leaves, spot zebras and kangaroos on the grassy safari area, and roar “hello” to Kiki the lion. Little ones love popping up in the prairie dog tunnels and getting nose-to-nose with red pandas on the Bamboo Climber playground. A 10,000-square-foot Children’s Zoo play area invites kids to hop like frogs, slide out of a giant giraffe’s mouth, and climb on giant carp fish statues – a perfect spot to burn off energy. Franklin Park Zoo also offers creature encounters like feeding a budgie in the free-flight aviary or petting goats at the Franklin Farm. Don’t miss ZooLights in winter, when the zoo transforms into a sparkling night wonderland with hundreds of large lantern sculptures (a towering 115-foot illuminated octopus is a showstopper!)

Stone Zoo

Address: 149 Pond St, Stoneham, MA 02180

Smaller in size but big on charm, the Stone Zoo in Stoneham is perfect for a shorter outing with young kids. Here you can meet snow leopards and black bears, watch North American river otters splashing around, and say hello to fuzzy arctic foxes and cougars. In warmer months, the Caribbean Coast aviary wows kids with flamingos and macaws, and just next door is a rare exhibit of bush dogs (a species you won’t see in any other New England zoo!) Tucked by the barnyard is a nature-themed playground – with a nature playscape plus a petting area where kids can groom dwarf goats and sheep. The Stone Zoo’s crowning glory is ZooLights in the holiday season: each December, the paths turn into a 26-acre winter wonderland of twinkling lights and glowing animal sculptures. Unlike drive-through light displays, here you walk through magical tunnels of lights while real critters look on – you might spy reindeer, black bears, or Canada lynx watching you amid the sparkle. Enjoying a hot cocoa as you stroll among thousands of lights and actual wildlife is a truly unique Boston-area tradition that will enchant the whole family.

Boston Common

Address: 139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111

Boston Common isn’t just a historic park – it’s a giant backyard playground for local families right in the heart of the city. In summer, kids can cool off at the Commons’ famous Frog Pond, which becomes a big wading pool and spray fountain for splashing (a 70-foot water spray shoots up for maximum giggles and soakage). Parents can relax on the benches while little ones toddle in the inch-deep water or get doused by the fountain plume. Right next door, Tadpole Playground offers swings, slides, and climbing structures amid the shade – a perfect complement to Frog Pond fun. When winter arrives, the Frog Pond transforms into an outdoor ice skating rink with rentals, lockers, and a snack bar with hot chocolate. Skating under the open sky on the Common is a classic cold-weather joy (and on special occasions like New Year’s Eve, there are ice shows and celebrations). Year-round, the Commons’ wide lawns and paved paths are ideal for picnics, kite-flying, or riding a carousel (seasonally open on the Common). And just across Charles Street in the Public Garden, don’t forget to visit the famous Make Way for Ducklings statues – kids love to climb on these bronze ducklings for a quintessential Boston photo.

Greenway Carousel and Haymarket

Address: 200 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110

For a delightful city adventure, take the kiddos to ride the Greenway Carousel on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. This is no ordinary carousel – it’s a one-of-a-kind menagerie of hand-carved New England critters, from a swooping peregrine falcon to a sea turtle, a lobster, even a whimsical sea serpent gondola. The characters were inspired by drawings from Boston schoolchildren, which makes each ride feel extra magical, knowing kids helped imagine it. The carousel is fully accessible (so all kids can ride) and set in a lovely park with fountains, gardens, and public art. After a spin or two (or three!), wander a few steps over to Haymarket, Boston’s bustling open-air market. On Fridays and Saturdays, Haymarket’s vendors line the street hawking everything from fresh fruits and veggies to fish just off the boat. It’s loud, lively, and full of bargains – essentially the opposite of a supermarket, in the best way: chaotic and fun. Kids will marvel at piles of colorful produce and the vendors theatrically shouting their prices. Grab a container of fresh berries or a bag of apple cider donuts from the adjacent Boston Public Market, and enjoy an impromptu snack in the Greenway Park. The combo of a carousel ride and a trip through Haymarket gives families a great taste of Boston’s downtown fun and local flavor (literally!).

Boston Fire Museum

Address: 344 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Have a little firetruck fan in the family? The Boston Fire Museum in South Boston is a hidden gem that will spark their excitement. Housed in a restored 1891 firehouse, this volunteer-run museum is free to visit on Saturdays (10am–4pm) and is filled with antique firefighting equipment and memorabilia. Kids’ eyes light up upon entering the one-room “garage” packed with vintage fire engines – and yes, children are allowed (even encouraged!) to climb aboard a real 1926 fire truck and imagine rushing off to save the day. Knowledgeable retired firefighters are often on hand to share stories and help the kids try on old-fashioned helmets and coats. There’s an interactive fire alarm box where kids can pull the lever and see how an old telegraph-style alarm system worked. From shiny brass fire poles to a collection of historic alarms, the museum offers an intriguing peek into 150+ years of firefighting history. Don’t be surprised if your little one walks out proudly wearing a plastic fire chief’s helmet – the museum often gives out free fire hats as souvenirs to young visitors. It’s a short, sweet visit (30-60 minutes is plenty) that pairs perfectly with a trip to the nearby Children’s Museum or Tea Party Ships. For any child who has ever loved fire trucks, this stop is a must-do – and for parents, the price (free!) can’t be beat.

Museum of Ice Cream (Boston)

Address: 121 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210

If your kids have a sweet tooth and a big imagination, the Museum of Ice Cream in Boston’s Seaport will be their dream come true. This immersive attraction is like stepping into a series of candy-colored playrooms, each with its own whimsical ice cream theme. Families get to eat unlimited ice cream (really!) as they wander through the exhibits. You might start in a pink retro diner where you can swing on a giant banana swing, then enter a “Funway Park” room with baseball-themed ice cream games, or chill in a cookie-themed living room that smells like fresh waffle cones. The grand finale is famously fun: you slide down into a pool of oversized rainbow sprinkles – yes, kids (and grown-ups) can swim in a sprinkle pit! It’s pure, silly joy and totally photo-worthy. Along the way, staff often lead games or challenges (like finding a “golden popsicle”) to keep everyone engaged. Parents appreciate the creativity and artistry of the installations – it’s part modern art, part playground. And in a nod to local flavor, the Boston location even offers a taste of “lobster ice cream” (don’t worry, it’s sweeter than it sounds) for the adventurous taster. With music pumping, colors exploding, and treats at every turn, the Museum of Ice Cream is an upbeat sensory adventure. It’s the perfect place for a family to indulge in some carefree play – and yes, you will find sprinkles in your shoes afterwards!

Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) – Family Highlights

Address: 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston, MA 02210

An art museum might not scream “kids,” but Boston’s ICA goes out of its way to welcome families and inspire young creatives. Perched on the Seaport waterfront in a striking modern building, the ICA always offers free admission for youth 18 and under, a fantastic perk. They host monthly “Play Date” family days, when on a designated Saturday, museum admission is free for the whole family (up to 2 adults per kid), and they put on special art activities for children. Even on regular days, visit the Bank of America Art Lab on the first floor. This hands-on studio space is open weekends and Thursday evenings for visitors of all ages to drop in and make art inspired by the museum’s exhibits. The ICA’s galleries feature contemporary art – some wild and colorful enough to captivate even younger kids, and constantly changing, so there’s often something interactive or visually intriguing to discuss. Don’t miss taking the kids out back to the ICA’s scenic harborfront deck: the giant wooden steps overlook Boston Harbor, and children can run around a bit or even pose with public art installations (in summer, the ICA opens a free outdoor Watershed gallery across the harbor, reachable by ferry). Visiting the ICA with kids is less about quietly staring at art and more about engaging with it – drawing, dancing at occasional kid-friendly performances, and letting kids see that art can be fun, weird, and thought-provoking. It’s a great way to introduce older kids to art in a relaxed, family-friendly setting.

LEGOLAND® Discovery Center (Boston)

Address: 598 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA 02145

Got a LEGO lover in your crew? Then LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston (actually in Somerville’s Assembly Row) will be a block-building paradise for them. Marked by a towering 20-foot LEGO giraffe named “Gio” at the entrance, this place is a cross between an amusement park, a children’s museum, and the ultimate LEGO playground. Inside, there are 12 themed zones packed with hands-on activities. Kids can hop on two mini-rides: a wizard-themed laser ride where you zap targets to save a princess, and “Merlin’s Apprentice,” where pedaling makes your seat fly higher. The 4D LEGO cinema plays short LEGO movies with 3D glasses plus wind, snow, and rain effects – expect giggles when it “snows” in the theater! A huge hit is the MiniLand Boston, an entire room of Boston’s skyline made from millions of LEGO bricks (watch day turn to night as the little Fenway Park lights up!). There’s also a soft LEGO Duplo® zone for toddlers, several build-and-test areas where kids can race LEGO cars or build skyscrapers and see if they withstand an earthquake shaker table, and a Creative Workshop where Master Model Builders offer tips. Your family can even design a custom mini-figure to take home. With its climbing play structure and endless bins of bricks, the Discovery Center invites kids to build – imagination is the only limit. Keep in mind that this attraction is designed for ages 3–10 (older teens might find it tame), and adults must accompany children. It can get busy on weekends, but timed ticketing helps.

Pro tip: Try to visit early or on a weekday, and you’ll have more room to play.

Metropolitan Waterworks Museum

Address: 2450 Beacon St, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

For a change of pace, how about exploring a “museum” of giant steam machines? The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, tucked in Boston’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood, offers a fascinating peek into how the city used to get its water – and it turns out to be surprisingly fun for kids who love big machines. Housed in a grand 1880s pumping station, the museum’s Great Engines Hall contains three massive, coal-powered steam pump engines, each over three stories tall. These Victorian-era contraptions are monuments of 19th-century technology – all levers, wheels, pistons, and pipes – that once pumped millions of gallons of clean water into Boston daily. Walking among them, kids look tiny and are often in awe. The museum encourages curious minds to explore: you can walk right up to the engines, peek inside the boilers, and even see a cutaway model showing how water flowed through the system. Helpful volunteers and interactive displays explain how the pumps worked and why clean water was important for the growing city (a little history and science lesson was rolled into one). Upstairs, a small gallery features hands-on exhibits and sometimes a scavenger hunt or craft for kids. Admission is free (donations welcome) and usually quiet, so you can go at your own pace. A visit might last an hour, longer if your kids get really into pretending to be engineers. If you have a child who loves trains, engines, or How It’s Made-style stuff, they’ll be enthralled by these giant pumps. Plus, parents often appreciate the gorgeous industrial architecture and the chance to learn some local history. It’s a low-key but very cool stop that proves even old water pumps can be exciting in the eyes of a child.