Boston Trip--Looking for cool spots to hit & then teen pre-reading material

[Earthmerlin]

My 13 yr old & I are heading to Boston for a week in mid-July. I'm looking for any insider tips on places to go & stay, etc. I'd also like to know if you've any recc's on easy pre-reading material for her that'll give a succinct overview of the city, its sites, & history. Thanks!

[Lori D.]

Boston History for Kids: From Red Coats to Red Sox
while this book has a lot of hands-on activities, it looks like it has that concise history info that you are requesting

Stay outside of Boston
And ride the commuter train in; it's likely much cheaper, you don't have to drive in crazy Boston traffic, or try to find a non-existent parking spot. Many years ago when we visited, we stayed in a quaint inn in Rockport MA, about a 45 minute ride on the commuter train to Boston, and the walked everywhere. Gloucester was fun to walk around in -- a fun wharf with touristy shops and a little A-frame restaurant with FANTASTIC fresh clam chowder and lobster, where you sit outside and watch the boats go in and out of the bay. There is a cannonball stuck in the steeple of a church that was fired by the British during the War of 1812.

Tour the U.S.S. Constitution ("Old Ironsides") 
- Wikipedia article
- poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes which saved the ship from being scrapped
- Cornerstones of Freedom: Old Ironsides -- tells the story

Freedom Trail Walking Tour
Takes you past numerous Colonial historic sites.

A Modern Pastry Shop
Visit this Italian bakery (est. in 1930, so almost 100 years old!) not far from the Freedom Trail for a yummy, Italian cannoli.

We were only there for 1.5 days during the autumn/off-season, so it wasn't crowded, but we also didn't have time to see more. I can't imagine how PACKED with crowds it will be for you in mid summer, esp. right after Independence Day. 🫣 Good luck! 


And, here's a past thread: "Traveling to Boston this weekend" (looking for recommendations)

Edited April 29, 2023 by Lori D.

[Denise in IN]

Mike's Pastry for cannolis; Bova's Bakery for many other delicious sweets.  Bova's is my favorite.

The Duck boats are a combo of through the streets and on the water (the river).  We've not been on them but they look fun (very touristy! but a good overview of the city).

We went to the Boston Tea Party Museum on our last trip - it was a bit pricey but very well done.

USS Constitution and connected museum is very good.  Also Bunker Hill monument, which has a small museum in it.

Paul Revere House & Old North Church (they're on the North End section of the Freedom Trail walking tour).

If you like art, the Boston Public Library, Museum of Fine Art, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are all excellent.

Boston Common, Public Garden, and the Swan Boats.

Fenway Park has a great tour.  If you go there you're not far from the Charles River Esplanade. 

I've heard the Rose Kennedy Greenway is a really nice park.

That's a good starting list. 😄 Our son has lived in Boston for about a year; it's such a beautiful city!

I love the DK Top 10 Boston book.  It's more pictures and lists than reading, but it's a great way to learn about the city and get an idea of what you'd like to see and do there.

 

 

 

[JessReplanted]

Get familiar with the T (subway). 

The Freedom Trail is a great starting point. 

Lunch at Quincy Market. 
Dinner at The Union Oyster House for seafood with history!

Have fun!
 

 

[HomeAgain]

The story of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum heist is on Netflix.  It's called This Is A Robbery. 

My kids have enjoyed much of Boston.  We've done the Freedom Trail on foot, done parts of it with a hop on/hop off tour (and one of the drop offs was near the Spite House.  The Tea Party museum is somewhat gimmicky, but my youngest LOVES it.  Santarpio's has some great pizza - it's the pizza place they go to in Spotlight.  I believe it's cash only (and that's not uncommon), or it was when we went pre-pandemic, so that's something to prepare for if you go.  Honestly, every Italian place we've tried there has been great.

My own 13yo ds was just at Harvard a few weeks ago and didn't realize they have museums, too, so we need to go back ourselves.  I just noticed that the MFA is promoting their ancient art exhibit and he would enjoy going back just for that.

You should be able to stay anywhere the metro line extends to.

 

As far as a succinct book, I wish someone would write one!  I can find ones about the revolution or ones that feature Boston in later times, but nothing that really hits the highlights with a series of stories from the beginning to the present.  History That Doesn't Suck podcast covers the tea party era pretty well, but they haven't made it to the Great Molasses Flood.  Breeds/Bunker Hill is covered by plenty, but the building of the monument is freaking fascinating and leads to the development of the railroad system.  One of the docents at the Paul Revere house is really into the architecture and will give you a ton of fascinating details about the place if you hit a lull long enough for him to have downtime after the basic spiel about the room.  Spotlight itself is an interesting story, though may not be appropriate material yet. 

 

 

If you have a National Parks passport, bring it.  The Constitution is an NPS site, as well as a few others along the trail.

[HomeAgain]

Also, RAR did a very nice podcast on Robert McCloskey.  Even my youngest appreciated the glimpse into life with Sal and, closer to home, the collaboration with Nancy Schon, the artist who brought the ducks to "life" in Boston.

AND -something to point out as you do your trip: the Zakim bridge was not to be named that at all.  Mr. Zakim didn't want his name on it.  It's actually the Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, and the design is meant to mimic the monument.

[Foofaraw]

Highly recommend the John and Abigail Adams houses tour; you get to ride a trolley between the properties! 

https://www.nps.gov/adam/learn/historyculture/places.htm

Edit: best part is they have a lot of their personal furniture and books, etc. As I recall their dining table had hosted Lafayette and Washington!

Edited May 2, 2023 by Foofaraw

[Earthmerlin]

We plan to go to Salem as well.

[ChocolateCake]

My teens enjoyed the MIT Museum.

[HomeAgain]

I know your trip isn't for another few weeks, @Earthmerlin, and this came across the news this morning.  The Prudential Tower viewing station is now open. https://viewboston.com/ It's a bit on the pricey side, starting at $35/person, so I don't know how well that would work into your budget.  I'm not sure if there's a cheaper alternative to the same sort of view - Bunker Hill monument has a good one, ish, but it's also tight quarters up there - but I think this is something I'm putting on the list for possible trips later.

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

I know your trip isn't for another few weeks, @Earthmerlin, and this came across the news this morning.  The Prudential Tower viewing station is now open. https://viewboston.com/ It's a bit on the pricey side, starting at $35/person, so I don't know how well that would work into your budget.  I'm not sure if there's a cheaper alternative to the same sort of view - Bunker Hill monument has a good one, ish, but it's also tight quarters up there - but I think this is something I'm putting on the list for possible trips later.

I've never been up the Prudential, always opted for the John Hancock; not sure if their obsevation floor is still open.  It also had a diorama of Boston and the Back Bay that showed how it developed over time (from being originally a swamp/estuary)

[Helpdesk]

On 4/29/2023 at 12:49 PM, Lori D. said:

Freedom Trail Walking Tour
Takes you past numerous Colonial historic sites.

It took us three days to do all the tour, because we spent time at each locale. Very much worth the time. Younger kids might enjoy the Junior Ranger Program from the National Parks service. 

[2_girls_mommy]

We went a few years ago before Covid and did Harvard, the Freedom Trail (over two days, and still didn't go in every stop! There is SOO much!)  and enjoyed lots of what people are saying.  The park with the ducks across from Cheers was good too.  I can't remember if it is on the trail or not.  We went specifically to tour Harvard, and I was going to mention that I got a notice that the art museum on campus is now free to everyone.  When we went it was only free to students, so I didn't go in, but would have liked to.