The Museum of Science in Boston, MA
My kids love the Museum of Science in Boston! We visited for the first time on Thursday, May 18, 2023, and we were so enthralled that we went back again the following Thursday!
There are many exciting exhibits for kids of all ages to explore and engage in enriching learning experiences. My 4 year old son, and my 21-month old daughter repeatedly gasped with awe, as we entered new rooms and they discovered some new wonder.
Keep reading for my review of the Museum of Science, Boston, and some tips and suggestions for planning your visit with small kids.
Disclosures
Before we get into it, please consider a few quick disclosures.
- I am not compensated or endorsed in anyway by the locations that I write about.
- This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn a commission from qualified purchases.
- This post contains affiliate links for Masterclass. I earn a commission if you sign up for a class.
- This post links to my portrait photography services under Lauren McDonagh-Pereira LLC.
- This post represents my personal opinions. I am not responsible if you have a different experience at this location.
The Museum of Science Overview
The Museum of Science is located at 1 Science Park, Boston MA. It is a bit tricky to get to because it is firmly planted on the line between Boston and Cambridge.
On the second floor, there is a walking bridge between the two wings of the museum with a line that marks the separation between the two sister cities. My son had a grand time running back and forth over the line and laughing about being in a different city than I was in.
On both of my recent visits, I drove into the city from the North, and parked in the museum’s parking lot. I opted to purchase a Premier Membership for $35 more than a regular Membership, because it comes with discounted parking at the museum. I ended up spending around $16 to park each time I went in May of 2023.
Be warned! The elevator in the garage is broken as of this writing. I had to park on the 5th level of the parking garage and then hike down five flights of stairs with two kids hanging on me. I left my stroller in the car, and just went without on my trip because I couldn’t fathom carrying the stroller down the stairs too.
You can also take public transportation to the museum by taking the Green Line E train to Science Park station and walking over to the museum from the T stop.
The museum is open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm most days of the year. Be sure to double check their website before you head in to make sure they are open for normal business hours and to see which programs they have scheduled for the day.
What is there to do at the Museum of Science?
There is lots to do at the Museum of Science!
In fact, there is so much for kids to do, that you should not plan on seeing everything in one visit. We visited two weeks in a row, and still left entire exhibits unvisited and shows unseen.
Paid Shows
You can pay a bit extra to catch a show in the giant Omni Theatre, the Hayden Planetarium, or the Museum’s 4D Theatre. On our first visit, the 4D Theatre was playing a special episode of the Octonauts. Both my kids love the Octonauts, so we paid for that show.
The 4D Theatre was perfect for my 1 and 4-year old, but might not be right for every kid that age. The show was only 25 minutes long, which is just about the edge of their attention spans. They were fascinated by wearing 3D glasses, and giggled whenever bubbles filled the room. My 4-year old was not happy, however, when water squirted in his face, and my 1-year old screeched with fear and scrambled into my lap when her chair started to rumble.
Kids with sensory sensitivities would probably not enjoy the experience.
Included Shows
Shows included with admission to the exhibit hall include the Lightning Show, Live Animal Presentations, and rotating Live Presentations by museum educators. On our second visit we made it to the Lightning Show and the Live Animal Show.
My kids had a love/hate relationship with the Lightning Show. They were both delighted by the bright flashes of lighting, but did not like the loud noises that accompanied them.
The presenter did a great job of not surprising anyone with sound. He dramatically put headphones on before each zap to let the kids know it was time to cover their ears. Even with these warnings, my kids made it about 2/3rd of the way through the presentation before they wanted to leave.
I had planned ahead and chosen a seat close to the exits. If your kids are noise sensitive, I suggest you do the same.
That being said, the Lightning show is a classic must do, if your kids can handle it. I still have clear memories of watching it myself when I visited the Museum as a child.
The live animal show was a hit with my kids. A museum educator gave a 15-minute presentation on two of the live animals that call the museum home. On the day of our visit, the two animals were a snake, and a legless lizard.
The presentation was perfect for elementary-aged kids, but was maybe a bit too long for my little ones. They got wiggly and wanted to leave after 10 minutes.
Exhibits
Our favorite exhibits were the Dinosaur exhibit, the Exploring AI exhibit, Arctic Adventure exhibit, and the temporary exhibit on Mazes and Brain Games.
The Dinosaur exhibit is an absolute classic, with its life size T-Rex replica dominating the room, and other fossils and samples surrounding it. We spent about an hour of our first visit, just taking in the room and playing with the interactive exhibits.
My kids also loved the Exploring AI exhibit.
My son declared, “I want to live in this room, forever! I love that robot dog so much!”
He was referring to the Boston Dynamics AI dog that the museum has on display.
Personally, I think the AI-dog is super creepy, but the kids loved watching him navigate the maze inside the exhibit.
The Arctic Adventure exhibit also took about an hour of our visit.
They have an indoor wall made of ice, even though the room itself is a normal temperature.
Both kids delighted in touching the wall over and over again to see if it was still cold.
They also loved the interactive projectors casting an oceanic scene on the floor.
The Mazes and Brain Games temporary exhibit was another highlight for my small kids.
They have two life size mazes; one for big kids and adults, and another for smaller children.
They have a rope web, an area to build your own maze with foam blocks, a rat maze exhibit, and lots of puzzles and games sprinkled throughout the space.
My kids spent about half of each visit in this room, it was the ultimate play space.
They only wanted to leave when middle school field trips came through and made it too rowdy for them.
Notable mentions go to the Yawkee Gallery on the Charles River, the New England Habitats exhibit, the Mathematic exhibit, and Science in the Park.
Even after enjoying all of those exhibits over two separate 4-hour visits, we still have about half of the museum left to explore. I’m glad I purchased a membership, because we will absolutely be back to continue our journey this summer.
Will kids enjoy the Museum of Science?
Yes, yes, yes!
My one-year old loved the museum, my 4-year old has been asking if we can go back almost every morning, and the many middle schoolers on field trips during our visits seemed to really enjoy the museum as well.
What should I pack for a visit to the Museum of Science?
1. Light backpack – The museum is massive! You will be doing a lot of walking and trying to chase kids running off in opposite directions. I brought my favorite Vera Bradley _____ Backpack so that I could carry our lunches, snacks, diapers, wipes, water, and my camera. I love that the Vera Bradley backpack itself is so light, which is crucial when you have to fill it with heavy stuff for the kids. The museum does offer lockers for a fee if you don’t want to carry your stuff around, but it is located away from the exhibits which would have been difficult if the baby suddenly needed an emergency diaper.
1. Light Backpack – The museum is massive! You will be doing a lot of walking and trying to chase kids running off in opposite directions. I packed my favorite Vera Bradley Campus Backpack so that I could carry our lunches, snacks, diapers, wipes, water, and my camera.
I love that the Vera Bradley backpack itself is so light, which is crucial when you have to fill it with heavy stuff for the kids.
The museum does offer lockers for a fee if you don’t want to carry your stuff around, but it is located away from the exhibits which would have been difficult if the baby suddenly needed an emergency diaper.
2. Camera – There are lots of photo oppurtunities throughout the museum, so be ready to capture the delighted expressions on your children’s faces. I shoot with my Nikon Z50 Mirrorless camera and the delightfully small Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8 lens.
On my second trip, I used my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone for pictures.
3. Lunch and Drinks – Food and drink can only be consumed in the designated café area, so leave your unfinished Dunks Iced Coffee in the car (I had to chug mine.).
That being said, if you have picky kids, or are trying to stay budget conscious, you are permitted to pack your own food and eat it at the provided tables near the cafeteria.
I packed few CamelBaks full of water and some snacks into my Vera Bradley backpack.
Is the Museum of Science Appropriate for family photography?
The Museum of Science is often very busy, and most exhibits are pretty dark.
It’s a great place for capturing authentic snapshots of your kids enjoying themselves, but not the best location for formal family portraits.
The area directly outside the museum however, is perfect! There is a gorgeous view of the Charles River behind the Museum. You could make a day of it, by hiring me to do a personal family portrait session outside of the Museum, and then you could reward the kids for their cooperation with a visit inside to enjoy the exhibits.
My Museum of Science Recommendation?
Go!
There is so much to see and do at the Museum of Science in Boston. If you are local, I would recommend getting a membership and planning to break up your visit over a few trips. Compared to a one-day ticket, the memberships are actually very affordable and cost about the same as just visiting the museum twice.
If you are not local, check the website before you head in, pick your top three must-see exhibits, and one or two must-see shows. If you have more time, go ahead and roam, but don’t beat yourself up if you need a nap before you get through the whole place.
We are members now, so maybe I will see you on our next trip to the Museum of Science!
Thank you for Reading!
For inquiries about private portrait sessions, email booking@laurenmcdonaghpereira.com to schedule a phone call.
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Lauren McDonagh-Pereira is a photographer from Massachusetts, USA. She captures the beauty of the world around her, favoring Nikon cameras and lenses. She is drawn to shooting landscapes, wildlife, nature, and people authentically enjoying life.
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