Boston, or more lovingly known as Beantown, is a treasure trove of family-friendly activities. The city is alive with so many things to do that your head will spin. Endless activities can mean that you will have to make hard choices of what to see and what to skip if you have a limited amount of time, especially if you only have 24 hours. I am going to tell you our family’s top 6 favorite activities to do when we are in Boston for only 24 hours.
1. Visit The New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium is a great way for animal-loving families to spend a few hours in Boston. They have all kinds of sea creatures from tiny little fish to sharks to sea lions.
Admission ticket prices are $27.95 for adults, $18.95 for children ages 3-11, and free for children under 3. I highly recommend buying your tickets online ahead of time. The ticket lines can be incredibly long especially during the peak summer season.
2. Take a Trolley Tour
A trolley tour is a great way to see the city for families because it lets you see the sights without all of the walking and complaining about all of the walking from the kids.
Old Town Trolley is a great one to do. The tour has 19 stops and you get all day on and off privileges with your ticket. So you can jump out at a stop and explore and jump back onto your next stop whenever you are ready. A harbor cruise is also included in the ticket! Prices are $37.76 for adults, $18.86 for children ages 4-12, and children under 4 are free. You can save a little bit of money if you buy online. Also, I would recommend checking Groupon for deals too.
3. Check out a Red Sox game
Even if you are a die-hard fan of another baseball team, a Red Sox game is a must-do family activity in Boston. The historic Fenway Park, also known as The Green Monster, is a sight to see.
A Red Sox game is a great way to embrace the heart of Boston on your vacation. True Bostonians eat, sleep, and breathe Red Sox.
And I don’t know any kids who don’t love hot dogs and cotton candy. It’s a win-win for my kids.
4. Go on a Harbor Cruise
A harbor cruise is a great way to learn some Boston history while seeing the sights of Boston harbor. They are usually about 45 minutes long which is the perfect length of time to keep the attention of little ones.
There are great big windows that the kids love to look out.
This is a great thing to do when everyone could use a little break and rest from a long day of sightseeing.
5. Visit the USS Constitution Museum
I always like to throw in just a little bit of history whenever we are on vacation. I was surprised at how much my kids actually liked our visit to the USS Constitution Museum. They were so excited that we could actually go on the ship and check it out!
After we boarded and visited the ship, there is a small little museum to explore. The hammock beds were, of course, a big hit.
Admission is free but they do ask for donations. The recommended family donation is $20.
6. Have dinner in the North End
The last stop after all this sightseeing should be to have dinner in the North End. The North End of Boston is equivalent to taking a trip to a little town in Italy. It is full of wonderful restaurants and delectable dessert options. There are so many places to choose from and they are all great. My personal choice would be a restaurant with outside dining if the weather is nice. My kids love to eat outside and we do it whenever possible.
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