The Boston Children's Museum (BCM) is located on Congress Street next to the Financial District and right on the waterfront - quite beautiful. Boston has made countless improvements over the last ten years or so. There were a number of parking garages nearby offering rates between $12-$15 (not too bad, although the Providence Children's Museum offers limited free parking). Admission is $14 per person ages 1+. Our family has a membership to the Providence Children's Museum that allows us to visit other museums for free (sadly this type of pass is going away in 2013).
September was a great time to visit the area. We arrived around noon and met my in-laws who took a ferry from Revere into Boston. The weather had warmed and the sun was shining brightly. The boardwalk area was bustling with local workers out and about during their lunchbreaks. We decided to grab lunch at The Barking Crab, also on the waterfront, before entering the museum. The location was probably the best thing going for the place. It was casual, which worked for us with a restless 2-year old in tow after sitting in traffic. The seafood was fresh, the service was sub-par and the prices were moderately high for lunch. It looked like a nice location for an after work beverage for locals.
TThe BCM is a LEED certified facility (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design), boasting their green roofs, storm water reclaimation and recycled, local or low-emitting building materials. The multi-level museum is very large, which is why I recommend the afforable children's museum memberships. You can always come back! There were many fun, educational and physical activities throughout the museum - something for everyone. Our son, Rhys, loves to climb so it was no surprise that he could not pass by the first exhibit. However, once he climbed up, he could not figure out how to climb back out. Note to parents: This cool climbing feature is not built for larger adults. Naturally, I sent my 6' 3'' husband in after him. :)
After playing with balls, water and bubbles, we found another more physical area of the museum. We peddled on bikes, shot some basketballs and of course hit the climbing wall.
The museum features some well known PBS attractions, including Arthur and Peep. Our little guy gave these sections two thumbs up. He excitedly ran around exploring each room. Overall, we had a wonderful experience. Everyone went home tired and happy.
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