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[DebbieG]

I'll be in Boston next month for 5 days, with my 7 year old DS and 4 year old DD. My DH will be in a conference most of the time. We are planning on visiting the Science Museum, Aquarium, Children's Museum and Paul Revere's house. We might venture out to a puppet show one morning in Brookline. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I know it's not the best time to visit Boston, and I'm a little concerned about the cold, but if it's really bad we can just stay at the hotel and swim! Also, we plan to stay outside the city on Thursday night when the conference is over. Any suggestions for things that we might do outside of Boston on Friday? I am not having much luck finding something. We will be headed back to NJ Friday or Saturday.

Thanks for your help!

Debbie

[Big Baloo]

Where outside of Boston will you be staying? Make sure you leave some time for Fanueil Hall (shopping) and Durgin Park is a fun place for a special (and VERY casual) lunch. The Union Oyster House is good, too. The Museum of Science always has lots going on, as does the aquarium. Try to catch some of both places free shows and demonstrations. Have fun!

[loobyoxlip]

Where's all our Boston PP's?

If you do the aquarium, don't miss the IMAX movie - you can buy a combo aquarium/IMAX ticket. Those movies are very cool.

[Kiarasmommy]

Depending on where "outside" Boston you are staying. Jordan's furniture always has something, the IMAX, resteraunts. Yup, all in a furniture store.

The Aquarium (you can walk to Quincy Market/Fanuil Hall) is great, the Childrens Museum is very nice. The Museum of Science is great. The Lightening exhibit is great. Depending on the age of your kids and $$. The Lion King is playing at the Wang (I think) and they have matinees.

[FanOfMickey]

The Lion King is playing at the Opera house and it is a great show. I don't have kids, so not sure what to recommend for outside of the city. I know I liked the Salem area when I was a kid, but I may have been a little older then your kids are now when I went. But it is neat with all the witch history and stuff. Of course in Plymouth they have the Plymouth Plantation which was my fave as a kid, but then again, may have been a little older. They are both in opposite directions, Salem being north of Boston, Plymouth being south. Not knowing where outside of Boston is kinda hard to make suggestions.
Jordans Furniture stores are a lot of fun. They are not just furniture, they each have some form of entertainment. One has an Imex theather, one has MOM which is a motion type of ride. I can't describe it exactly due to never being to that one.

[debsta922]

If your planning to go to Paul Revere's house go around lunch time because you'll be in the north end, which is famous for all its italian restaurants. I would recommend Pizzeria Regina because you will have kids and Mark's Pastries is great for dessert. If you are planning a stop at the aquarium check out front to see if the trolley tours are running. They will cover all the major sites along the "freedom trail" (including Paul Revere's house) and you can get on and off whenever you choose. We did the tour a couple of years ago in January and lucked out with great weather so who knows? Maybe you'll get some too!

[DebbieG]

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. Please keep it coming!

I did see that Lion King is playing, and also the Blue Man Group. We live in Nj, just outside of New York, and have seen the Lion King with my DS. We might try for the Blue Man group though.

We'll be staying Sunday through Thursday at a Mariott at Copley Center (not sure if that's exactly what it is called). I am looking for any suggestions for where to stay on Thursday night, outside of the city, since we really don't want to pay city hotel prices, when it is our money! I had thought about Plymouth, but am not too sure if we want to do something outside in February!

I plan to pick among several trolley tours that I have heard about, to have that as an option. Trying to give my 7 year old a bit of history for his week out of school. Thanks, debsta922 for the advice on food near Paul Revere's house. I really appreciate that, since I don't know anything about restraunts up there.

Anyone have any suggestions for where we might eat dinner? Again, we will be staying at the Marriott - Copley Center. They need to be kid friendly, since we'll have a 4 year old and a 7 year old!

Thanks so much for all your help! I really appreciate it!

Debbie

[katspjs]

Another thing you could do is take a tour of Fenway Park - home of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox website has the info on this. It's $12 for adults and $10 for kids.

Another good shopping place is the Prudential Center in the Back Bay. There's a Legal Seafood in there. Before 9/11 you were able to go to the top of the Pru and get a panoramic view of the city. Not sure if they still do that or not. You could do this at the John Hancock tower too, but again, not sure if you can still do this.

Around the corner from the Hancock tower is the Hard Rock Cafe.

[darthminnie]

Dinner at Fanuel Hall is always a good choice. I would not recomend Durgins Park to anyone any more. The charm has gone out of the place, and the food is average at best. However, the Union Oyster House is fantastic. That is right next to F H....it is wonderfull....

The Prudential is open....John Hancock building is not open at the top anymore because of 9/11...very sad, as the Hancock building was great.....

It is always fun to follow the freedom trail, as it is a short tour of the city, with some really neat places to stop, some graveyards, where Samual Adams is buried along with Mother Goose....(in the spring they offer an AWESOME graveyard tour....too cold now...)

I LOVE boston.....

[Kiarasmommy]

For kids, Fudruckers is always good, Hard Rock like someone said. And my favorite Bertucci's. Ahhh I miss Bertucci's.

[DebbieG]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I appreciate them all, and am very glad to have dining suggestions!

I do believe that the Prudential Skywalk Observatory is open. We are planning to buy the Boston Citypass which includes it, along with the Museum of Science and the Aquarium, the JFK Library, Museum of Fine Arts and the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Glad to hear Legal Seafood recommended - I had seen that in one of my guide books, and we'll definitely check it out. Nice to know that there are Fudruckers there too, since we know and like them. Definitely a place the kids will eat at! I have seen Bertucci's in the guide books too, so we'll put that on the list too!

Thanks again!

Debbie

[Big Baloo]

Oh yeah! The duck tour boats are a fun way to tour the city, too!

[Luv2plan]

Hi Debbie, in case you don't know, the Marriott Copley is connected to the Copley Plaza Mall which has a Chilis restaurant and a movie theatre. You can continue walking right into the Prudential Center which is more shops and access to the Prudential Tower - which as someone else had mentioned, you can go to the top for views of the city. They have a California Pizza Kitchen as well as a food court and Legal Seafood restaurants. I wanted to let you know in case the weather is bitter and you're trying to do a little more walking inside! If the weather is ok, and you can walk outside your hotel to Newbury & Boylston Streets and can see Copley Square itself with Trinity Church which is pretty impressive. Newbury & Boylston are mostly shops & restaurants, but the buildings are pretty to check out - very "Bostonian" looking.

If your family is into ships the USS Constitution is fun to see, and is very close to the North End. Yummy Italian restaurants, as someone mentioned (it's actually Mike's Pastries on Hanover St. and a block down is another good one, Cafe Vittoria) and a little bit of the Freedom Trail pops through here as well with the Old North Church on Salem St. (DH & I were married there! sorry, had to stop for a moment of Nostalgia!) At the end of Salem St. (opposite end from Old North Church) is Dairy Fresh Candies - your kids eyes will pop out at how much stuff they fit into this tiny place.

Fanueil Hall Marketplace is fun shops & food and history too if you go into the original Faneuil Hall building. Look down on the ground out front and (snow permitting) you can see a carved line in the pavement marking the original shore line. It is also very close to the Aquarium if you are looking to combine things.

Also near Fanueil Hall is the Custom House Tower which is supposed to have a neat maproom at the base. I have not seen this myself, but last I heard the CHT has been taken over by Marriott Timeshares so your own hotel may be able to give you a little more info.

The Science Museum and Aquarium both get big thumbs up - a lot of things at the Science Museum have been rehabed recently. If you have to skip something, skip the Children's Mueseum as it's a little worn at the moment, but still lots of fun.

How far out of Boston are you trying to go? Like, still have access to Boston, or simply move on to something else? I agree Salem is really neat what with the Witch Museum, etc. and the Peabody Essex Museum which I believe currently has a reconstructed house from China on exhibit. I wouldn't recommend Plymouth this time of year unfortunately. Newport RI is a good hour & fifteen minutes from Boston so I'm not sure that's what you had in mind, but it has some good hotel deals this time of year and it has all the Newport Mansions to tour.

Anyway, hope that helps... please feel free to ask any questions you come up with, I love Boston!

[katspjs]

With small children I would skip the Peabody Essex Museum. Unless they've changed alot of stuff in there, it'll be pretty boring for them. It has been ages since I've been (during a school field trip). A lot of exhibits on fishing, whaling, shipping during 1700-1800's. You can check them out at www.pem.org