The 10 Best Attractions for Boston Family Vacations
From Sports to Museums to Historical Sites
By Anthony Basile | Published on January 23, 2026
When you're scheduling a cruise vacation for your family, it's natural to think of all the things you'll do at sea or at faraway destinations. But what about activities before or after you sail, within an easy trip of the cruise port? This is an especially good option when you're sailing from or to a varied and interesting city like Boston, laden with historical attractions and cultural must-sees.
Boston is a sports-loving town, but it's also home to fantastic museums and key American Revolution locations — and, better yet, it's a great spot for walking around outdoors in all seasons. In short, no matter what your family likes to do, you can have a fun time in Boston. So why not tack a few nights in Massachusetts onto your next cruise and have a Boston family vacation?
Why Spend Time On A Boston Family Vacation?
Finding fun family activities can be tricky in most places. If you have a few free days in Boston, however, it's a different story. Whether you're traveling with tiny tots or independent teens, there are plenty of things to do in Boston with kids
One of the most appealing things about Boston is that you can easily travel from one side of the city to the other on public transit. Locals will sometimes poke fun at the subway, or the "T," for its shutdowns and breakdowns, but it really is convenient as an option to see multiple attractions in one day. If it's a nice day, the city is also very walkable.
Whether you're staying in a hotel near the cruise port or a nearby satellite city like Cambridge, you can always make quick jaunts to see the sights. Compare hotel prices and reviews — there's no one "best" neighborhood to stay if you want to make the most of your time in town.
Season matters when you're visiting Massachusetts in terms of what activities will be open, but every time of year has its appeal. In the summer, you can visit outdoor attractions like the Public Gardens. Fall is leaf-peeping and ghost tour season. In winter, you can head indoors to check out a museum (or a hockey or basketball game). And spring? Then it's time for the Red Sox to open up another season at Fenway.
10 Fun Boston Family Destination Ideas
Boston has lots to offer history buffs, sports fans, curious kids and anyone who likes to get some fresh air. Even just limiting yourself to places that are easy to visit from the cruise port, you have a long list of attractions at your fingertips for your family vacation.
It's hard to narrow down what to do with a free day, so while you'll find 10 suggestions for family-friendly things to do in Boston, this is just a start. At any time of the year and any point on the T's route, there's something new to try.
1. Fenway Park
Opened in 1912, the home of the Red Sox is the oldest active ballpark in the Major Leagues. In its over a century of existence, distinctive features of the park have picked up names, like the Green Monster (the left-field wall) and the Pesky Pole (the right-field foul pole, named for Sox great Johnny Pesky). From spring through fall, it's your destination for ballgames and massive outdoor concerts. If you and the family only have a little while free, you can still have fun taking a tour.
Distance from port: 50 minutes by public transit.
2. TD Garden
Boston would be considered a great sports city if all it had was the Sox, but that's just the beginning. The NBA's Celtics and the NHL's Bruins, among the oldest and most decorated teams in their respective leagues, both play at TD Garden. The arena is helpfully located directly atop North Station, one of the city's major transit hubs. It's also a great place to go for concerts or events. Some even cater to younger kids — they'd love an "on ice" skating spectacular.
Distance from port: 40 minutes by public transit.
3. Boston Harbor Islands
There are 34 islands and peninsulas in Boston Harbor. Together, they make up Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. On these islands, accessed by ferry, you can bring your family on a tour of a (reportedly haunted!) Civil War fort or go birdwatching or beachcombing. There's even a Junior Ranger program that awards badges for completing activities.
Distance from port: 35 minutes (to the ferry departure point) by public transit.
4. Boston Children's Museum
If you want to bring the kids somewhere that's designed to be educational and fun, the Children's Museum is just the spot. It's the second-oldest children's museum in the country (founded in 1913!) and is packed with family activities. Even very little tots are welcome: The PlaySpace is designed for kids ages 0-3.
Distance from port: 20 minutes by public transit, 35 minutes walking.
5. Museum of Science
It's clear that the Museum of Science is a good time from the moment you walk up to it. The T. rex out front — turned into an outdoor decoration when the dinosaur exhibit got a more authentic model — tells you what you're in for. Inside, you and your kids can enjoy immersive Omni Theater shows, interactive hands-on exhibits and fascinating displays on every subject imaginable.
Distance from port: 40 minutes by public transit
6. Boston Public Garden
In the summertime, you can have a wonderful time strolling the Public Garden, where you can take to the water on one of the small, distinctive swan boats. While you're there, you can tell the kids to look for the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture by Nancy Schön, a life-size family of bronze ducks offering a reminder that the iconic children's book is set in Boston.
Distance from port: 40 minutes by public transit.
7. New England Aquarium
It's tricky to rank these things, but if there's a No. 1 must-see Boston spot, it's the aquarium. One of the most beloved aquariums in the world, it's home to playful penguins, sea lion shows and a massive tank that shows off ocean life at different depths. Just be careful — if you eat from the ocean-friendly seafood menu at the Harbor View Café, you may find it hard to make eye contact with the sea creatures afterward.
Distance from port: 25 minutes by public transit.
8. USS Constitution Museum
If your kids are fascinated by seafaring life, the USS Constitution Museum is for them. After all, where else can you see the oldest commissioned U.S. Navy ship? "Old Ironsides" was launched in 1797 and is still afloat, and this museum is where you can come face-to-face with a ship that sailed in the War of 1812.
Distance from port: One hour by public transit.
9. Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Two nautical museums with floating attractions in a row? Given Boston's seafaring history, it's really no surprise that so many of its historical sites are on the water. At the Boston Tea Party Museum, the ships are replicas, and your family can watch as performers reenact the events that helped spark the American Revolution.
Distance from the port: 25 minutes by public transit.
10. Granary Burying Ground
If you have older kids who are aspiring history buffs, they'll happily spend some time walking through the stones at this cemetery and pointing out the final resting places of three signers of the Declaration of Independence — Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine — along with Paul Revere and many more notable figures. And if your family is more about the haunted than the historic, come back at night for a ghost tour.
It's one of many Revolutionary attractions connected by the Freedom Trail, a brick line down the sidewalk you can follow with a guide or on your own. The USS Constitution is also on the trail, but relatively far from everything except Bunker Hill. The burying ground, by contrast, is very close to Park Street Church, the State House and more.
Distance from the port: 30 minutes by public transit.
Planning A Boston Family Trip Around A Cruise Vacation
Cruises from Boston follow a few different formats. Some of these voyages are Caribbean jaunts into warm waters and sunny destinations like Aruba and the Cayman Islands, while others feature a more rugged kind of beauty, going up the coast to Bar Harbor, Maine or Prince Edward Island, Canada. If your family vacation embarks from Boston, you can get the fun started before departure or keep it going for a few days after you arrive.
In Boston, cruises depart from the Seaport, an up-and-coming part of the city that's home to plenty of outdoor spaces to relax and restaurants to try. With that said, you'll likely have to take the T to get to more family-focused attractions. The major exception is the Children's Museum, which is close to the port.
