FAQ: Boston Region

What are the top five activities for your teen near/in Boston

Boston, a city rich in history and buzzing with modern energy, offers a diverse playground for teens. From exploring revolutionary landmarks to checking out museums and enjoying the great outdoors, there’s no shortage of things to do. 

1. Institute of Contemporary Art Watershed: This unique exhibition space at the East Boston Shipyard and Marina transforms a 15,000-square-foot warehouse into space for large-scale contemporary art installations from May to September.  
2. Watson Adventures: If you love scavenger hunts, Watson Adventures is for you. You and your friends choose a hunt that explores different parts of Boston. You’ll solve clues, answer questions, and complete challenges while learning about places like the Freedom Trail, North End, Coplay Square, or the whole city.
3. Level99: Just outside Boston in Natick, Level99 offers interactive, challenge-based gaming that is different from the traditional escape room. Groups collaborate to tackle physical and mental puzzles within immersive, themed environments. Grab a bite from the Night Shift Kitchen while you’re there.
4. Middlesex Fells: This 2,500+ acre public recreation area has it all: woodlands, hills, wetlands, and ponds. The Fells features hiking and walking trails, places for mountain biking, horseback riding and fishing, the historic Middlesex Canal, and several reservoirs contributing to the region’s water supply.
5. Boston Crime Tour: Learn about Boston’s darker history with a tour focusing in notorious crimes of James “Whitey” Bulger and his Winter Hill Gang, the pirates of Boston Harbor, and Joseph P. Kennedy’s rum running legacy. Guides weave historical facts with storytelling, bringing to life the tales of these criminals and their impact on the city’s past.
   

What are the top cultural activities for teens in Boston?

History, innovation, and artistic expression weave a vibrant tapestry, inviting you to explore and engage with the world around you.

1. Freedom Trail: This historical exploration leads participants on a 2 ½-mile path through the heart of Boston, showcasing landmarks significant to the American Revolution. Learn about figures and events shaping the nation’s founding, from the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party to Paul Revere’s ride and the battles fought at Bunker Hill.
2. Museum of Fine Arts (MFA): The MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, housing a collection spanning many cultures and historical periods. Explore ancient Egyptian artifacts and Greek Sculptures, European masterpieces, and contemporary American art. The MFA also hosts temporary exhibitions, programs, and events in its mission to enrich lives through art. 
3. Boston Segway Tours: Ride a Segway on a tour of landmarks like Faneuil Hall, Old North Church, TD Garden, Zakim Bridge, and more. Learn about the Big Dig and the architecture that’s so iconic to the city. 
4. Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum: This museum brings to life the pivotal Boston Tea Party, a defining moment in the lead-up to the American Revolution. Live reenactments, historical artifacts, and exhibits transport you back to December 16, 1773. You can “throw tea” into the harbor, explore replicas of the original tea ships, and interact with costumed actors portraying the protesting colonists.
5. USS Constitution: Affectionately nicknamed “Old Ironsides,” this U.S. Navy frigate, launched in 1979, is the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. Today, it serves as a living museum, offering a glimpse into the naval history and life aboard a late 18th-century warship.
6. MIT Museum: This museum showcases the intersection of science, technology, and art, and features interactive exhibits and displays highlighting MIT’s groundbreaking research and contributions in AI and robotics, photography and architecture, and more.
7. Museum of African American History: This museum highlights the contributions, struggles, and triumphs of African Americans from the colonial era to today. The Boston location focuses on the 19th-century Black community and its role in the abolition movement, showcasing sites like the African Meeting House, a National Historical Landmark.

What are the best Boston outdoor activities for teens?

Despite its urban setting, Boston offers an array of outdoor adventures for anyone seeking fresh air and a break from the indoors. From exploring the harbor islands, paddling along the Charles River, or playing frisbee in one of the city’s 930 parks, there’s something for everyone.

1. Frog Pond: The Boston Common Frog Pond transforms with each season. In summer, it’s a spray pool. In the winter, it becomes an ice skating rink. Year-round, it serves as a gathering place for community events and activities.
2. Boston Harbor Islands: This collection of 34 islands and peninsulas scattered across Boston Harbor includes sites like Fort Warren on Georges Island and the Boston Light on Little Brewster Island. Some islands remain uninhabited, while others are accessible by ferry. It’s an area popular with hikers, kayakers, picnickers, and campers.
3. Codzilla – Boston Harbor: This high-speed boat ride through Boston Harbor is a unique way to experience the city’s waterfront. Go on a wet, wild, and windy adventure featuring sharp turns, 360° spins, and high-powered bursts of speed. You’ll see iconic landmarks from the water, but the primary focus is the ride itself.
4. Fenway Park: Home to the Boston Red Sox, Fenway opened in 1912 and is one of the oldest and most beloved ballparks in MLB. It’s famous for the Green Monster, a towering left-field wall. This historic landmark embodies the city’s passion for baseball and its rich sporting heritage.
5. The Lawn on D: This park features distinctive swings, public art installations, lawn games, and seasonal events. It’s a community hub that attracts people for socializing and engaging in creative activities. It’s also one of the most Instagrammed spots in Boston with teens.
   

What are the best indoor activities in Boston for teens?

When storms roll in or winter arrives, there’s plenty to do inside. Test your wits in one of the traditional (or not-so-traditional) escape rooms. Visit a museum, see a show, take a class, try a craft, or do one of these activities.

1. Improv Asylum: A comedy theater and training center specializing in improv comedy, this North End organization offers live shows featuring talented improv performers who create spontaneous and hilarious scenes based on audience suggestions — a Boston version of Who’s Line is it Anyway?
2. Faneuil Hall: The “Cradle of Liberty” is a historic marketplace and meeting hall built in 1742. It originally served as a gathering place for town meetings and political debates during the American Revolution. Today, the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which surrounds the building, features shops, restaurants, and street performers.
3. Boda Borg: This gaming experience challenges teams to navigate a series of themed “quests” using physical and mental skills. Unlike traditional escape rooms, Boda Borg focuses on active participation and teamwork, requiring groups to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and complete challenges in interconnected rooms.
4. Room Escapers: You’ll be locked in a themed room from which you and your team must solve puzzles, find hidden clues, and complete challenges to escape in an hour (or less). 
5. The Glass Bar: Learn about the art and science of glassblowing via live demonstrations by skilled glass artists. You can also take classes in stained glass, glass fusing, mosaics, dichroic glass, and more.
   

What are the best Boston restaurants for teens?

The city’s culinary scene is a delicious adventure with plenty of choices beyond the typical pizza and burgers. Follow your nose into an Italian eatery in the North End or the spicy flavors of Jamaica Plain. Lunch with your friends at a trendy spot in the Seaport District. Boston is a foodie’s delight!

1. Boston Public Market: Bring your appetite to this indoor, year-round market with 30+ vendors offering produce, meats, seafood, baked goods, and more. The market emphasizes supporting local farmers, fishermen, and entrepreneurs while promoting sustainable food practices.
2. Pizza tour: Love pizza? Take a tour through different neighborhoods like the North End, known for its Italian culinary heritage, and sample slices from several local pizzerias. You’ll learn about the history of pizza in Boston, different styles throughout the city, and unique characteristics of each pizzeria you visit.
3. Casa Verde: Go to Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood for a taste of Mexican cuisine. The restaurant’s menu features traditional dishes with a modern twist, highlighting fresh ingredients and bold flavors in a festive dining atmosphere.
4. Fire + Ice Boston: This restaurant combines interactive cooking with a fun, social atmosphere. You create your own meal by choosing ingredients from a buffet-style spread of meats, seafood, vegetables, and sauces, and then watch as chefs cook your personalized creation on a large, circular grill. 
5. Mike’s Pastry: Venture back into the North End to visit this legendary Italian bakery renowned for its delectable pastries, especially cannoli. You’ll find a wide array of traditional treats, including biscotti, sfogliatelle, and other desserts made with traditional recipes.
   

What are the best Boston museums for families?

Boston is a treasure trove of museums, whether you’re into animals, space, art, fish, history, or so much more. All of these museums (and tours) are perfect for families of all ages.

1. Museum of Science: This museum aims to inspire a lifelong love of science and technology. Exhibits feature scientific fields like physics, astronomy, human biology, and engineering. You can engage in hands-on experiments, explore immersive displays, and watch presentations in the planetarium and IMAX theater.
2. New England Aquarium: The aquarium, located on Boston’s Central Wharf, is dedicated to marine life conservation and education. See sharks, sea turtles, and various fish species in a giant ocean tank. Learn about penguins, seals, and other marine animals and the research and conservation efforts of the aquarium.
3. Harvard Museum of Natural History: Go on a journey through the natural world by exploring the museum’s collection of specimens and exhibits spanning millions of years. Displays include the dinosaurs, minerals, ancient glass flowers, the evolution of mammals, and more. 
4. Boston Children’s Museum: This vibrant, interactive museum engages and teaches kids of all ages through hands-on exhibits and activities. Boston Children’s Museum prioritizes interactive and sensory experiences, fostering curiosity and creativity while promoting learning through play.
5. Boston Duck Tour: Explore Boston by land and water on one of these renovated WWII-style amphibious vehicles. You’ll drive by some of the city’s historical landmarks and sites before gliding into the Charles River for panoramic views of the skyline and waterfront.
6. WNDR Boston: This immersive and interactive art and technology venue blends art, digital technology, and sensory experiences to create a unique environment. Rooms feature light displays and illusions designed to challenge your perceptions and invite exploration.