Boston Children’s Museum

For this week’s post I am venturing out of Connecticut and visiting one of our neighboring states, Massachusetts.

My husband’s friend from college was going to be visiting Boston, Massachusetts with his family and we decided to pop over for a visit. The weather forecast was not good for the day we were planning on meeting up with them, so we decided to try out an indoor activity.

As you can see from the picture above, we decided to visit the Boston Children’s Museum.  If you are a regular reader of our blog, you know how much I enjoy checking out the various children’s museums in our area and the Boston Children’s Museum is supposed to be one of the best.  I was excited to be going (yes I am a dork) and I will tell you that it exceeded my expectations by a long shot.  The museum is full of fun and interesting activities for the kids, is clean, and functional.  You can tell that a lot of thought was put into the design of this museum to ensure that families with children of various ages would be able to easily navigate from exhibit to exhibit and would find the amenities and resources they needed to have an enjoyable visit.

I just loved this place!

The trip didn’t start out the best; however, because we faced major storms on our drive from Hartford to Boston.  My husband was convinced he could drive faster than the storms and get us into clearer weather, but I finally convinced him that maybe there was a better plan.  So, we took our time and our normally quick drive to Boston took a little longer than usual.

When we arrived, though, we easily found the museum and parking.  We parked in the Farnsworth Street Garage as recommended on the Museum’s website.  We were able to validate our parking ticket at the museum for a discounted parking fee.  Unfortunately, there was no direct access from the parking deck to the children’s museum.  So, we had to venture into the pouring rain and make a mad dash from the deck to our destination.  We did bring with us the double stroller and its rain cover to protect the kiddos on the trip.  However I got absolutely no pictures of this craziness so you will just have to envision for yourself a seven month pregnant woman, her husband and twins, rather wet, power walking the few blocks from the deck to the museum.

When we arrived, we were greeted with automatic doors and a large entrance area so we were able to quickly and easily get inside the building.

We checked in at the admissions desk, got our parking ticket validated and got our hand stamped.  Admission information can be found here and in the Momsense section below.  For the size of the museum, the cost to get in is fairly reasonable ($14), but if you are looking for ways to save money, there are options:

• There are discounts available
• There is a membership program
• If you already belong to a children’s museum, the Boston Children’s Museum participates in the Association of Children’s Museums reciprocal program and you may be able to obtain free access to the museum through your current membership (contact the Boston Children’s Museum for more details).
• Libraries in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire offer access to the museum through their library membership program.

Behind the admissions desk, we found a spot to stash our stuff.  There was a place to park our double stroller and there were lockers available to store the things we didn’t want to carry with us.  To use the lockers, you will need to have a quarter.  You place the quarter in the locker and the locker key is released.  You then can get your quarter back once you return the key.

Once you enter the main part of the museum, there are also other locations to store your items and strollers.  You can also bring your stroller with you as you move about the museum.  For this trip, though, we were operating under man-to-man defense, so we parked the stroller and let the kids walk on their own.  If I was flying solo, though, that stroller would have been coming with me.

We entered the museum by showing our hand stamps.

The first exhibit we saw once we entered was pretty amazing.

It is called the New Balance Climb exhibit and it features three stories of excitement.  Kids enter and exit the exhibit from the first floor (though there is also an emergency exit on the third floor) and then climb as high as they want.  Personally, I would have thought there would be a bunch of screaming, panicking kids inside this netted staircase, but all I heard was kids having fun.  Pretty amazing.

Now, before we go any further, let me just give you the lay of the land.  There are a lot of exhibits at this museum and three floors to explore.  We obviously couldn’t try out everything while we were there so I only have the inside skinny on a few of the exhibits in this post.

Here is what we saw on our visit:

• Construction Zone
• Johnny’s Workbench
• Kid Power
• Peep’s World
• PlaySpace
• Science Playground

Science Playground

Science Playground consisted of three areas:  Bubbles, Investigate and Raceways.  It was located on the first floor, right near the entry and it was full of fun for my toddlers and for our friend’s older children.

In the “Bubbles” room, the kids, of course, played with bubbles.  They could put on cute little smocks and then have a grand old-time sloshing away in the variety of bubble making equipment.  Watch out for the floors in this room.  They are super slippery.  Slippery floors combined with toddlers always on the move was a bit challenging 🙂

The “Investigate” room was a bit advanced for my toddlers, so we skipped onto “Raceways”.

Raceways was a room filled with tracks for golf balls.  It was really fun.  You just gather up a few golf balls and “race” them on many different devices.  My kids did not want to leave this room.

We then headed up to the second floor to see a few more exhibits.  As usual Bruiser’s favorite “exhibit” of the day, was the elevator . . .

By the way, the elevator is HUGE and you will have no problem navigating it with kids and strollers in tow.

On the second floor, our first stop was the Gallery.

The Gallery

This was a temporary exhibit and was described as:

A stunning collection of current work from Native Communities throughout New England. This group of artists puts a contemporary twist on traditional methods and materials to create beadwork, baskets, paintings, and sculpture a unique window into their origins and identities.”

We wandered around and got a few cute shots. 

While we were in the Gallery, my husband and son went to explore the area a bit more.  Next thing I know, Bruiser is in this cute little apron and trying to get me to go see another exhibit.  How could you not go with him?

Johnny’s Workbench

This exhibit is a bit hidden, but worth the trip.  There is no surprise here as to what it is all about.  It is a workshop where the kids can try out saws, screwdrivers, hammers and other tools.  The kids had fun wearing their aprons and protective goggles while trying their hand at a little woodworking, but we did need to keep a close eye on them in this area.  At first, we thought the saws in the exhibit were fake, but then we realized they were very real.  No one was hurt in the making of this blog post, but I’m thinking one year olds and saws should be very closely supervised.

After Johnny’s Workbench, we headed down to the other end of the second floor for a visit to Peep’s World and the PlaySpace.

Peep’s World

This exhibit is definitely a must-see for the younger crowd.  It is mostly made up of two things:  sand and water.  What could be more fun?

It is designed for kids age three to five, but with supervision, my one year olds had a lot of fun there as well.

As with many of the other exhibits, the first stop was to get a smock.

Then the kids were off to play in the water and sand to their heart’s content.

After we were done, we headed next store.

PlaySpace

If you have a child between the ages of 0 – 3, this is the exhibit for you.

If I lived in the Boston area, I would have a membership to this museum just for this exhibit.  Out of all the children’s museums I have visited, this is the best under three section I have seen to date (Stepping Stones Museum is a close second).

I will forewarn you that I really didn’t take a lot of pictures in this area.  I was getting looks from the museum workers and didn’t want to infringe on the fun the kids were having by trying to get shots.  So for some of this, I will just have to describe what you will find.

First of all, let me give you a little overview of what is in this area.  As you approach the exhibit, you will see a bunch of strollers parked right outside.  You cannot bring strollers into the exhibit, but you can bring them all the way up to the exhibit entrance and then park them right there.

Then you enter a gated area which is monitored by museum workers.  They check to ensure that older kids do not enter the exhibit and that the little ones don’t accidentally escape.

I did ask them how they would handle it if a mom with children both under three and older than three wanted to access the exhibit.  They said that if there is only one adult with the kids, than the older child can enter the exhibit with their younger sibling.

The exhibit is entirely fenced-in (heaven for a mother of twins that like to run in different directions) and contains several spaces:

• A fully gated area for walkers
• A separate gated area for non-walkers
• An eating area which includes tables and chairs, booster seats, sink, and refrigerator
• A nursing area
• Family restrooms

This place was amazing.  There were train tables, climbing apparatus, slides, and a variety of toys for the walkers to enjoy.

If you have a non-walker, there is a separate area, filled with cushioned surfaces, where they can play.

The amenities in this area are one of the many things that set it apart from other toddler/baby play areas I have seen at other children’s museums.  Here, you don’t have to leave the space to change a diaper, feed your child lunch or a snack, or nurse your little one.  So nice!

This area even has a “messy space” where the kids can participate in planned “messy” activities (note: bring a change of clothes!).  See here for a listing of the “messy space” activities.

Also, see here for tips and tricks on visiting the museum with a child under three.  I can’t say enough good things about this exhibit.  If you are a parent of a child under three, this is definitely a space to check out!

Even though the kids got a little snack while we were in the PlaySpace, it was now time for lunch.  Fortunately, there are several options right here at the Boston Children’s Museum.

• If you want to bring food from home, you can eat it in the lunch room on the first floor or outside on the Milk Bottle Plaza
• If you are visiting with kids under the age of three, you could also eat your own food in the PlaySpace exhibit (just make sure your lunch is nut free!)
• Connected to the lunch room on the first floor is an Au Bon Pain (that is where we ate)
• During the warm months, there is also lunch and ice cream available for purchase on the Milk Bottle Plaza in front of the museum

As I mentioned, we ate at the Au Bon Pain located right on the first floor of the museum.  Lunch was quick and easy and we even found two high chairs for the twins to use.

I also took a peek at the outdoor dining options.

After lunch, we checked out two more exhibits.

The first one was also located on the first floor and was called “Kid Power”.

Kid Power

This exhibit is probably just what you would expect.  It has lots of activities and equipment that utilize the energy and “power” of kids to function.  A great exhibit for burning off some energy post lunch!

After the kids were fully worn out, we headed up to the third floor to visit one last exhibit, the Construction Zone.

Construction Zone

This exhibit is supposedly inspired by Boston’s Big Dig project.  It contains bob cats, tunnels, bridges, cranes and buildings.  Perfect for kids young and old.

Whew!  Now that was a whirlwind tour.  Are you still with me?  There is a lot to do at this museum, right?  And to think we didn’t even make it to half of the exhibits!  What a great place.

Now, before I wrap up, there are a few other housekeeping items I just want to mention.

• There are family restrooms located around ever corner in this museum.  Plus, every restroom in the museum has a baby changing table (score! Hey, it’s the little things).
• Not only are there lockers and stroller parking behind the admissions area (near the lunch room), but there are more lockers and a coat room at the other end of the first floor near the “Kids Stage”.

Ok, ok, that is enough.  My fingers are hurting from all this typing and picture editing.  Hopefully this post gave you a small idea of how easy it is to get around this museum and how many fun exhibits it has for you to enjoy.  Seriously, this is an amazing Children’s Museum.  Go visit!

THE MOMSENSE:

Boston Children’s Museum

308 Congress, Boston MA  02210

(617) 426-6500

info@BostonChildrensMuseum.org

Website: http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/

Get directions here:

Enter your starting address:

Hours

Open every day 10am – 5pm and Fridays 10am – 9pm

Museum is CLOSED on the following days:

• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

—————————–

Admission

Effective July 1, 2012, museum prices are as follows: Adults: $14, Children (1-15): $14

Children (0-12 months): FREE

Members: FREE

Payment Options: Cash, American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover and travelers’ checks.

Validation for discounted parking available for the Farnsworth Street Garage, Stillings Street Garage and the Atlantic Wharf Parking Garage.

Want to save a little money?

• There are discounts available
• There is a membership program
• If you already belong to a children’s museum, the Boston Children’s Museum participates in the Association of Children’s Museums reciprocal program and you may be able to obtain free access to the museum through your current membership (contact the Boston Children’s Museum for more details).
• Libraries in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire offer access to the museum through their library membership program.

_________________

Hints & Tips:

• If you bring a stroller, there are designated parking areas in the museum where you can store it while your kids explore each level.  Parking is available behind the admissions area on the first floor, near the Kids Stage on the first floor, and outside the PlaySpace on the second floor.  You can also bring your stroller into some of the exhibits.
• There is an elevator that provides access to all floors and plenty of space for strollers
• There are several dining options including:
  • If you want to bring food from home, you can eat it in the lunch room on the first floor or outside on the Milk Bottle Plaza
  • If you are visiting with kids under the age of three, you could also eat your own food in the PlaySpace exhibit (just make sure your lunch is nut free!)
  • Connected to the lunch room on the first floor is an Au Bon Pain (that is where we ate
  • During the warm months, there is also lunch and ice cream available for purchase on the Milk Bottle Plaza in front of the museum
• There are family changing stations around ever corner on each floor and all bathrooms have a baby changing table
• Bring an extra change of clothes for your little ones (and maybe even for yourself).  From the water tables in Peep’s World to the Messy Area in PlaySpace, there are lots of opportunities for the kids to become a total mess 🙂
• If you want to use a locker available in the museum to store your things, make sure you bring a quarter with you because you will need one to operate it.

Coming Up:  On Thursday, we have a guest blogger who will be giving you all the details on her mommy and baby exercising options.

Want to keep up with all our Out and About Mom adventures?

Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we dish up more Momsense for getting out and about with your little ones. Don’t have time to check back in? Let us send you an automatic notification of new posts straight to your email inbox by signing up here. Also, you can like us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest posts and get some extra tidbits we share only through those sites.