Partial-Day Trips
- The New England Aquarium A must-see. Accessible by T
- The Boston Children's Museum Another must-see. Accessible by T
- The Boston Computer Museum Lots of fun. Next door to the Children's Museum.
- The Boston Tea Party Museum Pretty hokey, but fun and not a bad way to learn about the Tea Party. One and a half hours, $, near the Boston Children's Museum. Currently closed for renovations following a fire...might be opening soon
- The Boston Museum of Science Lots of interactive exhibits, fun for all ages. Half day (their hours), $, Accessible by T. We might be able to get discount passes, let us know if you are interested.
- The Boston Museum of Fine Arts THE Art museum in Boston. $, Accessible by T. We might be able to get discount passes, let us know if you are interested.
- The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (the other fine arts collection, $$)
- The Institute of Contemporary Art (small, single exhibition at a time, $)
- The Duck Tours A way to sit down and see a lot of Boston. These tours distinguish themselves by taking you on amphibian vehicles. I've never taken one, but I've seen a lot drive by. Accessible by T, $, couple of hours
- MIT The best way to see MIT is probably to grab one of the bi-daily tours (10AM and 2PM), which take a little over an hour. Accessible by T.
- The MIT Museum If you are only going to spend two hours at MIT, do it here.
- Harvard/Harvard Sq. Worth wandering around, just because it's been there for 350 years! Harvard has MANY interesting museums and collections, although you need to know where you want to go ahead of time. Accessible by T.
Full Day Trips
- The Freedom Trail (NPS) A Boston Classic, and quite a walk ! It starts out in the Boston Common, winds through downtown Boston and the North End, then crosses into Charlestown for the USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument. Quite accessible by T. More info is available from the Freedom Trail Foundation
- A picnic on George's Island, in Boston Harbor This is an old Civil War fort, which was used some in WWII and is now a nice picnic spot. A ferry (accessible by T) leaves from downtown Boston, taking you on a 30 min. ride through the harbor to get to the island. $ for ferry.
- Salem, Massachusetts There are two reasons to visit Salem: witches and shipping. The Peabody Essex Museum has all the stuff that the whalers and traders of the 1700/1800s brought back to THE home port on the East coast. The Customs House where Nathaniel Hawthorne worked (and wrote about) is open as well. Probably requires a car (accessible by commuter rail), an hour and a quarter from Acton (by car, or two by commuter rail).
- Lexington/Concord These towns were the birthplace of our revolutionary war, and also include the homes of several important literary figures. And there is plenty of exemplary New England architecture and scenery along the roadsides. Minuteman National Historical Park, Concord Museum, and Orchard House (home of the Alcotts) Requires a car, $ for some of the museums, ten minutes from Acton, forty-five minutes from Boston.
- Walden Pond (Walden Woods Project) Frequently combined with a trip to Concord. This used to be a nice place to meander and swim, but lately (due to an excessive number of visitors) they've limited people to a narrow path going around the pond. Worth stopping by (good for leaf watching). Requires a car (or commuter rail to Concord plus a short hike), $ for parking, ten minutes from Acton, forty-five minutes from Boston.
- Plymouth ( Visit-Plymouth, official site) is where the Pilgrims first came ashore many years ago, located about an hour from Acton or Boston. It includes a re-creation of the original settlement, Plimoth Plantation, which offers a unique view of life among the earliest settlers.
- The Middlesex Fells (other description) Two thousand acres of volcanic plateau which we used to live near. This parkland spreads through five towns, and contains several lakes, spectacular views of Boston and its harbor and many miles of scenic New England hikes. Bring good shoes, hikes can vary from one to five hours. Accessible by T (Oak Grove stop on the Orange Line, or see above link for other ways) forty-five minutes from Acton (by car), thirty minutes from Boston.
- Plum Island This is our favorite beach in the area. Is is located north of Boston, right on the New Hampshire border. The northern half of the island consists of vacation "cottages" and public beaches. The southern half of the island is the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge (Friends of the PRNWR). Requires a car, $ for parking, an hour and a quarter from Acton, an hour from Boston.
This is not an endorsement of the businesses and web sites listed herein...
