101 Family Day Trips from Boston
**COVID UPDATE: Maybe you've had to cancel that big vacation you've planned. Or you just want to dream up all the fun outings that the future holds for you and your family. One place to get started is our big list of day trips. Now, not every place will be open or operating quite as it usually does, but it's a quick link over to learn the details directly from the destination.
Free activities and splurges that are worth it. The coolest stuff for a staycation in town and road trips for less than a tank of gas from Boston. Kids Out And About has tons of ideas for family travel, with places to explore, learn, and have fun!
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Get Wild on a Hike
Time Travel Today
Let's Go Chasing Waterfalls
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Bish Bash Falls |
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Cascade Falls at Middlesex Fells Reservation |
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Danforth Falls |
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Doane's Falls |
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Royalston Falls |
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Spirit Falls at Jacob's Mill |
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Waterfall at Beaver Brook Reservation |
Splash Around at the Beach
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Castle Island Beaches |
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Coast Guard Beach |
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Constitution Beach |
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Crane Beach |
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Green Harbor Beach |
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Misquamicut State Beach |
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Rexhame Beach |
Spend the Day at a Museum
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Boston Children's Museum |
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Discovery Museum |
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Dr. Seuss Museum |
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Eric Carle Museum |
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Harvard Museum of Natural History |
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | |
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MIT Museum |
Explore These Cities
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Hartford, CT |
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Providence, RI |
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Portsmouth, NH |
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Kennebunkport, ME |
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Mystic, CT |
All Aboard Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Boats!)
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Boston Fire Museum |
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Boston Sailing Center |
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Bay State Model Railroad Museum |
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Cape Cod Central Railroad |
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USS Constitution Museum |
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New England Air Museum |
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Seashore Trolley Museum |
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Whaling City Expeditions |
Grow Some Fun at the Farm
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Cider Hill Farm |
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Drumlin Farm |
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Parlee Farms |
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Lookout Farm |
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Hornstra Dairy Farm |
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Holly Hill Farm |
Play Ball!
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Sacco's Bowl Haven |
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Boston Bowl |
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Extra Innings |
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Boston Table Tennis Center |
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Bocce at Langone Park |
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Westford's Kimball Farm Mini Golf |
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Mini Golf at Castle Creek Adventureland |
Treat Yo' Self
Connect with Nature
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The Gardens at Elm Bank |
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Blue Hill Observatory |
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Endicott Park |
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The Butterfly Place |
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Tower Hill Botanic Garden |
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Lyman Estate Greenhouses |
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Kelleher Rose Garden |
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Treetop Adventures |
Amuse Yourself at These Amusement Parks
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Edaville Family Theme park |
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Canobie Lake Park |
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Six Flags New England |
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Lake Compounce |
Talk to the Animals
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Chip In Farm |
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Great Brook Farm State Park |
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Winslow Animal Farm Sanctuary |
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Franklin Park Zoo |
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Unity Farm Sanctuary |
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Southwick Zoo |
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New England Aquarium |
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Mystic Aquarium |
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Roger Williams Park Zoo |
Explore the Globe Close to Home
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Boston Chinatown |
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St. Anthony Feast |
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Armenian Museum of America |
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Museum of Russian Icons |
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Japanese Garden at the MFA |
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Showa Boston Institute for Language and Culture |
Get Active Indoors
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Play Union |
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Allo |
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LEGOLAND Discovery Center |
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Jam Time |
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Rock Spot Climbing |
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Central Rock Gym |
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Bean Stalk Adventure Ropes Course |
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Altitude Trampoline Park |
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Challenge Yourself
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Institute of Contemporary Art |
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Mass MoCA |
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Boston Pops at Tanglewood |
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Harlequin Stables |
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Porrazzo Skating Rink |
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Zoar Outdoor |
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Trapology Boston |
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Boxaroo Adventures |
Shop Your Heart Out
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The Children's Bookshop |
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The Blue Bunny Bookstore |
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An Unlikely Story |
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Barefoot Books |
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Porter Square Books |
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Tadpole |
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Boing! Toy Shop |
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CouCou |
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Hatched |
Limiting our list to 101 ideas meant some great destinations may have been left off the list - if there is something you’d like to see added, share it with us!
Most of these destinations are within an hour from downtown Boston. For those that are a bit farther away:
= Less than 1 hour away
= 1 to 2 hours away
= 2 to 3 hours away
= Just over 3 hours away
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