Bring History to Life with a Family-Friendly Tour of Boston

This summer, we’re headed back to Boston as the starting point for our coastal Maine trip. That has me reminiscing about our first Boston trip when the kids were younger. Boston is one of those cities that brings American history to life for kids. Elementary and middle-school children are the perfect age for visiting the historic sites in Boston because they’ve been introduced to the history in school. Yet, they’re still young enough to be excited about a good old-fashioned field trip.

While Boston has dozens of family-friendly attractions, including a science museum, an aquarium, a zoo, and the famous Fenway Park, we focused on the historic sites because the city offers such a unique opportunity for learning about colonial America. Here are the historic sites around Boston where we spent our time, along with my thoughts about how the kids enjoyed them.

Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile route around downtown Boston that leads to 16 historically significant sites. The sites include churches, burial grounds, meeting houses, parks, historic homes, and museums. There are several different ways to experience the Freedom Trail, including downloading an audio guide and attending a walking tour led by a costumed guide.

Walk Into History Tour

We took the Walk Into History tour, which met at Boston Common, the nation’s oldest public city park, established in 1634. During the 90-minute tour, we saw nine sites, covering one mile of the Freedom Trail and ending at Faneuil Hall. My kids did pretty well on this tour, given it involved walking and listening to American Revolution stories while looking at gravestones and building exteriors. They seemed most interested in the Granary Burying Ground where Paul Revere and Samuel Adams are buried.

We later explored other sites on the Freedom Trail on our own. The kids seemed to prefer going into the buildings and walking at their own pace as I shared a few facts from a brochure. Based on this experience, don’t feel like you need to pay for a guided tour unless it’s something you’re interested in, as your kids may be happier without it.

Paul Revere House

During our self-guided walk, we toured inside the Paul Revere House, listened to a short presentation at Old North Church, and visited the Bunker Hill Monument. The Paul Revere House, built in 1680, was the childhood home of Paul Revere and is downtown Boston’s oldest building. It took us less than 30 minutes to visit the small but interesting residence.

Old North Church

The Old North Church is the oldest standing church in Boston. Its steeple was the location from which the famed lantern signals were given during Paul Revere’s midnight ride. As the story goes, these signals alerted Revere that the British were moving by sea before the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

At the church, we walked around the grounds and sat in a box pew to hear a talk led by a docent. The presentation was short enough to hold the kids’ attention, and afterwards, we headed to the church’s gift shop to buy some colonial-themed souvenirs.

Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill site includes a museum about the Battle of Bunker Hill and a granite obelisk monument. Visitors can climb 294 steps to the top of monument for a view of the city. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to climb the monument because our visit coincided with a United States government shutdown, making the National Park Service-operated sites along the Freedom Trail inaccessible.

Because of the government shutdown, we also weren’t able to visit the U.S.S. Constitution or Faneuil Hall. Before the trip, I called my congresspeople and told them I was upset they were interfering with my vacation and wanted them to get the government open pronto. But I don’t think they found my vacation argument compelling. I’m certain though the Founding Fathers would have been happy I had my say. Ultimately, it wouldn’t be a vacation if something like a hurricane, wildfire, bout of food poisoning, or government shutdown didn’t fool with the plan.

Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

One of the best attractions we visited during our history tour of Boston was the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. The museum is located on the Boston waterfront next to two replica tall ships. The experience begins in the Meeting House where costumed actors explain the events leading up the Boston Tea Party on the night of December 16, 1773. Visitors then board one of the ships for a Tea Party reenactment.

Each visitor is given a card with a description of the real-life person they represent, and some of these cards assign a speaking part. My oldest son played John Crane, the only person injured the night of the Boston Tea Party. Crane was knocked unconscious during the raid and was mistakenly left for dead. Thankfully, he awoke a few hours later under a pile of wood shavings where his fellow patriots had dragged him. My son embraced his starring role and was thoroughly charmed by the museum’s enthusiastic actors. Both kids also thought throwing the floating tea bales into the harbor was a hoot.

Boston Duck Tour

Another family friendly way to see the Boston historic sites is on a Boston Duck Tour. This popular attraction takes visitors on a land and water tour of the city aboard a replica World War II amphibious DUKW vehicle. The tours depart from three convenient locations in the city—the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science and the Prudential Center.

The tour lasts for about an hour and 20 minutes and follows a route around Boston Common, along the Harborwalk and through the West End until reaching the Charles River. At that point, the vehicle drives down a boat ramp into the river for a waterfront view of the skyline. Our kids loved the goofy vehicle conDUCKtor and were thrilled when he allowed each of them to drive the Duck for a few minutes.

Harvard University

Established in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and one of the most prestigious universities in the world, making it an excellent stop on a tour of Boston historic sites. During our visit, we walked around campus, starting at Harvard Yard and ending with lunch at the Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square. With more time, you can visit one of several Harvard museums open to the public, including the Harvard Art Museums, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

Plymouth

Plimoth Plantation

Forty miles south of Boston, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, are several more historic attractions that are fun for families. Our favorite was Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum that recreates the 17th-century Plymouth village and a Wampanoag homesite. Plimoth Plantation is located 2.5 miles from the original village site in present-day downtown Plymouth.

The re-created village has homes, a meeting house, a storehouse, animal pens, and gardens. Museum staff in period clothes play the roles of actual inhabitants of the Plymouth Colony and answer questions about colonial life. We liked that the role players stayed in character when we spoke with them.

Native American staff members are also available to talk about Wampanoag history and culture at the Wampanoag homesite. They wear historically accurate deerskin clothing while performing typical tasks like cooking food, sewing clothes, and building a canoe.

Mayflower II

After leaving Plimoth Plantation, we boarded the Mayflower II, docked at Long Wharf near Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower II is owned by Plimoth Plantation, and an all-in-one admission ticket for both attractions is available. During our visit, the kids enjoyed exploring the decks on the full-size replica ship.

For years now, the Mayflower II has spent time away from Plymouth each winter while being restored at the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. With the restoration now complete, it returns to Plymouth permanently this May.

Plymouth Rock

Our last stop in Plymouth was Plymouth Rock, the granite boulder that, according to legend, marked the spot of the landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Whether the rock was the first landing spot of the Pilgrims is debatable, but in the centuries since, it’s come to serve as a symbol of freedom. The stone, which is reportedly only a third of its original size due to various mishaps through the years, sits beneath a columned portico.

We spent a few minutes at the monument and took some pictures. The kids had the same reaction that almost every Plymouth Rock visitor has: “Why are we looking at this rock?” But despite being underwhelmed, it was a worthwhile stop on our way home from the other Plymouth sights.

Overall, we had a great and memorable experience touring the historic sites in the Boston area. If you’re looking for a fun educational trip for the family, consider a Boston trip of your own. Seeing the historic sites in person will leave an impression on your kids for years to come!