Kick-start the 2023-24 school year and enjoy some family fun in Boston

 
 

A Large Building With A Red And White Tower
Attention parents traveling into Boston or living in Massachusetts
This iconic city features prominently in American history as well as in current events and issues of worldwide interest. As kids have fun while visiting Boston, they will continue their learning journey outside the classroom. 

Boston Children’s Museum: 
Lots of grown-ups forget that play isn’t frivolous, but “it enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function (ie, the process of learning, rather than the content), which allow us to pursue goals and ignore distractions.” The Boston Children’s Museum wants kids to play more! This inviting museum is loaded with hands-on experiences for children to play and learn. BCM is one of the few children’s museums in the US that maintains a permanent collection. For more than a century, BCM has been collecting objects of American history and cultural artifacts from around the globe.

Boston Museum of Science - MOS
If you’ve never seen an IMAX® film projected onto a five-story-high domed screen, you’re in luck because the MOS features the Mugar Omni Theater. Films cover topics like natural history and ground-breaking science; summer 2023 brings sci-fi classics to the super-sized screen on select Friday and Saturday evenings. Maybe the planetarium is more to your liking, or perhaps a 4D movie, a full sensory experience including smells and touch! Hands-on STEM activities and interactive exhibits are only a sampling of the museum’s offerings.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Quincy Market
 Located along the Freedom Trail, this is where shopping and history intersect! A prominent Bostonian, and the namesake of Faneuil Hall, gave the building and grounds to the city. Faneuil Hall has been used for a variety of purposes, including  a marketplace, a meeting house, and a theater. Technically, Faneuil Hall Market is the name of the entire property; however, the public still refers to Quincy Market as a separate entity. 

From 11 am to 9 pm daily, the Marketplace comes alive with music and good times, courtesy of world-renowned street performers and local musicians. Check out the performance roster and events calendar.

The Boston Common
 The oldest city park in the US is Boston Common and it has a rich history dating back to the early 1600s. Throughout the centuries this centrally-located, 50-acre patch of land has served as a common area for grazing livestock, public executions, encampment for British troops, protests and celebrations, and all things recreational. 

It’s worth noting that Boston Common is included in several groups of historical sites and recreational areas within the city. It serves as one of two trailheads of the Freedom Trail; it’s part of the Emerald Necklace public park system; and it figures prominently as part of Boston National Historical Park. 

Harborwalk
The North End’s Harborwalk intersects at numerous points along the Freedom Trail, much like an interstate system for foot traffic. Work on this waterfront property commenced in 1984 and is ongoing! The finished project is expected to result in a 47 mile trek along wharves and piers throughout the city. Currently the Harborwalk brings visitors to numerous educational and historical sites, recreational areas, shopping and restaurants, and a variety of transportation options such as the Boston Water Taxi. 

“Old Ironsides”: USS Constitution Museum
Built in 1797, this three-masted, wood-hulled frigate is now berthed near its North End birthplace, at the old Charlestown Navy Yard. During her lifetime she has victoriously engaged in naval battles in the Caribbean and during the War of 1812, and was a training ship for the US Naval Academy during the Civil War. She was the flagship for African and Mediterranean squadrons, circumnavigated the world, and sailed under her own power on her 200th birthday; then she did it again 15 years later. She is the third of six heavy frigates constructed under the Naval Act of 1794, as well as the only survivor. As the world’s oldest ship still afloat, the Constitution remains fully-commissioned with a crew of 75 active-duty Navy personnel under the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Back-to-school time coincides with amazing weather in historic Boston, and there may be no better time to visit. History and informal learning opportunities are everywhere in Boston, so what are you waiting for? 

A Brick Walkway Between Buildings

Book a room right on the Boston Harborwalk
Staying at the Battery Wharf Hotel puts you right on the Boston Harborwalk, which connects to the Freedom Trail. Launch your family adventure by booking a room now.

A Collage Of A Living Room