Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
out of the
Paul Revere House
(
&
617/523-2338;
p. 155). Young visitors who have
read Robert McCloskey's classic
Make Way for Ducklings
will relish a visit to the
Pub-
lic Garden
(p. 163), and fans of E. B. White's
The Trumpet of the Swan
certainly will
want to ride on the
Swan Boats
(
&
617/522-1966;
p. 163). Considerably less tame
(and much longer) are
whale watches
(p. 178).
Boston Harbor Cruises,
1 Long Wharf (
&
877/SEE-WHALE
or 617/227-4321;
www.bostonharborcruises.com), offers a cruise called
Codzilla,
which it bills as a
“high-speed thrill boat ride.” It leaves Long Wharf on the hour from 10am to 4pm
daily in the summer; from the shore, you may be able to hear delighted screaming.
Tickets cost $19 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $15 for children 4 to 12; reservations
are recommended.
Note:
At press time, the
Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum
(
&
617/269-7150;
www.bostonteapartyship.com) was under renovation and scheduled to reopen in the
summer of 2009. The expanded museum complements full-size replicas of the three
merchant ships that were raided during the colonial uprising in December 1773. I've
written this paragraph at least once a year since a devastating fire shuttered the attrac-
tion in 2001, so definitely check ahead before heading out.
WALKING TOURS
Boston By Foot
(
&
617/367-2345,
or 617/367-3766 for recorded information;
www.bostonbyfoot.com) has a special walk,
“Boston By Little Feet,”
that's geared to
children 6 to 12 years old. The 60-minute walk gives a child's-eye view of the archi-
tecture along the Freedom Trail and of Boston's role in the American Revolution.
Children must be accompanied by an adult, and a map is provided. Tours run from
May through October and begin at the statue of Samuel Adams on the Congress
Street side of Faneuil Hall, Friday and Saturday at 10am, Sunday at 2pm, rain or
shine. The cost is $8 per person.
Blue Hills Trailside Museum
At the foot of Great Blue Hill, a 20-minute
drive south of Boston, this museum is fun for all ages and especially popular with the
under-10 set. Here you'll see replicas of the natural habitats found in the area, displays
about Native Americans, and live animal exhibits. Resident animals include owls,
honeybees, otters, foxes, snakes, opossum, and turtles. Children can feed the ducks
and turkeys. Other activities include climbing the lookout tower and hiking around
the 7,500-acre Blue Hills Reservation recreation area. On weekends, there's story time
at 11am and natural-history programs at 12:30 and 2pm. Special events and family
programs change with the seasons; call ahead to register.
1904 Canton Ave., Milton.
&
617/333-0690.
www.massaudubon.org. Admission $3 adults, $2 seniors, $1.50 chil-
dren 3-12, free for children under 3 and Massachusetts Audubon Society members. Wed-Sun and Mon holidays
10am-5pm. By car, take I-93 south to Exit 2B (Rte. 138 north).
Kids
Boston Children's Museum
As you approach the Children's Museum,
look for the 40-foot-high red-and-white milk bottle out front—and for children and
their chronological-adult companions racing each other to the entrance. The under-
11 set is the target audience for this delightful museum, but it appeals to the little kid
in everyone.
The museum reopened in April 2007 after an ambitious expansion project added
23,000 square feet of space and overhauled the 75,000-square-foot interior of the
converted wool warehouse. As they explore, beginning in the glass-enclosed lobby,
young visitors can stick with their adults or wander on their own, learning, doing,
Kids
