Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children's Museum is a hands-on museum at 308 Congress Street, beside the Fort Point Channel, and it suits families with babies, toddlers and early grade-school kids. A group of Boston science teachers began the collection that became the museum, which opened in 1913 and has stood on its current waterfront site since 1979. Today the children's museum in Boston ranges from a PlaySpace for ages 0 to 3 to a climbing maze and a Japanese house brought over from Kyoto. This page covers where the museum is, its history, what each age group can do, hours, tickets and parking, and how a Boston Sightseeing bus can get you there. It is also one of several kid-friendly stops in our guide to museums to visit in Boston.
Location
The museum is at 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, on the Fort Point Channel in the Seaport area. A 40-foot milk bottle stands outside. Built in 1933 in Taunton, Massachusetts, it has been a museum landmark since it arrived in 1977, and it makes the entrance easy to spot.
South Station is the closest major transit hub, and the walk from there crosses the channel on a short, flat route. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is at 306 Congress Street, so the two attractions share the same stretch of road. If you are arriving by train or bus, our guide to South Station in Boston explains the station.
History Of The Museum
The museum's story starts in a classroom and ends on the waterfront, with a few major moves in between.
From A Teachers' Collection To Jamaica Plain
In 1909, a group of Boston educators called the Science Teachers' Bureau began gathering natural history objects for classroom use. The museum opened on August 1, 1913, in a mansion called Pinebank beside Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain. Published histories describe it as the second oldest children's museum in the United States.
The Move To Fort Point Channel
In 1979, the museum moved into a former warehouse on the Fort Point Channel. The Japanese House, a gift from Boston's sister city Kyoto, is dated 1979 on the museum's own timeline. A $47 million renovation and expansion finished in 2007, and the museum became Boston's first LEED-certified green museum that year. Published accounts also describe a 23,000-square-foot glass-walled addition.
Activities For Children
The museum groups its exhibits by age, so the best plan depends on who is coming. Exhibits rotate, so check the museum's exhibit list before you go.
Ages 0 To 3
PlaySpace is for ages birth to 3 and their grown-ups, with a shoes-off area for the youngest, a pretend kitchen, a toddler-sized jeep and a wobbly bridge. Countdown to Kindergarten, a model classroom with a school bus and a backpack to pack, is listed for ages 0 to 5. The Pigeon Comes to Boston! is listed for ages 0 to 8, but the museum lists it as a limited-run exhibit, so check that it is still on view.
Ages 4 To 8
Most of the museum falls in this range. Construction Zone is a child-sized building site with trucks and tools, and Art Lab hands out materials for collage, clay and printmaking. Raceways lets kids roll golf balls down tracks, and Kid Power has pedaling, hoops and climbing. Investigate lets kids crawl under a turtle tank for a belly-level look at the museum's resident turtles.
Climbing, The Japanese House And Older Kids
The museum's climb is a three-dimensional maze, which published descriptions put at three stories, and it is listed for ages 6 to 8. The Japanese House is an authentic home from Kyoto, also listed for ages 6 to 8. The museum gives its age in two different ways, so we leave it out. For ages 5 to 10 and adults, You, Me, We! looks at fairness, identity and bias.
Nearby Attractions
Visiting the museum puts several other nearby attractions within reach, mostly along the waterfront.
- The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is at 306 Congress Street, a short walk along the same road.
- The Fort Point Channel waterfront runs past the museum's front door and suits a stroller walk.
- The New England Aquarium is near our Stop 1, and the Seaport District sits just across the channel.
For more ideas that suit families, see our list of things to do with kids in Boston.
Planning Your Visit
A few details decide whether the visit goes smoothly, especially with small children.
Hours
The museum's visit page lists Wednesday through Monday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and it is closed on Tuesdays. On the first Saturday of each month it opens at 10:00 a.m. Holiday hours differ, so check the museum's site before you go.
Tickets And Discounts
Admission is $24 for adults and $24 for children ages 1 to 15. Infants under 12 months and members are free. The museum recommends buying tickets in advance online. Its discounts include $1 Sunday Afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., which requires an online reservation, and $3 per person for EBT and WIC cardholders for up to four people per card. Active duty military and veterans are free with a valid ID. These are the museum's own prices, not Boston Sightseeing bus tickets, and the museum's Ways to Save page lists the other programs.
Parking
The museum lists parking validation at four nearby garages, and it says to pull a physical ticket at the garage gate because parking apps and QR codes do not work for validation. Garage rules vary by weekday, so read the museum's visit page before you drive.
How Long To Plan
The museum does not publish a recommended length. Our estimate is two to three hours for most families, and less with toddlers who tire quickly. That range is editorial, not an official figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hours of Boston Children's Museum?
The museum's visit page lists Wednesday through Monday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed on Tuesdays and opens at 10:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Confirm holiday hours before you go.
How much are Boston Children's Museum tickets?
Admission is $24 for adults and for children ages 1 to 15. Infants under 12 months and members are free, and the museum recommends buying online in advance. Confirm current prices on the museum's site.
What ages is Boston Children's Museum for?
Its exhibits are grouped for ages 0 to 3, 4 to 5 and 6 to 8, with a few for ages 5 to 10 and adults. PlaySpace is the area designed for ages 0 to 3.
Where is Boston Children's Museum located?
It is at 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, on the Fort Point Channel in the Seaport area. South Station is a short walk away.
Is there parking at Boston Children's Museum?
The museum lists parking validation at four nearby garages. Pull a physical ticket at the gate, because parking apps and QR codes do not work for validation, and check the museum's visit page for current garage rules.
How do I get to Boston Children's Museum by T?
Take the Red Line or a Silver Line route (SL1, SL2 or SL3) to South Station, then walk a short, flat distance over the channel to Congress Street.
Does Boston Sightseeing stop at Boston Children's Museum?
Yes. Stop 12 on the Purple route is the Boston Children's Museum stop. Of our tickets, the Cruise Terminal Hop-On Hop-Off Tour lists Stop 12, so check each ticket's stop list before you book.
How long should you spend at Boston Children's Museum?
The museum does not publish a recommended time. Our estimate is two to three hours for most families, which is an editorial range, not an official one.
What is near Boston Children's Museum?
The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is at 306 Congress Street, and the Fort Point Channel waterfront and the Seaport District are close by. The Nearby Attractions section above has the details.
Planning Your Boston Tour with Boston Sightseeing
The Boston Children's Museum is Stop 12 on the Boston Sightseeing Purple route. Of our six tickets, the Cruise Terminal Hop-On Hop-Off Tour is the one whose card lists Stop 12, so check the stop list on the ticket page before you book. The buses run roughly from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM and the museum closes at 4:00 p.m., so plan to arrive well before then. Compare all tickets on our tour packages page, and see the stops on the hop-on hop-off tour map.
Our Tour Packages
Single Ride Pass
$33.25
Explore Boston in 90 Minutes
Ride above the crowd and enjoy the panoramic view of Boston
- Boston City Tour Single Ride Pass
- Stop-1 to Stop-8
- Blue Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- 90 Minutes Tour
- 1 Day Validity
- Hop-on Hop-off Tour
- Charlestown Sightseeing Tour
Hop-On Hop-Off All Day
$41.55
Boston City Sightseeing Tour
Experience historic Boston with unlimited hop-on hop-off at your own pace.
- Stop-1 to Stop-8
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Blue Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- 90 Minutes tour
- 1 Day Validity
- Shuttle Bus Service
- Charlestown Tour
Hop-on Hop-off Boston & Charlestown Tour
$48.65
Boston & Charlestown Tour
Experience the charm of Boston & Charlestown with Boston Sightseeing at your own pace.
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Stop-1 to Stop-11
- Hop-on Hop-off Charlestown Tour
- Blue & Orange Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- Shuttle Bus Tour
- 120 Minutes Tour
- 1 Day Validity
2 Days Boston & Charlestown Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
$70.40
2 Days Boston & Charlestown Tour
Explore Boston & Charlestown with Boston's first double-decker bus at your own pace.
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Stop-1 to Stop-11
- Hop-on Hop-off Charlestown Tour
- Blue & Orange Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- Shuttle Bus Tour
- 120 Minutes Tour
- 2 Days Validity
Cruise Terminal Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
$52.00
200 Minutes Hop-on Hop-off
Get onboard from Boston Cruise terminal and explore the historic beantown with Boston Sightseeing double-decker bus.
- Hop-on Hop-off Boston Tour
- Stop 1-8, 12-15
- Blue & Purple Route Tour
- Double-Decker Bus Tour
- Shuttle Bus Tour
- 200 Minutes Tour
- 1 Day Validity
- Charlestown Tour
Boston & Cambridge City Tour
$63.00
Guided Photo & City Tour
A 3.5-hour guided shuttle tour featuring Boston’s most iconic neighborhoods, Cambridge highlights, waterfront views, and curated photo opportunities.
- Guided Boston & Cambridge sightseeing tour
- Approximately 3.5 hours
- Curated stops and photo opportunities
- Climate-controlled shuttle bus transportation
- Live local tour guide
- 45-minutes Quincy Market lunch break
- Same-day tour experience
- Double-Decker Bus Service
- Hop-on, hop-off service
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