More than 19 million people visit Boston each year to experience everything the city has to offer. Boston is filled to the brim with history, from the Revolutionary War on. Historic sites are around every corner, alongside amazing restaurants, bars, stores. The city is also home to the oldest Major League Baseball stadium, Fenway Park, and professional sports teams such as the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, and Boston Bruins, among others.
Boston visitors will admire the balance between the old and new. If your team is having an event at the world-famous Fenway Park, you are in the perfect location for a trip through Beantown. There’s no shortage of things for visitors to do. It may be tough to travel with a rambunctious group of kids, but our guide outlines team-friendly activities and eateries to keep them occupied.
Things To Do
Mary Baker Eddy Library
The Mary Baker Eddy Library was named after the founder of The Christian Science Monitor, a Pulitzer prize-winning publication. Mary Baker Eddy also established the Church of Christ, Scientist, wrote over a dozen books, and founded multiple magazines.
The Women’s National Book Association named Mary Baker Eddy’s book one of the most influential in the world, and the National Women’s Hall of Fame inducted her in 1995.
Your team of young athletes probably won’t be interested in Eddy’s publications, which is why the true attraction is the Mapparium exhibit. This three-story, stained glass globe is world-famous for its brilliant colors and immersive experience. Although it was built in 1935, the Mapparium feels modern and in touch with the interests of children and visitors for decades.
Guests are treated to a presentation called “A World of Ideas,” which combines narration, music, and lights to show visitors how some of the most groundbreaking ideas traveled the globe. The Mapparium itself has been preserved and carefully maintained over the years, but the sound system and lights are state of the art.
Entrance to this glass globe experience unlike any other is available through a guided tour. Admission is affordable, and the frequency of tours makes it an easily accessed destination for kids. The Mary Baker Eddy Library, is a short, 14-minute walk from Fenway Park.
Skywalk Observatory
Get a whole new view of Boston by visiting the Skywalk Observatory! Just a 15-minute walk down the street from Fenway Park is the Prudential Building, which contains this notable attraction. Venture to the top of the tower for a bird’s-eye view of Boston. If the weather cooperates, you and your group can see almost 100 miles in the distance. Search for famous landmarks you may have seen down below, such as the Hancock Tower, Boston Common, Fenway Park, the Charles River, Harvard, and more.
The Skywalk Observatory has audio tour handsets available to enhance the experience for all guests. There are different tours for adults and children, and adult tours are available in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Mandarin.
In addition to an amazing view of the city, the Skywalk Observatory contains a multimedia experience called “Dreams of Freedom.” Boston is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, and this presentation celebrates the important impact immigrants have had on shaping the city.
The Skywalk Observatory also features its very own state-of-the-art theater. Visitors are invited to experience the video tour “Wings Over Boston.” With all these incredible attractions, it’s clear that the Skywalk Observatory is more than meets the eye. Your team will love to visit this entertaining, group-friendly activity.
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
Just a fifteen minute drive from Fenway Park will bring you back to the 1700s.
The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum teaches attendees about one of the most important events leading up to the Revolutionary War. This waterfront experience is a combination of a museum, history class, and theater. This hour-long, fully guided experience was designed to educate kids in an interactive way.
Each group gets their own host, a reenactor that will entertain your group with reenactments and engaging activities. Your guide will conduct a “Town Hall Meeting,” where guests learn about the events leading up to the Revolutionary War.
After this “meeting” is over, you’ll make your way onto a beautifully restored 18th-century ship. Adults and children alike will love exploring the vessel. Aboard the ship is where guests become a part of history. Your team of athletes will test their strength by grabbing a chest of tea and throwing it overboard!
After the excitement of the Boston Tea Party dies down, guests watch a 3D reenactment about the aftermath of this event. After listening to a debate between the colonists, you’ll decide if you’re a Patriot or Loyalist.
The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is more than your average museum visit. This is an entirely immersive, educational experience. They are so sure of their quality experience that they have a money-back guarantee. So climb aboard and become a part of history!
Boston Children’s Museum
The Boston Children’s Museum is the second oldest, and one of the largest and influential, children’s museums in the world.
It was created in 1913 by the Science Teachers’ Bureau to promote learning through hands-on experiences. The Boston Children’s Museum’s curriculum covers more than science. It includes engaging exhibits about the environment, health, culture, fitness, and art.
Create a masterpiece in the art studio. Convert your strength into electricity by pedaling a bike to light up signs. Climb up the walls and through the museum in the three-story New Balance’s Foundation Climb. Float through a room filled with bubbles, or drop in for tea at an authentic, reconstructed Japanese silk merchant’s home. Interact with animatronic dinosaurs, build and demolish at the Construction Zone, sit on actual musical chairs, dance on a light-up floor, and explore Africa’s Cape Verde.
All of this is possible at the Boston Children’s Museum. The museum is a two-minute walk down the road from the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, or a 20-minute drive from Fenway Park.
New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium, which attracts over one million visitors a year, is home to thousands of aquatic animals.
Your entire team will find something to enjoy as they explore the varying exhibits featuring various species of fish, a giant Pacific octopus, and little blue penguins.
The New England Aquarium’s Giant Ocean Tank is the main attraction. This four-story tank was built first, and the museum was constructed around it. This amazing focal point is 23 feet deep and filled with flourishing tropical fish and plants.
In addition to fish, visitors to the museum can watch the aquarium’s resident fur seals play together. The New England Aquarium is one of only three in the United States that houses these playful creatures.
Guests can also visit the Simons IMAX Theatre, which plays incredible movies about undersea life.
The New England Aquarium is 13-minute walk or three-minute drive from Boston Children’s Museum. If you’re coming from Fenway Park, it’s a 17-minute drive.
Boston Duck Tours
Right outside of the New England Aquarium is the office for Boston Duck Tours, one of the most iconic tours in the city. The “ducks” are able to travel on land and in water, and are exact replicas of amphibious WWII landing vehicles.
This unique experience has truly made a splash in the Boston community. Boston Duck Tours are a major attraction for visitors, and beloved by locals. These Boston Duck Tour vehicles have become so famous that they’ve participated in professional sports championship parades for almost every Boston team: the New England Patriots, the Red Sox, the Celtics, and the Boston Bruins.
Your group will pile into this one-of-a-kind vehicle and see the classic Boston sites. Learn about historic locations such as the State House, Copley Square, Newbury Street, Quincy Market, and more. But the most memorable part of the tour is what comes next. Your team will be filled with excitement as the amphibious vehicle dives right into the Charles River. This provides an unparalleled view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines.
You can be sure of your team’s safety when on a Boston Duck Tour. This incredibly popular attraction maintains their stellar reputation by going above and beyond in safety. Their ducks are inspected by both the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Public Utilities every spring. In addition, Boston Duck Tours have an annual audit done by Recreational Engineering Inc., an organization that specializes in OSHA regulations and amphibious vehicles.
Places to Eat
Sweet Cheeks Q
Just a six-minute walk from Fenway Park is Sweet Cheeks Q, a well-known barbeque restaurant that’s perfect for groups. Each “tray” comes with your chosen barbecue meat, one hot side, one cold side, pickles, and onions. If you’ve worked up an appetite, you can order a bigger tray with two or three different meats.
Chow down on some smokey monster wings, chopped brisket, pulled pork, beef short ribs, buttermilk fried chicken, and more. For a hot scoop, try Cita’s broccoli cheese casserole, or some mac and cheese. Cold scoops include classics such as coleslaw, potato salad, or a wedge salad. You can also get a sandwich with a choice of meat. Instead of average bread, Sweet Cheeks serves their sandwiches on hot griddled Texas toast.
And what’s Southern cooking without biscuits? One Forbes writer described Sweet Cheeks Q’s biscuit as “not just the best biscuit I have tried, it’s the best biscuit I can imagine.” Sweet Cheeks offers a bucket of four biscuits with honey butter; definitely worth trying as a sweet and satisfying side dish.
Chef and owner Tiffani Faison has made a name for herself as a second-place winner on Top Chef, a frequent presence on the Food Network, and a former chef in award-winning restaurants throughout the country. When eating at Sweet Cheeks Q, it doesn’t feel like you’re eating at the restaurant of a celebrity chef. This is because Chef Faison has created a down-to-earth atmosphere where the food comes first. You can enjoy a delicious meal with your team without feeling judged.
Full Moon
A 10 to 15-minute drive from Fenway Park brings you to Full Moon, a delicious restaurant that prides itself on being family oriented. Their mission since they opened in 1997 has been to serve delicious, quality food to families enjoying a meal together. Full Moon has been successful in that mission, as they have won multiple awards for their kid-friendly approach to dining out.
Full Moon is a perfect place for your team to gather, enjoy fresh food, and embrace being a kid. Your athletes will enjoy dishes like pasta, pizza, quesadillas, burgers, and even grilled Italian sausage. Parents and coaches can split the veggie spring rolls and tapas appetizers before diving into the enticing grilled chicken BLT.
The tables at Full Moon are covered in paper to color on, and once the kids have polished off their home made meal, they can run off to explore the play area. This allows parents and coaches to take a breather and enjoy their meals with a glass of wine or craft beer.
Longwood Grille and Bar
Longwood Grille and Bar is an upbeat, welcoming restaurant close to Fenway Park. The restaurant features lots of great deals that make the experience affordable for adults and delicious for kids. On Tuesdays, their Longwood Grille Burger is buy one, get one free. Kids under 12 eat free with an adult meal, so gather up all the coaches and parents to save.
Longwood Grille and Bar is located in a busy area, so they are used to groups stopping in to unwind and enjoy a meal together. Your team will be welcomed to this casual eatery that offers classic kids dishes like sliders, macaroni and cheese, and pizza. Meanwhile, adults will enjoy Longwood’s Buffalo chicken sandwich, or poke tuna lettuce wrap.
Customers have commented on Longwood’s friendly staff and fair pricing, which is a great sign for a big team wanting to enjoy a simple, satisfying meal together. You’ll arrive at Longwood Grille and Bar after a 12-minute walk from Fenway Park.
Bertucci’s
When feeding a group of hungry athletes, pizza is always a great choice. Satisfy the entire team by taking a 16-minute walk, or seven-minute drive, from Fenway Park down to Bertucci’s. This popular pizza chain is located right near Longwood, making it easily accessible.
Bertucci’s makes their specialty artisan pizzas from scratch, then bakes them to perfection in a brick oven. It’s easy to find something for your team of hungry kids to enjoy. In addition to their satisfying pizza, dig in to some wings, meatballs, or a dip. Kids will love their ravioli, pasta, chicken, and other familiar meals. A convenient location and a widely enjoyable menu is a recipe for an awesome team dining experience.