Massachusetts family activities can keep kids entertained year-round

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Massachusetts has welcomed families since the first one landed at Plymouth. Any time of the year, you’ll find family friendly lodging, activities, and adventures on day trips, weekend getaways, and longer vacations. Enjoy a full menu from museums to indoor and outdoor amusement parks and water parks, beaches, zoos and ziplines, whitewater rafting and kayaking, and the largest family go cart track in New England. The most complete set of early American historic sites are here with tales to tell and there are great beaches and endless scenic places to stop, relax, and snap some pictures.

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Concord Museum

35 Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Road Concord, MA, 01742 Phone: 978-369-9763

History comes alive for families who visit museum’s extensive Americana collection

Bring American history to life when you bring the kids to the Concord Museum. Among its 16 renovated galleries are those with artifacts from the Revolutionary War, including one of the lanterns that started Paul Revere on his famous ride, as well as muskets, swords, canes and cannon balls. Other artifacts celebrate the town’s Indigenous history as well as items from literary icons including Thoreau’s writing desk (where he wrote “Walden”) and Emerson’s study with his books. Start at the Family Station, where you’ll receive a family trail guide, scavenger hunt information and drawing materials. There are other hands-on activities throughout the museum, and the website has a list of books to read together before you come, as well as upcoming activities and special events for families.

Worcester Art Museum

55 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA, 01609 Phone: 508-799-4406

Family-centered activities a particular specialty at this art museum

Looking for an art museum that will engage the kids as well as the adults? At the Worcester Art Museum, families are a top priority. That means new interactive elements in many galleries (some that involve iPads), special family guides, 20-minute “zip tours: that focus on one artist or work of art, scavenger hunts and other fun activities from drawing to designing your own jousting helmet. (The kids will love the chivalric arms and armor collection.) Special touch carts allow children to, yes, touch things in a museum! On community days, there’s art-making, storytime, demonstrations and music-making. The museum, with exhibits ranging from medieval to modern times, also has a quiet-time Family Nook. Check the website for timed-admission information and safety protocols.

See Plymouth

4 North Street Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-747-0100 Toll-Free: 800-872-1620

Must-see family vacation destination includes outdoor activities, interactive museums

Family-friendly Plymouth has been a must-see vacation destination for kids and parents for generations. It may start with trips to Plymouth Rock and the majestic Mayflower II, but pretty soon you’ll discover a host of other fun activities, from whale watches and paddleboat cruises to ghost tours and playgrounds. At Nelson Memorial Beach Park, there’s a splash pad area, biking and hiking path as well as a great beach. There’s camping, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and swimming in state and local parks, with pleasant ponds for picnicking and boating. There are local theaters, interactive museums, all kinds of restaurants and unique shops. Visit the Plimoth Patuxet Museums to see a dugout canoe being made or to help soldiers in a muster drill! Please call 1.800.USA.1620, or visit our website to learn more about these activities and others to prepare for your trip to Plymouth.

Southwick’s Zoo

2 Southwick Street Mendon, MA, 01756 Phone: 800-258-9182

Everyone goes home happy (and nicely tired) after a day at this exciting, engaging zoo

Spend a day at Southwick’s Zoo, and you will go home with a happy (and pleasantly tired) family. The variety among the 850 animals at the zoo means there is a favorite waiting for everyone. The zoo is home to lions, tigers, chimpanzees, sloths, rhinos, prairie dogs, porcupines, peacocks and so much more. You can feed fallow deer in the 35-acre Deer Forest or pet pygmy goats in the petting zoo. Catch a keeper talk at the EARTH Discovery Center or help feed giraffes in a special animal encounter. And then there are the rides: the Woodland Express Train, the Soaring Eagle Zip Line, the Skyfari Sky Ride. Find your way through the Rainforest Adventure Maze, then head for lunch or dinner at the popular Galliford’s Restaurant and Tavern.

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Old Sturbridge Village - More than a Museum!

Island Queen Ferry - Getting to Martha's Vineyard is half the fun! Advance Reservations required - Click here to book your trip!

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort

37 Corey Road -- Route 43 Hancock, MA, 01237 Phone: 413-738-5500 Toll-Free: 800-882-8859

Mountain resort has all the activities, accommodations, amenities for A+ family vacation

Exciting activities, comfortable inn and condo accommodations, great dining options: At Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, they really have thought of everything to make your family vacation memorable. Rush down the mountain on an alpine coaster or slide, zip through the air in the Aerial Adventure Park, arc high into the sky on the Giant Swing or take a scenic chair lift ride up to the summit for astonishing views. And, of course, the skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing is top-notch on the 2,380-foot mountain. There are camps, lessons and activities for kids including classic outdoor games and s’mores by the fire pit in the Fire & FunZone. Dining is casual in friendly taverns and pubs. Check the website for special seasonal events and activities.

Discover Quincy

Adams National Historical Park Visitor Center - 1250 Hancock Street Quincy, MA, 02169 Phone: 617-471-1700

Families valued by this historic South Shore city

From the home of one of the nation’s first families, the city of Quincy offers your family a variety of activities from which to plan a day outing or a long vacation. Take the trolley trip at Adams National Historical Park to see the home of John and John Quincy Adams, and the nation’s first presidential library, boat over to Boston Harbor Islands National Park, sunbathe at Wollaston Beach (or one of 10 other city beaches), fish from a pier or just relax at one of 52 parks, many with playgrounds, picnic areas and ball fields. Enjoy autumn colors strolling marsh-side and riverside trails. In the winter, go ice skating or try skiing or snow-shoeing at Blue Hills Reservation.

Battleship Cove

5 Water Street Fall River, MA, 02721 Phone: 508-678-1100 Toll-Free: 800-533-3194

An exciting family adventure in America’s naval history

Battleship Cove is now open from 9am-5pm daily! Please remember to follow our safety & social distancing guidelines!
America’s naval history inspires the whole family at this world class heritage museum in Fall River. Explore the world's largest collection of US naval ships including the mighty USS Massachusetts, the destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., and PT Boats used in the South Pacific. The sheer size and impression these ships and their stories leave is overwhelming. There’s the state-of-the-art special effects Pearl Harbor Experience, the only outdoor multimedia reenactment anywhere. Scouts and youth groups can participate in a year round maritime camping program, overnights, and family nautical nights with affordable camping on site. Whether a casual visitor, history buff, student, teacher or scout leader, everyone learns. Special exhibits honor our men and women in uniform then and now.

The House of the Seven Gables

225 Derby Street Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-774-0991

Hands-on activities and outdoor fun make visiting this historic home perfect for families

Hands-on activities and exciting outdoor environments make visiting The House of the Seven Gables a fun family experience. Take a tour of the 17th-century gabled house, now called the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel. You can also visit the author’s birthplace, other colonial homes and colorful seaside gardens. Weekend activities might include learning how to use a quill pen or how to churn fresh butter. (Check the event calendar.) Over at the Kids Cove, in the 19th-century Counting House, kids can check out harbor views from the helm of a “ship,” or through a porthole telescope. A scavenger hunt is also available. The property also offers a variety of theatrical performances centered around Hawthorne, Salem and different holidays. And check the website for special coloring pages.
Hours: Open daily 10am - 6pm from March thru August, and by online reservation in November and December. Advance tickets highly recommended.

Sunset Cruise & Harbor Views! - See Plymouth, MA!

Whitewater Rafting in the Berkshires - Photo Credit Crab Apple Whitewater

Visit the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts

Renew your family's fun this summer in the Berkshires

With rolling mountains and lush evergreen forests, winding rivers and sparkling lakes, and scenic back roads that pass through flowered fields and farmland, the stage is set for world-class music, art, and theater in the Berkshires! Our rich cultural offerings and outdoor recreation are the main attractions of a Berkshire summer - and it’s an ideal location to bring the whole family. Locally grown foods are fresh and plentiful this time of year - enjoy culinary treats at our local cafes, an upscale dinner at one of our resorts, or a picnic under the stars while listening to live music. You’ll make unforgettable memories as a family as you explore our hiking trails, whitewater rapids, historic homes and gardens, impressive museums, and aerial adventure parks - and those are only a few of the offerings available to you in the Berkshires! Pack up the family for some quality time in the Berkshires. To learn more visit us at berkshires.org. Find us on Facebook at "Visit the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts" and Instagram at visittheberkshires.

Old Sturbridge Village

1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, off Route 20 Sturbridge, MA, 01566 Phone: 508-347-3362 Toll-Free: 800-733-1830

Step back into the past and watch history come alive (and be fun!) in this re-created village

History is more than educational, it’s downright fun, at Old Sturbridge Village, where generations of families have been coming for years to explore rural life in an 1830s New England village. Kids (young and old) love visiting with the cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens at the Freeman Farm and watching how food was cooked at the kitchen hearth. Families can walk across a covered bridge along the riverside, hear a sampling of 1830s music, or make a craft such as a punched tin ornament. Take a horse-drawn wagon ride, play old-time games, then grab ice cream at the Scoop Shop or an all-time favorite (and famous) cookie from the bake shop. Your family will be delighted that Old Sturbridge Village is more than a museum.

Visit North Central Massachusetts

1000 Route 2 West (between Exits 103 & 102) Lancaster, MA, 01523 Phone: 978-534-2302

No matter what the season, there is always family fun throughout the region

Your family will never be bored when you visit the North Central Massachusetts. Head to an alpaca farm to say hello to the animals, glide across the snow in a horse-drawn sleigh at Cornerstone Ranch or give your skis and snowboards a workout at Wachusett Mountain. Try your hand at axe throwing, corn hole, basketball or volleyball at Game on Fitchburg, or have a blast at an indoor water park and ropes course at Great Wolf Lodge. Winter hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are spectacular in the area’s parks, preserves and recreation centers. With a variety of performing arts venues, historical museums and galleries, there really is something for every age and interest.

Trolley Tours - Greater Boston CVB - Boston, MA

Meet Boston

Information Centers on Boston Common and Prudential Towers (Center Court) Boston, MA, 02116 Phone: 888-733-2678

Family-friendly Boston has something for everyone – and it’s all a short walk away

Families love Boston, and it’s no secret why: It’s so walkable, and there’s so much to do, everyone leaves happy. See tea tossed overboard at the Tea Party Ships & Museum, then take in the Children’s Museum practically next door. Visit the Paul Revere House and the USS Constitution on the exciting Freedom Trail, catch a game at Fenway or take a relaxing trip on the famous Swan Boats in the Public Garden (don’t forget to visit the “Make Way for Ducklings” statues while you’re there). There are plenty of playgrounds, a classic carousel, trolley and duck boat tours, street performers at fun Faneuil Hall, seals, penguins and sharks in the New England Aquarium – and you can watch a lightning storm happen indoors in the Museum of Science.

Salem Witch Museum

19 1/2 Washington Square North Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-744-1692

Museum visitors will be entertained, and educated, by witch trial presentations, exhibits

Some attractions educate, others entertain, but the Salem Witch Museum takes pride in doing both. Through two immersive presentations, visitors to the museum will learn all about the famous witch trails of 1692, resulting in the deaths of 20 people, as well as the evolution through the years of the image of the witch and of the phenomenon of witch-hunting. The museum is in a renovated historic church building, close to several parking garages. Conde Nast Traveler says the presentations, with dramatic lighting, are “just spooky enough to summon the spirit of the witch trials without being off-putting for children.” And kids will love the gift shop at the end, with spell books, apparel and locally made treats. Tickets must be ordered online.

Galaxy Montage - Blake Planetarium - Plymouth, MA

W. Russell Blake Planetarium

117 Long Pond Road Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-830-4470

Full-dome Plymouth planetarium a shining star for visitors of all ages

The sky’s the limit for visitors to the W. Russell Blake Planetarium, the only 4K full-dome planetarium south of Boston. As you sit back in angled chairs, you’ll gaze at a ceiling filled with stars and planets while learning to identify them and how to use a star map (that you can take home). It’s a spectacle of light and color not to be missed. Regular seasonal stargazing programs take advantage of the high-tech surround-sound system and jaw-dropping full-dome views.

Plimoth Patuxet

137 Warren Avenue Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-746-1622

Families can travel back in time to the 17th century in these interactive, engaging museums

Take your kids on a journey back in time, to see how Native and Pilgrim children experienced life in the 17th century. At the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, contemporary interpreters at the Historic Patuxet Native village and 17th Century English Village engage visitors in everything from cooking lessons and muster drills to how to scoop out the insides of a dugout canoe with a shell. There’s a Craft Center, cinema and quick-service cafe. In Plymouth Harbor, you are welcome aboard the Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the original famed tall ship. A pleasant stroll on the path along Town Brook (in the spring, watch for herring) takes you to the Plimoth Grist Mill, where you can watch cornmeal being ground.

Greater Merrimack Valley

61 Market Street, Unit 1C Lowell, MA, 01852 Phone: 978-459-6150

Activities from art museums to escape rooms will engage every member of your family

Visit the Concord Museum to see the “one if by land” Paul Revere lantern or Thoreau’s writing desk. Marvel at the intricacies of the model ship collection at the Addison Gallery of American Art. Climb up the crow’s nest on the Discovery Museum’s. Just-for-kids ship, or make pinch-pot clay animals and trinket dishes at the Pottery Mill Clay Studio. Go on a winter walk or explore the Native American and Shaker collections at the Fruitlands Museum. Or step into your own private escape game, cracking codes and solving puzzles, at Escapology. There are so many activities to delight families in the Merrimack region, from trampoline parks and bowling alleys to museums with astonishing art and activities that engage even the youngest visitors.

Island Queen

75 Falmouth Heights Road Falmouth, MA, 02540 Phone: 508-548-4800

First thing your kids will love about your Vineyard vacation: the ferry trip over

Your kids will love Martha’s Vineyard – and the first thing they’ll love is the trip over on board the Island Queen. With its picture windows in the Main Deck lounge and amazing views of the Cape, the sound and the Vineyard from the Sun and Mid Decks, they’ll be totally occupied on the 35-minute ferry voyage from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs. There’s a full-service snack bar and restrooms. In Oak Bluffs, you’ll want to ride on The Flying Horses, the oldest carousel in America, and see the multicolored Victorian gingerbread houses in the Campground. The island also boasts great biking and hiking trails, sailing, kayaking ad boating adventures, lighthouses and museum to explore and plenty of chocolate and ice cream shops!

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