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For a family weekend in Boston, pair one big indoor attraction with one outdoor stop each day: Saturday at the New England Aquarium and the Freedom Trail's North End stretch, Sunday at the Museum of Science or the Boston Children's Museum plus a Fenway Park tour. All of them are in the City of Boston and reachable by T, and the aquarium in particular sells out on weekends, so book timed tickets before Saturday.
Below is a two-day plan, what each stop costs for a family, and how to find out what else is on this particular weekend.
A family weekend in Boston at a glance
| When | Plan | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday morning | New England Aquarium | Adults $39.95, children 3 to 11 $30.95; book ahead |
| Saturday afternoon | Freedom Trail: Paul Revere House and Old North Church | Paul Revere House $1 for ages 5 to 17 |
| Sunday morning | Museum of Science, or Boston Children's Museum for under-10s | From $28 per child; $24 per person |
| Sunday afternoon | Fenway Park tour and the Team Store | Adults $30, children 3 to 12 $21 |
Saturday: the New England Aquarium
The aquarium is built around the Giant Ocean Tank, a four-story, 200,000-gallon Caribbean coral reef, with about 50 African and southern rockhopper penguins in the colony around its base. The Shark and Ray Touch Tank lets children reach in to Atlantic rays and small epaulette sharks. Entry is by timed ticket, and the aquarium warns that weekends and holidays often sell out.
It opens at 9 a.m. and stays open until 6 p.m. on weekends. The harbor seals on the front plaza are free to watch, which is useful if a younger child tires out before the ticketed part. The Blue Line's Aquarium station is about 100 yards away.
Saturday afternoon: the Freedom Trail with children
The full trail is 2.5 miles and runs one way to Charlestown, which is a lot for small legs. With children, walk the North End section only: from the aquarium it is a short walk to the Paul Revere House on North Square, where tickets for ages 5 to 17 are $1, and on to the Old North Church, where the lanterns were hung in 1775. The Freedom Trail Foundation's 90-minute guided tours charge $8 for children aged 6 to 12 and nothing for under-6s, if you would rather have a costumed guide do the storytelling.
Sunday: the Museum of Science or the Children's Museum
The Museum of Science is at Science Park, beside the Charles River Dam, with its own Green Line station. Exhibit Halls open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission is $33 for adults and $28 for children 3 to 11. The daily Lightning! show in the Theater of Electricity is included, and Cliff, a 65-million-year-old Triceratops, stands in the Blue Wing. Planetarium and Omni theater shows add $6 each, and on Saturday nights they run until 10 p.m.
For children under about 10, the Boston Children's Museum at 308 Congress Street is the better fit: its exhibits are designed from infancy through age 10. It opens 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is closed on Tuesdays, which does not affect a weekend. Adults and children 1 and over pay $24 each, and the museum recommends buying online. It is next door to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, a one-hour costumed tour that suits children who like a show.
Sunday afternoon: Fenway Park
Hour-long ballpark tours run every day of the year, leaving at the top of each hour from the Red Sox Team Store on Jersey Street, across from Gate A. Tickets are $30 for adults and $21 for children aged 3 to 12. On a home-game day the last tour leaves three hours before the game, so check the Red Sox schedule first.
Older guides send you to the "Yawkey Way Store". The street was renamed Jersey Street, its original name, in 2018; the shop is the same Team Store at 19 Jersey Street. If you are going to a game, note Fenway's bag rule: single-compartment bags no larger than 12 by 12 by 6 inches, with an exception for diaper bags.
Free and outdoor extras
- The Public Garden and Boston Common are free every day. The Swan Boats run from mid-April to early September at $3.25 for children aged 2 to 15.
- The ICA's free Play Dates let up to two adults visiting with children 12 and under in at no charge.
- Franklin Park Zoo, at 1 Franklin Park Road in Franklin Park, opens at 9 a.m. and is a good swap for the museum on a fine day.
What is on in Boston this weekend?
Events change every week, so check the city's official calendar at Meet Boston before you go. For more ideas, see a Boston family adventure this weekend, free family-friendly activities and things to do in Fenway.
Sources: New England Aquarium tickets, Giant Ocean Tank and exhibits; Paul Revere House; Freedom Trail Foundation tours; Museum of Science; Boston Children's Museum; Fenway Park tours and ballpark guide; NPR on the Jersey Street renaming; Swan Boats; ICA; Franklin Park Zoo. Checked September 30, 2026.