Doing the tourist thing - 7 & 5 year old (Boston, New Bedford: coupon, loan)

[AandD]

I think I'd like to get the kids out today to explore a bit of Mass. we haven't had a chance to see anything yet. We live in Sharon, and I DON'T want to go into Boston (yet). What do you suggest that is within a reasonable distance and would entertain two young boys. Not too expensive is another requirement.

[CaseyB]

Do they like animals? You could take them to Capron Park Zoo - Attleboro, MA.

There's always Borderland State Park in Easton, but that is much nicer in the spring.

[clevedark]

You could go to Hull for the day--walk along the beach and play in the playground if it isn't too windy. Also, World's End in Hingham is a beautiful spot to take an easy hike--it's run by the Trustees of the Reservation, you can google it for more info.

The Cordova Museum in Lincoln is fun because they have a lot of outdoor scultptures.

And taking the kids to boston to see the aquarium or the children's museum is not bad at all--it's in a very kid-friendly spot along the harbor. And the north end is right near the aquarium, so you can get lunch, too. There's a place I like, something something Express, where you can get pizza or pasta or a sandwich, in a cafeteria line. It's not very expensive.

[Beachcomber4]

Check with your local library for passes for the aquarium, MOS, Plimoth Plantation etc. The Entertainment Book is sometimes a good investment for buy one get one free admissions. The Children's Museum does $1 admission on Friday nights. When you do go into Boston, see if Boston Trolleys is doing any specials. They used to do a "free for residents" month. Not sure when it is.

Get the Boston Children's Paper which has a list of activities for the month. Many are free or almost free.

On a nice day like today, Hull is a great idea. The Lifesaving Museum is a nice take and you can drive down to the gut. Plymouth is fun to walk along the waterfront and take in the sights.

[lrfox]

I like the Plymouth idea. lots of stuff there. Salem would be fun too.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum might be fun ( New Bedford Whaling Museum - Whale History Education Research Humpback Whale Blue Whale ) and right up the street (quick walk) is the Ocean Explorium: Ocean Explorium at New Bedford Seaport . There are a bunch of art galleries in that area as well as two art museums for you to enjoy (NB Museum of Art and the UMass Dartmouth Art Museum). about two miles from there is the Buttonwood Zoo which is nice ( Buttonwood Park Zoo, New Bedford, Massachusetts ~ Home Page ). Freestones or the Waterfront Grille are good places in the area to get lunch. Dartmouth, near the zoo, has the chain restaurants too (Olive Garden, Fridays, Texas Roadhouse, etc).


Parking in New Bedford is free this weekend as the New Bedford Marathon is going on (Sunday) and most downtown restaurants and shops are offering deals and discounts. The Whaling Museum is offering free childs crafts and activities from noon-4pm on Sunday. THis weekend is a good time to go. There's other stuff to do this weekend Downtown... more info: Downtown New Bedford Inc. - Loan Program . New Bedford is NOT a hard city to drive in either. Downtown is just off the highway.

If they like Boats and stuff, Battleship Cove in Fall River is a must see ( Battleship Cove, the world's largest historic naval ship exhibit. ). They can walk around on (inside and out) a huge, real battleship as well as play on a submarine and other ships. They can even turn the guns and grab some lunch in the galley of the ship. There's also a beautiful carousel on site. It's right off the highway. Your 7 year old will cost $8, the 5 year old is free and you will be $14 ($12 if you have AAA). There's a printable dollar off coupon on the site.

[AandD]

Thanks for the replies. We left before most of them, so went with the 1st suggestion. Capron Zoo was nice but... small. Are there any large zoos? We must be a bit spoiled from the zoo in San Antonio - we missed seeing the elephants and bears and seals...

We've decided to do the Children's Museum next week, so we can ask a friend of my son's if he'd like to go along.

Tomorrow may be a good day to do New Bedford, since it's free. (I'm all over free, even if it's just parking.)

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Beachcomber4]

Franklin Park Zoo is large. Southwick is "okay".

Another freebie is Woods Hole. We love the aquarium (very small but very educationational).

[clevedark]

The zoo in Providence, RI is nice, and there's a beautiful park right nearby with Japanese gardens. Go in the springtime when the cherry trees are flowering and you'll get some incredible photos of your kids. There's also a really good playground and some little rides, like a merry go round and a couple of other things.

The zoo isnt free, though. Not cheap, either.

[lrfox]

^Seconded. It's called Roger Williams Park Zoo ( RWP Zoo : Home ), and it's arguably the best in New England. The Park is gorgeous and so is the zoo. They have your elephants, snow leopards, giraffes, penguins, etc. Their polar bear exhibit is being renovated but it should be up and running again within a year.

Franklin Park Zoo is good too. I prefer Roger Williams though. Southwick Zoo is supposed to be pretty good, but I don't know from experience... they claim to be the biggest in New England. Buttonwood Park/Zoo in New Bedford is small. It's nice, but it's small. I would recommend Roger Williams for a zoo outing.

I would also recommend waiting until late spring, early summer to check out a zoo. When the weather is warmer, the animals (particularly those from warmer climates) tend to be a bit more active. I've always found the zoo to be a depressing place up here in the winter.

Mystic Aquarium just accross the Rhode Island/ CT Border off of I-95 in Mystic CT is a blast. IT's not as big as Boston's, but it's easier to get to and they have some cool exhibits. They have penguins and beluga whales as well as a Stingray Touch Tank (don't worry, stingers are removed). If you're feeling like spending extra, you can do a personal "encounter program" where you get to feed, touch and play with either the beluga whales or the penguins and work with trainers. I got my girlfriend the "Penguin Encounter" for christmas and she absolutely adored playing with the penguins. Mystic Aquarium: Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration

Tomorrow would be a great day to do New Bedford since most attractions are free or reduced cost. The Whaling Museum and the nearby Ocean Explorium are fun (The Ocean Explorium has a "touch tank" with coastal marine life that you can touch and hold), but if the weather is nice the Schooner Ernestina is nice to see as well. The Seamen's Bethel (right next to the Whaling Museum) is a pretty historic place, and one that can be quite moving. It's a landmark as it is mentioned in Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" (he wrote the book about his experiences living in New Bedford and working on a New Bedford Whaling Ship), but the memorial to fishermen lost at sea is pretty touching if you're into that. Check the the "Downtown New Bedford" link in the first post to get an idea of what's going on outside the museum. Anyway, if you have time it would be worth the trip given the activities going on.

If the weather is REALLY nice (60 Degrees is nice to us New Englanders), drive from New Bedford over to Horseneck Beach State Park (in Westport), and take a walk on the beach. If you're using your GPS to get to Horseneck, use the address, 51 Bridge St, Westport MA to navigate. Park on Bridge Street (side of the road will do) and you just have to walk over the sand dune (there's an obvious little path). That's the address for a private section of Horseneck Beach (called Bakers Beach). I used to work there and it's the best place to park when visiting. Ignore the "no parking" signs, it's not an issue they enforce until the summer time when EVERYONE tries to park there. If the weather is nice, you won't be the only car parked there. No, you can't swim yet, but it's beautiful, peaceful and quiet this time of year. You can relax and the kids can go find shells, feed the seagulls, and just explore. It's great because it's free. Fort Phoenix State Park across the harbor from New Bedford is nice too. Right on the water with old cannons and walls for your kids to explore. It's also free.

Have fun.