Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children's Museum
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Highlights of this interactive museum include the "Science Playground," featuring giant soap bubble-making tools and the "New Balance Climb," which teaches kids the laws of physics while navigating through a two-story-high maze.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Seaport District / South Boston Waterfront
This area has been expanding and becoming more and more popular, for good reason. Not surprisingly, the seaport district of South Boston is located beautifully along the water. The area is designed for easy strolling along the HarborWalk, and there are bars and restaurants for all ages and budgets. The Institute of Contemporary Art is located in this area in a contemporary building with an absolutely stunning deck overlooking the water. In the summer time there are Friday music concerts on the deck of the museum. Nearby, there are many green spaces to enjoy.
How to get there
- Courthouse • 3 min walk
- South Station • 6 min walk
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2,328 within 3 miles
Attractions
930 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- LBCdovsNew Jersey296 contributionsThis is a no brainerIf you have young children, this is an absolute must. We had a blast here with our kid (6). They’re going to love it. You’re going to be happy and everyone will just be better off. There’s an age out limit in my mind. Think, like 8-10, the kids are going to not be amused here. I could be wrong, but I don’t see my kid delving into everything the way he did this time around, when he’s 8 or 10.Visited November 2023Traveled with familyWritten November 13, 2023
- Adventure DivaManchester, Connecticut2,727 contributionsSunday admission from 1-4 pm is $1Escaped the heat by visiting the joyful and entertaining museum. We stumbled upon this deep discounted fare by going on the museum's website and bought tickets in advance to secure this $1 per person rate. Went to the Winnie the Pooh exhibit in the Hundred Acre Woods room where we learned about the beginning of Winnie in the 1930s. Interactive activities were plentiful for children. Note - Adults unaccompanied by children are required to leave a photo ID at the Admissions Desk during your visit. We were two adults visiting the museum alone and thought this policy was a very good security measure for families.Visited June 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 24, 2024
- Kristina6 contributionsA Perfect Rainy Day ActivityThere are so many exhibits to check out at the museum. When you first walk in, the climbing maze is cool but easy to lose sight of your kids. If you have young children, it might be an activity to skip. The dinosaurs in space exhibit was so unique. Lots of hands on activities (dressing the dinosaurs was clever, and the nail art was neat). The golf ball exhibit was fun however, that could take a drastic turn safety wise if golf balls get thrown around. Parents need to watch their kids closely because accidental rogue balls especially from the platform (that’s at least 6 steps to get up to) could result in injury. Overall, a very fun place! It definitely takes several hours to get through everything.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 12, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
996 reviews
Excellent
584
Very good
278
Average
91
Poor
25
Terrible
18
Thomas G
Pattersonville, NY89 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
The kids were really excited to go. We had the Go pass and was told it required reservations. Made reservations online for 1:30 and was forced to pay another $3 to do so..... ok so far not a big deal but annoyance since we had inclusive passes. Arrived at 1:20 to find a line 4 people across stretching 1/4 mile down the pier. Some had "reservations " like us, some didn't. They did move the line fairly quickly and in 20 min we were inside.
After all the reservations and $3 charge we still had to wait at ticket counter to get printed tickets. Once inside the museum was packed so full it was hard to experience many exhibits. Japanese house only lets a handful in every 20 minutes so it was impossible to see.
There were purell pumps on wall but honestly it was so packed and 90 percent unmasked I felt like I wanted to jump into a vat of chemical disinfect afterwards.
Overall some cool experiences for the kids but if I had to do it all over I would just skip and go elsewhere. Kids would have had just as much fun running and playing on the common.
After all the reservations and $3 charge we still had to wait at ticket counter to get printed tickets. Once inside the museum was packed so full it was hard to experience many exhibits. Japanese house only lets a handful in every 20 minutes so it was impossible to see.
There were purell pumps on wall but honestly it was so packed and 90 percent unmasked I felt like I wanted to jump into a vat of chemical disinfect afterwards.
Overall some cool experiences for the kids but if I had to do it all over I would just skip and go elsewhere. Kids would have had just as much fun running and playing on the common.
Written April 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah F
Chicago, IL11 contributions
Feb 2023
My review is mixed - there are many positives to this museum, which I will list below, but the ridiculous hours and the resulting crowding prevent us from visiting frequently even though we live locally. I would strongly recommend the science museum or discovery museum if you are looking for one museum.
The museum is full of different areas that appeal to an under 5 year old child. My child loved the truck exhibit and the balls, and barely saw the rest of the museum. The bubble area is fun, the water play area is large and full of nooks and details for children. The bathrooms are numerous and well located and the Japanese house is awesome.
The biggest negative is the split hours and resulting crowding. Instead of staggered entry to limit crowding or capacity limits, the museum has two entry timeframes 9-12 or 1:30-4:30. This leads to a full museum at every minute it is open. It is also incredibly frustrating that the "covid precaution" is a surface cleaning instead of masks or capacity limits. It flies in the face of logic and science.
The museum is full of different areas that appeal to an under 5 year old child. My child loved the truck exhibit and the balls, and barely saw the rest of the museum. The bubble area is fun, the water play area is large and full of nooks and details for children. The bathrooms are numerous and well located and the Japanese house is awesome.
The biggest negative is the split hours and resulting crowding. Instead of staggered entry to limit crowding or capacity limits, the museum has two entry timeframes 9-12 or 1:30-4:30. This leads to a full museum at every minute it is open. It is also incredibly frustrating that the "covid precaution" is a surface cleaning instead of masks or capacity limits. It flies in the face of logic and science.
Written February 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kaitlyn G
3 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
With the name Children’s Museum, one would think it would be a fun place to take your kid. The line to get in when we arrived was wrapped around the block! Inside there were way too many people and strollers for anyone to actually enjoy everything they have to offer. The second one child would pick something up to play with another would be right on top of them taking it away or pushing them out of the way.
When you purchased your tickets online you’re asked to pick a time slot. Maybe if they only put so many people in a time slot it wouldn’t be so crowded and kids and their families could actually enjoy everything they had to offer.
We couldn’t even stay an hour with how crowded it was our toddler couldn’t explore,learn and experience it!
When you purchased your tickets online you’re asked to pick a time slot. Maybe if they only put so many people in a time slot it wouldn’t be so crowded and kids and their families could actually enjoy everything they had to offer.
We couldn’t even stay an hour with how crowded it was our toddler couldn’t explore,learn and experience it!
Written July 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adventure Diva
Manchester, CT2,727 contributions
Jun 2024 • Friends
Escaped the heat by visiting the joyful and entertaining museum. We stumbled upon this deep discounted fare by going on the museum's website and bought tickets in advance to secure this $1 per person rate. Went to the Winnie the Pooh exhibit in the Hundred Acre Woods room where we learned about the beginning of Winnie in the 1930s. Interactive activities were plentiful for children.
Note - Adults unaccompanied by children are required to leave a photo ID at the Admissions Desk during your visit. We were two adults visiting the museum alone and thought this policy was a very good security measure for families.
Note - Adults unaccompanied by children are required to leave a photo ID at the Admissions Desk during your visit. We were two adults visiting the museum alone and thought this policy was a very good security measure for families.
Written June 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tajonesn
Naples, FL630 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
During Covid they had two openings when we visited. One in the morning 9am-12pm and then they clean and open from 1:30-4:30pm. We arrived at 3pm concerned we wouldn’t have enough time but for a 6 and 9 year old it was enough time to see the various interactive exhibits.
Lots of hand sanitizer and it seemed to be quite clean. Some people wore masks and some didn’t but it felt comfortable. Not too crowded when we were there.
Lots of hand sanitizer and it seemed to be quite clean. Some people wore masks and some didn’t but it felt comfortable. Not too crowded when we were there.
Written June 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KibaTravels
Garfield, NJ80 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
Excellent children's museum with fun exhibits; kids play and get very hands on but can also learn. The explanation are great with suggested questions/topics parents can ask and also give ideas of things that can be done outside the museum.
After our visit, my daughter has been making her own paper chain to hang in our house.
After our visit, my daughter has been making her own paper chain to hang in our house.
Written August 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wandering duo
Hudson, MA1,062 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Spent the day at the Boston Children’s museum. There is a lot of hands exhibits for kids to interact with.
We went on a Monday holiday and the place was packed. Next time I would not go on a holiday.
They have a nice gift shop, but felt like it was geared for younger children.
Make sure to see if your library offers museum passes, it will save you some money.
We went on a Monday holiday and the place was packed. Next time I would not go on a holiday.
They have a nice gift shop, but felt like it was geared for younger children.
Make sure to see if your library offers museum passes, it will save you some money.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sandhoo
New Delhi, India16 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
This is a literal playground fro kids less than 5 years of age. There were a few things that my daughter aged 6 enjoyed; but most were for even smaller kids. I took my 14 yr old who didn’t have anything to do at all. Total waste of money. They charge for all the people entering. Imagine paying 60 dollars( there were 3 of us) and just the little one playing for 15-20 minutes.
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LBCdovs
New Jersey296 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
If you have young children, this is an absolute must. We had a blast here with our kid (6).
They’re going to love it. You’re going to be happy and everyone will just be better off.
There’s an age out limit in my mind. Think, like 8-10, the kids are going to not be amused here. I could be wrong, but I don’t see my kid delving into everything the way he did this time around, when he’s 8 or 10.
They’re going to love it. You’re going to be happy and everyone will just be better off.
There’s an age out limit in my mind. Think, like 8-10, the kids are going to not be amused here. I could be wrong, but I don’t see my kid delving into everything the way he did this time around, when he’s 8 or 10.
Written November 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristina
6 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
There are so many exhibits to check out at the museum. When you first walk in, the climbing maze is cool but easy to lose sight of your kids. If you have young children, it might be an activity to skip. The dinosaurs in space exhibit was so unique. Lots of hands on activities (dressing the dinosaurs was clever, and the nail art was neat). The golf ball exhibit was fun however, that could take a drastic turn safety wise if golf balls get thrown around. Parents need to watch their kids closely because accidental rogue balls especially from the platform (that’s at least 6 steps to get up to) could result in injury. Overall, a very fun place! It definitely takes several hours to get through everything.
Written July 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No, 7-10 will find any number of enjoyable hands on exhibits.
Written August 12, 2019
Any suggestions on what times and days during the summer that would be least crowded?
Written July 22, 2019
Middle of the week is best to visit. A lot of parents work and go on Friday or the weekend. But just be aware of Boston traffic!
Written October 13, 2019
Are there any affordable options for lunch within a short walking distance?
Written July 28, 2018
Yes Panera and descent cafe in the museum
Written July 30, 2018
Is there much to do for an 18 month old? I’m wondering if the cost is worth it at his age or if we should wait a year or two.
Written July 3, 2018
There's plenty to do for all ages he will.have a blast!!
Written July 10, 2018
I have not been recently, but it looks like the consensus is $17. I know if you book a library pass, you can get a few dollars off the price for X amount of people. Library passes are free, as long as you book them and use them properly.
Written May 29, 2018
There are many paid parking lots nearby. The closest is 321 Congress Street which is diagonally across the street.
Written March 19, 2018
oda2000
Boston, Massachusetts
Por favor, quisiera saber el costo de la entrada , y si hay un dÃa en donde la entrada sea más económica ?
Gracias
Written December 25, 2016
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