Massachusetts boasts a number of historic attractions for your kids to enjoy, which are often open for special evening events or even overnight adventures. The state's diversity, from its densely populated urban centers to farms that produce everything from dairy products to vegetables and fruit, also supply abundant opportunities for family focused attractions outside of museums and aging landmarks.
Science Museums
Your kids can enjoy sleeping under giant dinosaur bones or getting after-hours access to the some of the state's top science museums. Boston's Museum of Science offers overnight excursions, for children in first to seventh grades, throughout the year, according to its site. As long as your child brings his own sleeping bag (and you or another adult), he'll be treated to hands-on science activities and an evening snack before the lights go dark at midnight. The event ends with a light breakfast the next morning. If your child isn't ready for an all-nighter, the Springfield Science Museum offers shorter evening events -- Stars Over Springfield -- where you and your kids check out the night stars courtesy of a giant telescope affixed on the museum's roof, according to tourism guide Visit New England.
Ghost Tours
You may think ghost tours sound too spooky for children but Dead of Night Ghost Tours offers kid-friendly experiences. This Plymouth-based company offers a twilight tour of allegedly haunted places by lantern, as well as both daylight and sunset cemetery walks. According to its official website, the fourth tour option -- an hour-long scavenger hunt -- is organized with children and their families in mind. The kid who is able to find the clues the fastest wins a prize, according to the tour site. There are no restrictions with regard to age for other tours as well; children 12 and under can go on the tours for $10 each.
Historic Stays
If you're looking for a different type of experience for your child -- aside from a night at the museum -- check out either the Worcester-based Higgins Armory or Battleship Cove in Fall River. Higgins Armory is home to one of the largest collection of armor and arms from the time when knights jousted on horseback in Europe. Your kids will spend the night in a recreation of a medieval castle and enjoy trying on armor or devour a medieval-style dinner. If your kids would rather spend the night on a giant ship, head to Battleship Cove -- home of the defender U.S.S. Massachusetts. Kids can explore turrets, climb ladders, crank handwheels and hear stories about the ship from the Navy vets who know it best, according to the cove's website.
Corn Maze
Get away from the city and treat the family to an evening outdoors at either the Davis MegaMaze in Sterling or the Nessralla Farm maze in Halifax. The Davis maze offers two moonlit activities -- where you can navigate through the fields by flashlight or view the night sky from a nearby bridge and explore the fields by night. What makes the Davis maze different is that it's part obstacle course -- featuring tunnels, slides and play equipment along the winding paths. Nessralla Farm also boasts a maze that takes as little as 45 minutes to an hour to weave through, but you can also spend the rest of the evening eating fair food, climbing rock walls and bales of hay or visiting farm animals at the onsite petting zoo.
Animal Outings
If your child loves nature's creatures, both Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and Stone Zoo in Stoneham offer seasonal evening events, as well as sleep-overs. Evening activities include Zoo Howl, which is organized around Halloween, but there are also overnights offered throughout the year -- touting games, presentations conducted by zookeepers, snacks and a light breakfast and free zoo pass for the following day, according to Zoo New England, which operates both facilities. The New England Aquarium traditionally hosts overnight excursions, but it encourages night owls to spend a day at the aquarium until 5 p.m. and then head to an IMAX show onsite when overnight offerings are not available. The shows are primarily 3-D educational, sea-themed offerings, though popular box-office flicks are also presented.
Member Comments