I’m so excited to share my Boston Top 10: tips for visiting Boston with kids. This fall, we took the kids to Boston. Boston is a city I loved growing up and a spot my husband often visits for work. Aside from an overnight with Maggie when she was a baby, we had never taken the kids. Since it’s drivable from where we live, many families take trips there and always come back with rave reviews on how family friendly the city is and how much fun they had. So for the kids fall break, we decided to go explore Boston with the kids. Here’s my list of what to see, eat, do and where to stay:

Visiting Boston with Kids

1. Where to Stay: Four Seasons Boston

We stayed at the Four Seasons Boston for our trip. For details on this hotel and all of the reasons I’d highly recommend it, visit this post. From the pool to the location to the complimentary pastry class, this hotel is my top pick!

2. Park: Boston’s Public Garden

We stayed right across the street from Boston’s Public Garden so we spent a lot of time exploring there. It’s a beautiful park with lots of space for kids to run and play. Don’t forget to stop and see “Make Way for Ducklings”. This famous statue is inspired by Robert McCluskey’s book about Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their adventures while finding a safe place to hatch and raise their ducklings.

3. Free Museum: Boston Fire Museum

This free museum is a must see with kids. It’s free, so even if you just stop in, it’s worth it. Kids can drive antique fire trucks, pick up fire hoses, etc. It’s really a fun spot!

4. New England Aquarium

We try to visit an aquarium in each city we visit because my kids all love animals and sea life. We had heard great things about the aquarium in Boston and couldn’t wait to visit. It did not disappoint! We had the best day there. It was very manageable and I was there solo with the 4 kids. It’s well laid out and was easy to navigate with a double stroller. We were lucky enough to catch a few of the feedings and talks about the animals. The staff was so patient with the kids and their questions.

Our favorite part were the harbor seals and it’s extra special to be outside “on the harbor” while visiting with the seals. My kids also loved the Shark and Ray Touch Tank. The New England Aquarium is a must see in Boston.

5. Boston Children’s Museum

The Boston Children’s Museum is honestly the best children’s museum we’ve ever visited. All 4 kids (ages 2-8) had tons to do. We spent hours and could have gone back the next day and still had more to do. It was clean, well organized and even though it looked crowded when we first walked in, all of the separate little rooms helped keep it feeling not crowded at all. If you have boys that like construction, there are TWO awesome rooms – one with real tools and one with trucks, building, etc. I think the coolest room was the STEAM room. All 4 kids were so into it, especially my big girls. If you are planning a visit, read a lot of the Arthur books to your kids. That way they’ll really love all the areas you can “step inside” the Arthur series and play.

6. To Shop: Newbury Street & Prudential Center

Kids don’t usually love shopping, but if you want to take a break from museums and take a nice walk, Newbury Street is wonderful. One street over, the Prudential Center is great to walk around if it rains and there’s a fun little toy store inside where the kids can play and browse: Magic Beans.

7. On the Water: Boston Tea Party

There’s a lot of beautiful waterfront in Boston. Enjoy some time on one of the ships at the Boston Tea Party. There’s a museum and ship you can go on and the kids can learn all about the Boston Tea Party.

8. Breakfast: Bristol

Bristol was our favorite breakfast of the trip. It’s location in the Four Seasons. The menu for adults is wonderful and the kids menu is too – they even have Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes!

9. Lunch: Sorelle Bakery & Cafe

This is a great spot for lunch for families. It’s fast, delicious and has a great extra large table if you have a big crew like us. The staff was friendly and the food was great. The Smashed Avocado & Chickpea sandwich is amazing and for kids: what kid doesn’t want a nutella and banana sandwich?! It’s located right before the bridge you cross to get to the Children’s Museum. We did lunch at Sorelle, the Fire Museum and then spent the rest of the day at the Children’s Museum.

10. Dinner: Durgin Park

Durgin Park is a Boston institution and fun for families. It’s in Fanueuil Hall (and actually the oldest restaurant there!). Last I checked, kids eat free there on Saturdays!