Museums in Boston are a big deal. The city is packed with world-class opportunities to experience art, history, nature, you name it! But it also has plenty of special offerings for the little ones, with specially designed museums and family programming that brings families together. Check out our top picks for the best museums in and near Boston to visit with kids! You won’t know where to begin!
Where: 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday | 2-time slots, 9 AM- 12 PM and 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Of course, Boston Children’s Museum is number one on our list!
This museum is the perfect place for kids to learn and have fun through exhibits focusing on culture, science, health, art, and more! It also offers family-friendly programs for the whole family.
Where: 1 Science Park, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
Hours: Daily, 9 AM- 5 PM
Another favorite, the Museum of Science.
This is among the world’s largest science centers, and it always has something new to offer! From the latest in science and technology to dinosaur fossils, you can really see it all here!
Where: 306 Congress St, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, USA
Hours: Tour Hours: 10 AM – 4 PM
This museum offers a multi-sensory experience for the entire family.
You will be immersed in the world of the American Revolution through 3D reenactments, live actors, interactive exhibits, and more! Let yourself be surprised and visit the Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum!
Where: 177 Main Street, Acton, MA, USA
Hours: Monday: closed | Tuesday – Sunday: 9 AM- 4:30 PM
Discovery Museum is just a short drive from Boston and such a worth-visit place for children!
This museum combines science, nature, and play and it features amazing indoor and outdoor exhibits, including a huge treehouse to explore!
Where: 344 Congress St, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The Boston Fire Department is the oldest fire department in the country, and this museum is a great option to visit with little aspiring firefighters!
Learn everything about its history and tradition through objects, exhibits, tools, and more!
Where: 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday: 10 AM –5 PM
Besides admiring the amazing collection of nearly 500,000 works of art, this world-class museum offers a great variety of family and kid-friendly programs, family activities during your visit, and more!
Where: 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02143, USA
Hours: Open daily 9 AM- 5 PM
This is one of the four Harvard Museums of Science and Culture and a great option to visit with the family.
Explore amazing collections of mammals, dinosaurs, fossils, meteorites, and more! You can also check out the classes, programs, and lectures for all ages!
Where: 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Hours: Open seven days a week, 10 AM –5 PM, except for major holidays.
If your family is into technology and innovation, this is the perfect place to visit!
You’ll find collections of high-tech objects, exhibitions of many STEAM-based topics, and more! The MIT Museum is very close to Cambridge’s Central Square where you can enjoy nice food, stores, and parks!
Where: 25 Evans Way, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Hours: Monday- Friday 11 AM- 5 PM | Tuesday Closed | Saturday and Sunday 10 AM- 5 PM | Thursday 11 AM- 5 PM except for the first Thursday of the month, which will be 11 AM–9 PM
This must-visit museum in Boston is an excellent place to explore with kids!
It features a wide variety of beautiful flowers, plants, fountains, amazing architecture, and more! The museum houses one of the world’s most remarkable art collections.
Where: 22 1st Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, USA
Hours: Museum Hours: Open Daily | 10 AM– 5 PM /// Ship Hours: Open Friday – Sunday | 10 AM– 6 PM | Closed Monday – Thursday
Located on Boston’s Freedom Trail, the USS Constitution Museum is a must when it comes to Boston museums.
It features exhibits and programs that both kids and adults will find interesting, and everyone will get to learn about such an important event in a super fun way.
Where: 51 Sandy Pond Rd, Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA
Hours: Daily | 10 AM- 5 PM
The whole family will love this nearly dreamy and educational location.
You will find a constantly changing landscape of outdoor, modern, and contemporary sculptures and installations and an amazing museum filled with multi-sensory activities, events, and more!
Where: 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston, MA 02210, USA
Hours: Tuesday- Wednesday 10 AM – 5 PM | Thursday- Friday 10 AM – 9 PM | Saturday- Sunday 10 AM – 5 PM | Closed Mondays
This must-visit place for new art and ideas has free entrance for visitors 18 years old and under, and it offers playdates every month in which kids can find the fun in art!
It also offers hands-on art-making, family gallery tours, performances, and more!
Where: Columbia Point, Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Hours: July and August: Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM- 2 PM
Explore the life and legacy of the nation’s 35th president through awesome exhibits that will interest both kids and adults!
This is an amazing option for museums in Boston to visit with the whole family!
Where: 100 State Street, Framingham, MA, USA
Hours: Monday Closed | Tuesday — Sunday 12 PM— 5 PM
The Danforth Museum of Art features an amazing collection and provides an entire children’s floor where kids will find artwork and children’s literature, areas for them to play and make their own masterpieces!
Where: 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
Hours: Thursday, Friday 10 AM– 4 PM | Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM | Sunday 12 PM – 5 PM | Closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
A single visit to this museum will encourage the love of art and literature in children.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art collects and presents picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world!
Where: 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA 01103, USA
Hours: Monday–Saturday: 10 AM–5 PM | Sunday: 11 AM–5 PM
The ride will be worth it once you see your kid’s face enjoying everything this museum offers!
With two entire floors filled with family-friendly, interactive exhibits both kids and adults will love this museum!
