Kid-Friendly Cambridge Museums

Posted by Katie Sagal, guest blogger of Smart Destinations

If you’ve been in the Boston area with kids, chances are you’ve done most of the major kid-friendly attractions in the city – taken a Duck Boat tour, visited the Boston Children’s Museum with its giant Milk Bottle, even splashed around with the swan boats. So if you’re looking for something new, just a hop, skip, and a jump across the Charles River you’ll find an exciting selection of popular and lesser-known kid-friendly activities in Cambridge. If you’re planning on making a whole day out of your visit to Cambridge, consider picking a Go Boston Card, which includes each of these attractions and many more, plus great extras like discounts on food, for one low price.
The MIT Museum

University museums are often overlooked treasures. Full of innovative displays, cutting-edge technology, and innovative exhibit space, the MIT Museum is definitely worth exploring. What makes this place particularly suitable for kids is its commitment to being unlike any other science museum in its use of interactivity, holographic technology, and unique galleries. Plus, because this museum is all about the kinds of technological innovations created through or inspired by technology developed at MIT, they’ve got a fantastic collection of inventions to check out and robots to chat with. The MIT Museum is located on the west side of MIT’s campus, roughly halfway between the Central Square and Kendall/MIT T stops (Red Line) on Massachusetts Avenue.
The Museum of Science

This museum makes it to the top of most Boston attraction lists, and it’s there for a reason. One of the most interactive and engaging science museums in the country, the Museum of Science has hundreds of fascinating and educational exhibits for kids to explore. It does get very crowded during the day year-round (due to a combination of school trips and summer vacation trips), so an early morning visit is recommended. A popular exhibit that’s great for kids of all ages is the PIXAR animation lab, which demonstrates PIXAR’s creative process and walks kids through the making of an animated film. Kids are sure to recognize many of their favorite films as they get to actually try computer modeling and graphics technology. This museum is located across the street from the Science Park T station (Green Line) right on the Charles waterfront.
Harvard Museum of Natural History

The Harvard Museum of Natural History is Cambridge’s smaller version of the American Museum of Natural History. It’s got the dinosaurs, giant prehistoric mammals, awe-inspiring dioramas, the works. Bonus: you can even touch a number of the dinosaur fossils on display here! There’s also an extensive collection of rocks and minerals in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Gallery, and of course, plenty of rocks for purchase in the gift shop to add to your kids’ collection. They also have a number of unique exhibits that you won’t find elsewhere, like the special exhibit devoted to the study of pigmentation in animals and plants, “The Language of Color.” The HMNH is located on the north edge of Harvard’s campus on Oxford Street, just through Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square T (Red line). Hint: with the Go Boston Card, you’ll get a great discount on lunch at the UNO’s in Harvard Square.
Submitted by Katie Sagal at Smart Destinations.

TOPICS: Boston, Family Fun, Things to Do