Historically and culturally significant in American history, traveling in Massachusetts can be like making your way through a living history book. Names like Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, as well as places like Plymouth and Bunker Hill, mark the maps travelers utilize. There is both fun and learning to be had in your explorations of this commonwealth, so let’s get to it!
10. Beat the Heat Like a Frog
The Frog Pond is a terrific place to beat the heat during a humid Boston summer. Located in the Boston Common just off Beacon Street, the Frog Pond features a 70 foot spray plume and a wading pool for overheated youngsters. The spray plume and nearby concession stand are open daily from 11AM-6PM from July through Labor Day. If water activities aren’t on your agenda, you’ll find all sorts of swings, slides and climbing activities just across the path at the Tadpole Playground.
Check out other sites families have enjoyed in Boston Common.
9. Bone Up on Natural History
Photo by: Flickr/mellydoll
It’s easy to see why the Harvard Museum of Natural History is the university’s most visited museum. With its enormous collection of minerals, meteorites, dinosaurs and other animal remains from all over the world, your future gemologists, paleontologists, and marine biologists are going to freak out! Check out a more than 1600 lb amethyst, get up close with three whale skeletons and be amazed by the fossilized skeleton of a 2,200 lb Glyptodont (a relative of the armadillo). There are more than 12,000 specimens to see here! Amazing! On weekends the museum hosts a nature story time where they feature material to help young visitors under six engage with the exhibits.
You look hungry! Find a place to eat in Cambridge.
8. Enjoy Some Family Time
Photo by: Flickr/Mark Heard
The largest town on Martha’s Vineyard, the seaside village of Edgartown, boasts outdoor activities like fishing, swimming and hiking as well as a plethora of nautical legends. Whether you choose to play on pristine beaches like the popular South Beach, enjoy stunning lighthouses, commune with the animals at the town’s wildlife sanctuary or get lost shopping the unique boutiques and stores lining its charming streets, Edgartown will provide just the place to slow down, relax and enjoy some valuable family time. Oh and if by chance Edgartown looks familiar to you, that’s because it was used as the main shooting location for the adorable sea-faring village in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, Jaws. Hey, what’s that in the water?
Discover all Martha’s Vineyard has to offer.
7. Take a Pirate Adventure in Cape Cod
Photo by: Trekaroo/GPP_MA
Ahoy there, matey! Gather your hearties and board the Sea Gypsy, for a swashbuckling adventure that includes exploring pirate maps, hoisting up sunken treasure and shooting water cannons. Crew members get dressed up and tattooed just like pirates before taking part in team skill building activities including defending the ship. They even hoist the colors — that’s pirate speak for, “raise the flag”— before preparing to fend off evil pirates. Shiver me timbers!
Got a pirate in your crew? There’s booty to be plundered all over the nation, check out more pirate adventures.
6. Get Schooled in Search and Rescue
Photo by: Trekaroo/GPP_MA
One needs to look no further than the surrounding waters off Nantucket Island to find evidence of its rich maritime history. Thanks to bad weather and treacherous sandbars, this area was dubbed the “graveyard of the Atlantic” taking more than 700 vessels to its depths. Harrowing rescues were attempted when these incidents occurred. The Nantucket Shipwreck and Lifesaving Museum not only chronicles those shipwrecks, it also preserves the memory of those heroic islanders who attempted to rescue those in trouble. Through original photographs and artifacts from sunken ships, visitors get a great sense not just of maritime history but the evolution of Nantucket’s local maritime rescue efforts through groups such as the Massachusetts Humane Society, the United States Life-Saving Service and the Coast Guard.
Discover other activities that may tickle your fancy in Nantucket.
5. Take in a Puppet Show
Photo by: Trekaroo/GPP_MA
Housed in a historic brick building in Brookline Village, the Puppet Showplace Theater brings classic stories, pirate adventures and tales with strong morals to life — and they’ve doing it for 37 years! Reservations are highly recommended as the theater seats only 95. While shows are scheduled here almost daily, birthday parties, field trips and other special events are among the offerings in this enchanting place. The Puppet Showplace is so unique that up and coming puppeteers also flock here to attend an acclaimed training program and workshops.
Find a hotel and set up a home base in Brookline.
4. Salem Witch Museum
Photo by: Trekaroo/mamacheaps
If you’re traveling with older children, the Salem Witch Museum will certainly grab their attention and may even entice them into learning more about early American history. This overview of the Salem Witch Trials offers a dramatic lesson to say to the least. Visitors travel back to 1692 when the area was gripped by a terrorizing fear that was fueled by superstition. Salem townspeople were accused of witchcraft and imprisoned, even executed as a result. Before all was said and done, nineteen men and women died by hanging, one man was crushed to death and seven others died in prison. This strange chapter in our nation’s history could prove to be a good way to illustrate the pitfalls of judging others and bullying to your tweens and teens.
Have you been to the Salem Witch Museum? Please dish on your experience.
3. Tour Fenway Park
Photo by: Flickr/Nadya Peek
It’s where the Babe pitched and the Red Sox Nation gathers its citizenry. If your family loves the great American pastime, this 50-minute walking tour through history in one of baseball’s most beloved parks will be a highlight in your visit to Boston. Led by an official Fenway Park guide, the tour includes a visit to the “Green Monster,” as the seating area atop the 37 foot tall wall a little more than 300 feet from home plate is affectionately known. If you happen to be visiting during baseball season, take your little ones out to the ball game for a fun nostalgic afternoon filled with peanuts and crackerjacks!
What’s your favorite kid-friendly baseball stadium? Write a review.
2. Visit the First US Colony
Photo by: Trekaroo/GPA_MA
Engaging and experiential, Plimoth Plantation gives visitors the opportunity to see life in the 17th century through the eyes of two distinct yet interwoven cultures — English and Native American. Actors depicting real residents of the first European settlement in the United States and the Wampanoag tribe, residing nearby, interact with visitors who are encouraged to ask questions about life in Plymouth. Enjoy close up encounters with farm animals, as well as demonstrations on everything from roofs to repairing fences. Your family is in for an authentic flavor for how the first settlements in our country were established.
Explore Plymouth and all the adventures it has to offer.
1. Walk the Freedom Trail
Photo by: Trekaroo/Nene
American history will unfold before your eyes as your family hikes the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile red brick walking tour that winds its way through many iconic historical markers. Imagine visiting Paul Revere’s house or standing on the site of the Boston Massacre. Bask in the shadow of the Old North Church where Revere immortalized the phrase, “One if by land, two if by sea.” When your kids set eyes on the site of the first public school in America, they’ll know who to blame for their homework. And, you’ll swear you can hear the echoes of General Prescott’s command, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes,” at the Bunker Hill Monument. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what the Freedom Trail has to offer but rest assured, you don’t need to be a history buff to enjoy this tour. This is the activity you shouldn’t miss if you’re visiting Boston.
Want to know more before you go? Read family-friendly reviews about the Freedom Trail.
Want more 50 states fun? See more posts in our series:
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Alaska
Top Ten Things for Families to do in California
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Nevada
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Pennsylvania
Top Ten Things for Families to do in South Dakota
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Utah
Top Ten Things for Families to do in New Mexico
Kristine Dworkin (aka: Kristined) is one of Trekaroo’s Northern California Destination Guroos.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | UT | WA
Pennsylvania, the Keystone State, got its nickname for being in the middle of the original 13 colonies, thus holding the colonies together like a keystone. Today, Pennsylvania is the keystone of family vacations and is our “go to” vacation spot. Having visited many, many times, we can always find something new to explore and simply love heading back to a family favorite. I know that your family can make many memories visiting Pennsylvania, just as ours has.
10. Walk down Sesame Street at Sesame Place
Photo by: Trekaroo/ahoward212
What kid wouldn’t want to take a walk down Sesame Street and be greeted by Grover, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and the loveable Elmo? Sesame Place theme park is a mix of shows, rides and water attractions and delights visitors of all ages. There is a Neighborhood Street Party Parade every day, a night-time parade that lights up, and the holiday celebrations Spooktacular Halloween Parade and a Very Furry Christmas Parade.
Find lodging and other fun activities in Langhorne, PA.
9. Explore the Colors of the Rainbow at Crayola Factory
Photo by: Trekaroo/fernswife
The Crayola Factory is one of those places that the kids can’t get enough of. It is full of hands-on, creative fun. You will see how Crayola crayons and markers are made, learn about the history of Crayola and best of all, you will get to use the latest Crayola products to create projects. Parents will enjoy the fact that there is no mess to clean up! During June, July and August, after exploring the Crayola Factory you can head a few miles down the road to take a mule-drawn canal boat ride in Hugh Moore Park.
The town of Easton boasts numerous other museums; check out all they have to offer.
8. Relax in the Poconos
Photo by: Trekaroo/Rhonda H
Want to get away and let someone else do all the planning? Then book a vacation at Woodloch Pines Resort nestled in the Pocono Mountains. Consistently named in the top lists by visitors and national magazines, Woodloch provides a great escape for families. Whether you want to kick back and relax or enjoy a bustling day full of activities, every member of your family will be able to find something they enjoy. They even have a golf course right down the road if you’d like to venture away from the resort and test out your swing.
Read Trekaroo reviews of Woodloch Pines Resort or add your own!
7. Ride the Rails
Pennsylvania is rich in railroad history and no matter where you are in the state you won’t be far from a train track. Take a little time to explore the history and enjoy a train ride while taking in the sites. The Lackawanna Coal Mine and Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine and Steam Train offer both coal mining history, train rides & a lot of hands on activities for the kids. The National Toy Train Museum in Strasburg, which boasts numerous train museums and its own railroad, takes on all that your model train enthusiast could ever expect. If history and relaxation aren’t all you are seeking, ride aboard a “Thomas” themed train, or head to the North Pole for Christmas on “The Polar Express.”
Check out the state’s best attractions for kids who love trains.
6. Get Back To Nature
Photo by: Flickr/Ryan Brunsvold
Pennsylvania is a playground for the outdoor enthusiast with so many different landscapes to explore. The ones listed here are just a few examples of some of the beautiful places waiting to be explored with your family. At Hawk Mountain you can begin in the visitor’s center where they will answer questions and point you in the right direction to head for the trail. The trail itself offers stunning views of the valley below and during migration season you can be treated to seeing a host of raptors fly by. Bushkill Falls, known as the “Niagara of Pennsylvania”, offers views of 8 scenic waterfalls. The shortest trail to the main falls just takes a short 15 minutes to walk! Also on site is a wildlife exhibit, gem mining, a playground, paddle boats and miniature golf assuring that you can make a fun day out of your visit. If you want to change your view, head underground into some caverns at Crystal Cave or Indian Echo Cavern and discover the beautiful formations nature has created. Each of these caverns have additional activities available on site.
What is your favorite outdoor wonderland? Share your advice with other Trekaroo users.
5. Make a “Pitt”-Stop in Pittsburgh
Photo by: Flickr/olliebradley
The Carnegie Science Center is a Pittsburgh must see, where science and technology connect with every-day life through fun exhibits. Another stop is Station Square where you will find the Duqesne Incline and the Monongahela Incline. These inclines are cable cars that were built in the 1870’s as a means of transporting freight and passengers from the river valley up the steep hills. They are still used today by commuters and visitors, and offer fantastic views of the city. Also accessible from Station Square are fountain shows, horse and carriage rides, the Gateway Clipper Fleet offering river cruises, and Just Ducky tours where you tour the city by land and water.
Looking for more in Pittsburgh? We’ve got ya covered!
4. Tempt Your Sweet Tooth in Hershey
Photo by: Trekaroo/fernswife
Just driving through Hershey, PA evokes your senses; you can smell the scent of chocolate wafting through the air. For this chocoholic, it’s as if I’ve entered the streets of heaven. Families love Hershey! Be sure to stop into Hershey’s Chocolate World for a free ride simulating chocolate production, a tasty sample, and perhaps a little shopping. To learn more about Mr. Hershey himself (and he has an amazing story to tell) head to the Hershey Museum. Don’t miss out on the biggest family draw in Hershey which is Hershey Park itself. Our family has ranked this as one of our favorite theme parks. There are plenty of rides for all levels of thrill seekers.
Find lodging in Hershey, PA.
3. Bring History to Life
Photo by: Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau
A visit to Gettysburg National Park places you where Lincoln himself once stood while delivering his famous Gettysburg address. If that wasn’t reason enough to visit, think of all the history you can learn about the Civil War and the changing of our nation. The Gettysburg National Military Park will help bring the battle to life. You can pick up a tour on tape in many places around Gettysburg to help guide you through the area. The Rupp House History Center brings a hands-on interactive experience to its visitors free of charge. To see where General Lee did his planning, stop in General Lee’s Headquarters which now houses artifacts and memorabilia from the Civil War. To hear what the presidents had to say, try a visit to Hall of Presidents and First Ladies.
Looking for more Civil War interaction? Check out this list of Civil War reenactments you don’t want to miss.
2. See how the Amish Live
Photo by: DiscoverLancasterPA.com
Step into a simpler life with the Amish. As you drive through the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and share the road with the horse and buggies the Amish folk use for travel, take a closer look at the farms you are passing and it will become easy to distinguish an Amish working farm vs. a typical working farm. You will see the horse drawn plows, the old-fashioned hand push lawn mowers, the distinguishing clothes of the Amish hanging on the line, and the tobacco frequently hanging in the barn. You might even find the children set up with a wagon on the edge of their farm selling some fresh picked berries or hand made treasures. The area has many attractions geared for families to learn more about the Amish and their way of living. The Amish Village, The Amish Farm and House and the Plain and Fancy Farm provide in-depth views through tours and buggy rides. You can also pop into the One Room Schoolhouse to see how class was taught for over 100 years.
Find lodging in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country (Electricity included!).
1. Discover Philadelphia
I could easily do a Top 10 just on Philly; there is so much to see and do. The city is steeped in history, culture, and family fun. A trip to Philadelphia should be at the top of your list if you haven’t already made the trek. A good place to start is with a tour of a different feather, a Duck Tour. This tour will give you a great view of the city while your tour guide fills you in on fun facts and important knowledge along the way. For a walk on the wild side a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo is in order. If museums are more your speed, here are a few to choose from: The Franklin Institute has something for everyone in the whole family and often has special exhibitions. The kids will get a kick out seeing a roaring dinosaur at the Academy of Natural Sciences. For the history buff, we’ve got you covered. Your kids have heard about the Liberty Bell but seeing it in person is a different experience. The National Constitution Center gives you an in-depth look at how the constitution and our government came to be. If you long for culture, try a visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Be sure to check out their family programs. At the Academy of Music you can take a tour of the building and attend live performances.
Read Trekaroo reviews & score an awesome deal on your hotel in Philadelphia.
Want more 50 states fun? See more posts in our series:
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Alaska
Top Ten Things for Families to do in California
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Connecticut
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Nevada
Top Ten Things for Families to do in South Dakota
Top Ten Things for Families to do in Utah
Top Ten Things for Families to do in New Mexico
Beth Keklak is the Destination Guroo for PA, NJ, DE. She loves to travel and explore with her husband and 3 kids whenever time allows.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | UT |VA | WA
A year ago, I had never heard of Trekaroo. A stay at home mom to three sweet little girls, I stumbled across the website one night, read a few reviews and decided to write a couple of my own.
I. was. hooked.
As a person always willing to share an opinion, story, or slew of details on any given subject; I loved the chance to have my thoughts be heard. As a mom of three busy girls, and wife to an incredibly busy teacher and student, there were many days that I had not met that statistical quota of words a woman needs to share each day, unless of course you count the succession of “Nooo!!!”s hollered at small children in one given setting. Adding reviews on Trekaroo was the perfect outlet for me to share both my passion for traveling with my kids, learn about great places to take my family, and also satisfy my desperate need to be heard!!
Not long after joining Trekaroo, I was selected as a Superoo. If you aren’t familiar with the name, a Superoo is a parent who is recognized for contributing to the site with wit, enthusiasm, savvy, and gusto–and are then rewarded with some amazing perks for their time and efforts. Being a Superoo is completely awesome. Don’t take my word for it, here’s what a few of the 2011 Superoos have to say:
imsnow shares her passion for travel with Trekaroo families.
Find out all the fun places beebs1970 & family have gone with Trekaroo.
BAT‘s family loves sharing on Trekaroo. See what they’ve been up to.
akeisel and family love the outdoors & love to share their scoop.
OCPlayParks knows her stuff in SoCal. Check out what she’s reviewed.
Less than one year after joining Trekaroo, I enjoyed fabulous perks, fun and travel as a Superoo. Just a few short months after that, I have dusted off the old college textbooks and am thrilled and excited to now serve as the Assistant Editor here at Trekaroo. It has been such a privilege getting to know you all already and I look forward to an another awesome year full of kids, trips, and tips.
Want to join the fun??
You could be our next Superoo! Check out the perks and learn how to become a Superoo.
Stay tuned, next week we’ll introduce you to yet another breed of Trekaroo family: the Destination Guru!!
Also, thanks for listening, Trekaroo community. I believe my daily word quota is just about up!
Katie Bodell is Trekaroo’s Assistant Editor, a wife, & a mom to three sweet California girls.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR| PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
It is incredibly difficult to explain tragedies like 9/11 to children, especially when us parents are still struggling to understand something so monstrous ourselves. We all remember exactly what we were doing the moment we learned that the twin towers had been hit. My alarm went off and instead of playing music, the disc jockey was screaming in panic about what she had just seen on tv. I darted up and turned on my television, staring in horror at smoke pouring out of the World Trade Center. Then the second plane hit. It didn’t feel real. It was too evil to be real. As I drove to work, I noticed everyone in their cars had the exact same expression of shock on their face that I did. Shock turned into anger, sadness, fear, and mourning. Ten years later, so many of those emotions still feel raw.
When we travel with our children, we often visit memorials, battlefields, and museums that are filled with stories that are hard for little minds to fully grasp. Last year, my family visited Oklahoma City and although my children were only three years old at the time, I still felt like it was important for us to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial. I explained to them that we needed to be quiet in honor of some very special people. They may not have understood the tragedies that occurred at the site, but they did understand the emotion on people’s faces and felt compelled to draw a cross on the chalkboard squares in the Children’s Area after learning about the many people who went to heaven. As my children get older, I will continue to give them age appropriate history lessons through travel, to help them understand the world we live in and equip their generation with knowledge that will keep them repeating mistakes of the past.
Our country is filled with many great landmarks which serve as fine places to teach our children about war, tragedy, and the mistakes of our past. Battlefields such as Gettysburg, memorials like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, parks such as the Trail of Tears State Park, and museums like the Holocaust Museum bring history to life better than any text book ever could and provide invaluable educations to our kids.
I wish we still lived in a world where two soaring towers still dominated the New York City skyline. And I wish that I could have taken my kids up to the top so that they could have experienced the amazing view of the city that they offered. Most of all, I wish all those who gave their lives that day were still here to enjoy their own families and friends. Right now, much of the former site of the World Trade Center is still under construction but when it is finished, my family will visit and my children will learn about the tragedy that happened before they were even born, and how it changed the world.
Recently, Trekaroo was invited to participate in a fun project called “7 Links.” This project, started by Tripbase, asks us to recall our favorite travel posts in an effort to give new attention to old posts which may have slipped by you in the past. Amy Whitley, the editor of Pitstops For Kids and a 2011 Superoo, tagged Trekaroo a couple weeks ago while I was traveling the Pacific Northwest, which happens to also be her neck of the woods. We made it back home and I have finally gotten around to selecting our seven. So without further ado….
Most Popular: $5 off the California Academy of Sciences
Photo credit Lisa Lim
I wish I could say our most popular post was some sort of carefully crafted bit of prose genius, but people like coupons and the search engines seem to always direct them to our post. The good news is that this coupon is still good through December 31, 2011 so there is still plenty of time for your family to take advantage of the discount.
A Post Whose Success Surprised Me: The Best Zoos in the West
My very first post as Trekaroo Blog Editor proved to one of our most popular. I came from a humble blogging background and couldn’t believe that thousands of people were actually interested in reading what I had to write. Zoos have always been one of my favorite places to take kids and I feel that this post really does provide some great information for those who are interested in visiting the best zoos in the west. I ended up writing a post for the Best Zoos in the Midwest as well and planned to continue the series with the South and East but never found the time. Perhaps, given the popularity of these posts, I should make time….
Most Beautiful Post: 15 Family Friendly National Park Adventures
Photo courtesy NPS/ Jared Withers
I have traveled around the US quite extensively and I have yet to find anything more beautiful than our National Parks. This post was more of a bucket list for my own family, as my children grow and are able to participate in all sorts of unique adventure in National Parks from Alaska to Maine. Since I did so much research and found so many fun opportunities for families to enjoy their parks, I figured why not share all that great information with the rest of Trekaroo?
Most Controversial Post: American Airlines Behaving like a Budget Airline
- Photo credit Wikihow
At Trekaroo, we aren’t typically in the business of creating or writing about controversy. We want our family travel blog to be fun and informative, but sometimes things happen in the travel world and we feel obligated to throw our two cents out there. This past winter, our Trekaroo CEO, Liling Pang, got caught in the London blizzard and quickly saw the difference between competing airlines and their caliber of customer service. Needless to say, she wasn’t very pleased with how American handled the situation…
Most Helpful Post: The Best Tide Pools in California for Kids
I would like to think that all of our blog posts are helpful. After all, we are in the business of helping families travel better with their children. However, there is one post that continues to be quite popular with Google and hopefully has lead to many great family outings. Our top California tide pools list highlights the best and most easily accessible tide pools for families, making a trip to beach a fun yet educational experience. If you have a trip to California in your future, make time to check out one of these amazing little pockets of life.
Post That Didn’t Get Enough Attention: Exploring the Louisiana Outback
Photo Courtesy Capt'n Sammie Faulk
I wrote this post during the Mississippi River floods that occurred this spring, in an effort to both share my experiences in the most rural part of Louisiana and bring attention to an area that was destroyed by flooding and needs tourism dollars to help rebuild. My goal was to paint a picture of the region, including its vibrant culture and colorful characters like Capt’n Sammie which make this little known part of the country so special. If you didn’t get a chance to read it the first go around, I highly encourage you to read it this time.
Post we are Most Proud Of: Surviving Pediatric Cancer and Healing Through Travel- A Trekaroo Family’s Inspiring Story
I didn’t write this post. Neither did Liling or any of our Destination Guroos. It was written by Ginger Templeton, a 2011 Superoo who offered to share her family’s story about how important travel was to her family’s healing after her daughter’s long and painful battle against AML, an aggressive and uncommon form of leukemia. Her words bring me to tears every time I read them and serve as an incredibly important reminder of why it is crucial to travel with our children while they are young. It is impossible to know what life might throw at us. Putting off travel with kids because it is “too hard” or “they won’t remember” takes away the opportunity to create memories of special experiences with our children. Lindsay’s memory of her family trip to Oak Island and the prospect of returning to this special place helped her have something to look forward to during all of her cancer treatments. Odds are, your child won’t get cancer. But we still think the experiences, education, and memories associated with travel are some of the greatest gifts you can give your children.
Revisiting these posts has been like a walk down memory lane but now it is time to tag 5 people to continue the 7 links game. I am selecting people who are either Trekaroo Superoos or have written guest posts for Trekaroo in the past. Some write about travel while others have different emphases. Either way, I am sure they each have seven posts I would love to read again.
Debi Bouffard of Who Says Eight is Enough
Devon Weaver of Mama Cheaps
Katie Dillon of La Jolla Mom
Michele Whiteaker of Fun Orange County Parks
Tonya Staab of Celebrate-Create-Explore
- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -
Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
