Boston with Kids: Museums, Zoo and Aquarium

Boston has plenty to fill a family trip, and the biggest decisions are cost and timing: which stops are worth a full ticket, which are free for little ones, and which only run in warm weather. Most of the places below sit on or near a subway line. The subway is $2.40 a ride, and rules are on mbta.com .

What a family of four pays

For two adults and two children aged 3 to 11, the gate prices come to about:

  • New England Aquarium: $141.80 ($39.95 per adult, $30.95 per child)
  • Museum of Science: $122 ($33 per adult, $28 per child), before any $6 shows
  • Boston Children’s Museum: $96 ($24 for everyone from age 1)

Children under 3 are free at the aquarium and the Museum of Science, and babies under 12 months are free at the Children’s Museum. Weekends and holidays sell out at the aquarium, so buy ahead. The CityPASS is worth pricing too: $84 for ages 12 and up and $72 for ages 3 to 11, covering four attractions over 9 days. See citypass.com/boston .

Rainy day anchors

The Children’s Museum, at 308 Congress St, is open Wednesday to Sunday through the year, with Mondays added in summer and school vacations. Check the calendar before you go. Its exhibits include the New Balance Foundation Climb, Bubbles, Peep’s World and a Japanese House that came from Kyoto and is about 100 years old. A newer build-it area, Dream it! Build it!, opened in June 2026, and The Pigeon Comes to Boston! stays until early January 2027. See bostonchildrensmuseum.org .

The Museum of Science at Science Park opens daily 9 to 5. Its Planetarium, Mugar Omni Theater and 4-D shows each cost $6 extra. Its Theater of Electricity is billed as home to the world’s largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator, and the daily schedule lists show times. See mos.org .

At the New England Aquarium on Central Wharf, children usually head for the Penguin Colony, the Shark and Ray Touch Tank and the 200,000 gallon Giant Ocean Tank, home to Myrtle the green sea turtle since 1970. The harbor seals are off exhibit at present, so promise nothing about seeing them. See neaq.org .

The Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge charges $20 for adults and $15 for children 3 to 18, with under-3s free.

Animals and open air

Franklin Park Zoo, at 1 Franklin Park Rd, runs 9 to 4 daily from October to March and has free parking. Tickets are priced by date, roughly $17 to $28 for adults and $13 to $22 for children. African lions, giraffes, Gorilla Grove, Kalahari Kingdom, the Outback Trail and the Tropical Forest are on the map, and the Aussie Aviary is a seasonal extra. By transit, ride the Orange Line to Forest Hills and change to the Route 16 bus. See zoonewengland.org .

In the Public Garden, the Swan Boats have been run by the Paget family since 1877. They run from spring until about Labor Day and cost about $3.25 to $4.75, with under-2s free. On Boston Common, the Frog Pond carousel is $4 a ride or $35 for ten, and it runs from spring to the end of October. The spray pool is a summer feature only. In winter the pond becomes a rink, and on the 2025-26 price sheet skaters under 58 inches tall were free. Opening dates and prices for the coming season are on bostonfrogpond.com .

Boston Harbor Islands ferries are seasonal, running roughly May to October, so check the operator before you build a day around them.

With babies and toddlers on board

Boston Duck Tours last about 80 minutes, and infants 2 and under need an $11 ticket. Child tickets for ages 3 to 11 are $42 before fees. The Fenway Park tour is 60 minutes long and charges $21 for ages 3 to 12, so it suits older children better than toddlers.

Winter

From December to March, snow and wind chill can close outdoor attractions or shorten their days, so keep the museums for your backup plan.

To compare family tickets, search Viator .

Read more: group activities in Boston , attraction tours and the 4-day itinerary .