Trip Motivation
We have a running list of places that we think would be fun to go to if we have an open weekend. When brainstorming for Thanksgiving weekend, we decided Boston and Vermont would be a really fun trip! For more on our long weekend, see posts here:
Points and Miles for a New England Trip
Learning about Boston History Pre-Trip
The city of Boston is an important location in numerous events of American history. From the tea party to Paul Revere’s ride and the Boston Massacre, there’s tons of history in a condensed area. I love being in places where history happened (and is happening!) It’s a great chance for kids to learn history in “real life” even if they’re young. We also watched the first 2 episodes of the PBS show Liberty Kids on youtube. So fun!
Magic Treehouse
Who Was Paul Revere?
Boston Tea Party
Freedom Trail Highlights
The freedom trail was created in the 1950s as a way to link historic sites. There’s a great website with resources and details on the spots. The whole trail is about 2.5 miles so I would definitely split it up. We started at the North End Church and worked our way towards the Boston Common Park. Sites we missed across the river that we’ll save for a future visit are the USS constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument. Definitely give yourself plenty of time and wear good shows. The kids absolutely loved (Ellie especially) following the red trail. If you’re pushing little ones in a stroller, be warned that some of the cobblestone roads might be tricky.
Old North Church
The Old North Church is famous for displaying the lanterns on the eve of the Revolution. The church had a fantastic educational tour for kid’s that was themed as a scavenger hunt with factors along the way and a prize (spoiler: it’s a sticker) It was really cool to read about the history and imagine the rich people in the pews back in the day. It was also interesting to hear from some of the workers the history of the Church and how it’s been redone over time.
North End
A brief walk from the Church along the trail will lead you to the North End and tons of Italian restaurants. We stopped for cannolis at Mike’s Pastry (cash only) before continuing our walk. We also stopped to look at the Paul Revere House and read the sign marker but didn’t go in. They’ve just done some big remodels and I’ve heard its very kid-friendly
City Hall Highlights
Near City Hall, there are a few old highlights including Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant. We stopped to watch some soccer at the Bell in Hand Tavern, the oldest tavern in Boston. Nearby, there’s a fantastic playground near City Hall with tons of climbing and slides. We love playgrounds in all cities we visit. Right in front, there is also a holocaust memorial with heart-wrenching quotes inscribed on the walls. A little older than our kid’s age but Ellie liked walking through the memorial without understanding its significance
Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market
The Hall was one of the first public meeting areas. There is a small visitor center that was showing an educational video on slavery and Native American history. Beyond the small history area and gift shop, there are numerous shops and restaurants laid out in a food hall. It is very touristy and expensive but we are tourists and enjoyed lobster mac and cheese and seeing the hustle of people.
Other Freedom Trail Higlights
Continuing our reverse walk along the freedom trail, we passed the Boston Massacre site (For your jeopardy knowledge, 5 people were killed. The British called it a Disturbance and Paul Revere called it a Massacre) The Old State House and Meeting House are also nearby and worthy of stops if you have time. We just briefly walked past. We also skipped past the cemeteries on this walk.
Boston Commons
When you do the Freedom trail in reverse, you end up at the Boston Commons Park! It is the oldest park founded in 1634 and a beautiful open space. There are restrooms, visitor center, playgrounds, and more. During the summer, you can rent a duck boat and during the winter, there’s a small ice skating rink!
Boston Tea Party Museum
We didn’t actually do the museum as it was pricey but it was really fun to walk by. Did you know the ship that the Boston Tea Party threw tea off was called the ‘Eleanor’? We watched a small reenactment where the tour group learned about the history and threw boxes of tea. This museum is also near the Boston’s Children Museum which looked like a lot of fun.
Seaport
This area south of the airport and east of the main part of the city has been commercialized recently and has lots of stores and restaurants and sights to see. On of the the evenings, we went to a cute holiday market with kids areas, food trucks, hot chocolate, unique shops, and other fun to-dos. A nearby walk away, we had a fantastic bowl of ramen at Mecha, beers at Trillium, and Taikyaki ice cream (japanese fish shaped pastry)
New England Aquarium
We don’t have an aquarium in Nashville and always love going to ones in cities that have them! The aquarium was cool with lots of colorful fish, sea lions, penguins, and a touch tank. Honestly, I think the price was a little high for what was offered compared to other aquariums we’ve been to. We spent about 2 hours here and might come back in the future.
Museum of Science
This museum was huge and so full of fascinating exhibits. We spent about 2 hours here and only explored about half of the activities. The dinosaurs are always a favorite and we spent a lot of time in the Math and Movement section. There was a mini playground that showed how physics works with things like swings, seesaws, and more. We had a reciprocal science museum membership from Owensboro making the visit free!
Final Thoughts
I loved this city. Everything was very walkable and there was a good mix of history, nature, and other fun sights. The T is also very straightforward and easy to use.
For more on our long weekend, see posts here:
Points and Miles for a New England Trip
