State of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

• Bay State Makes Family Vacations Child’s Play
• Animal Encounters
• Art & Music That’s in Tune
• Get “Past” the Textbooks
• Outdoor Playground
• A Massachusetts Getaway: By The Beautiful Sea
• By The Beautiful Sea Getaway 2

Bay State Makes Family Vacations Child’s Play

Massachusetts’ most famous mother -- Mother Goose -- once lamented that she had so many children she didn’t know what to do. Parents visiting the Bay State today are confronted with a different dilemma -- not knowing what to do first. With a host of imaginative historical sites, pristine beaches, interactive museums and kid-friendly accommodations, the state offers hundreds of exciting options to keep families busy. Here’s a run-down of attractions guaranteed to please even the most finicky tots:

Animal Encounters
Children love animals, and Massachusetts has more than its fair share of furry friends to discover. Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo provides a perfect opportunity to get a close-up view of an array of wildlife. Children can mingle with New England farm animals at the Petting Zoo or check out the popular reptile and amphibian collection at the Children’s Zoo. At the opposite end of the state, Springfield’s Zoo at Forest Park is open year-round and boasts more than 200 domestic and exotic animals. Other state zoos include Southwick’s Wild Animal Farm in Mendon and the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford.

For another type of wild experience, take a walk at the Drumlin Farm Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln. The sanctuary includes paths that wind past secluded habitats where injured hawks and foxes live. And don’t forget to sneak a peek at the underground exhibit.

For a whale of a time, venture to the New Bedford Whaling Museum to learn the story of New England’s whaling industry. Children will marvel at the legends of the era and how sailors lived at sea, not to mention the life-size whales hanging from the ceiling. In Woods Hole on Cape Cod, two marine centers provide additional activities for children: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the Northeast Fisheries Aquarium and Science Center. At the Oceanographic Institute, visitors can learn about the high-tech world of ocean exploration and the geological processes that shape our planet. Northeast Fisheries provides powerful environmental messages within fun, hands-on exhibits.

“Dino”mite Prehistoric Wonders If mezozoic monsters are your child’s obsession, make a trip to Harvard’s Museum of Cultural and Natural History to see its extensive collection of bones and skeletons as well as a gemstone and crystal exhibit. Or, visit the Dinosaur Hall at the Springfield Science Museum, famed for luring dinophiles from the adjacent planetarium and aquarium by its full-size replica of T-Rex and a huge dinosaur footprint into which kids can climb.

Art & Music That’s in Tune

Art museums and musical groups throughout the Bay State are committed to raising culture loving tots by offering special programs for children. One musical stand-out is the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which provides classical music in a kid-friendly format through its Youth Concert Series.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has a number of special programs, including special guidebooks for families, a free drop-in workshop for kids ages six-12 as well as “Artful Adventures” programs for youngsters between the ages of five and 18. In Plymouth’s Pilgrim Hall Museum,
children are given age-appropriate lists to participate in a scavenger hunt while they peruse the museum.

In addition, the Worcester Art Museum, Norman Rockwell Museum and Peabody Essex Museum all have acclaimed fine arts programs for children and families.

Throughout the state, a number of theaters present imaginative and engaging performances geared specifically to kids. One noteworthy show that is guaranteed to convert the most stubborn theater-phobes is “Le Grand David and his Spectacular Magic Company” at the Cabot Theater in Beverly, where clowns, jugglers, dancers and elaborate costumes delight children of all ages. 

Other theater highlights include the Mystery Cafe Dinner Theaters in Boston, Salem and Andover, which present a special mystery show for seven-12th grade students; family programming at the Zeiterion Theatre, a restored vaudeville theater; performances at Boston’s Children’s Theatre, which feature young thespians from Boston’s Children’s Theatre School; and the hand-crafted puppets and heartwarming performances at Puppet Showplace Theatre from September to June.

Get “Past” the Textbooks

Forget the dusty facts and figures of textbooks and conventional history museums. History is alive in Massachusetts, with living museums that make it easy to fall in love with the past. Children can step back in time to a rural 1830’s community at Old Sturbridge Village. At Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, youngsters are transported to a village of thatched-roof cottages, beehive ovens and costumed locals with early American dialects of 1627. Nearby, on the Mayflower II -- a reproduction of the ship
that originally crossed the Atlantic -- a troupe recounts tales of life at seas and their first impressions of the New World. Across the state in the Berkshires, the Shaker lifestyle has been preserved at Hancock Shaker Village, a nineteenth century living museum with working craftspeople, restored Shaker buildings and an historic farm.

Also far from staid is the Pirate Museum in Salem, which activates imaginations through chilling exhibits of high-seas robbery and a journey through an 80-foot-long cave. Maritime buffs and their children will be awed by Battleship Cove and the Marine Museum in Fall River, with its large collection of vessels from World War II and Vietnam.

On Boston’s waterfront, the Computer Museum offers fun for the whole family by occupying technophobic adults with Internet lessons while children play with robots and other high-tech gadgetry.  Next door, the Children’s Museum offers four stories of interactive activities for children of all ages.

Elsewhere in the state, smaller yet impressive museums provide stimulating fun for families.

Additional top interactive museums include Children’s Museum at Holyoke, New England Science Center in Worcester and the Alice G. Wallace Planetarium in Fitchberg. Other museums catering to small frys that are definitely worth a visit include the Children’s Museum in Dartmouth, Plymouth Children’s Museum, the Wonder Museum in Foxboro and Acton’s Discovery Museum.

Outdoor Playground

Families seeking wide-open spaces and fresh air will find plenty of it in the Bay State. More than 100 state parks and forests provide opportunities for hiking, biking, camping or outdoor picnics. In addition, some 1500 miles of shoreline and famous coastal areas like Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket provide year-round opportunities for seaside escapes or marine studies. A winter wonderland, Massachusetts boasts some of the most reasonably priced, convenient skiing in the Northeast as well as Amesbury, the only snow tubing facility in New England.

A Massachusetts Getaway: By The Beautiful Sea

This excursion along the coast north of Boston, from historic Salem – famous for witch trials, but interesting for 1,000 reasons – and on to lovely Cape Ann and finishing in charming Newburyport, is perfect for a long weekend any time of year. Start your visit in elegant Marblehead, a short drive north of Boston. After a stop at Fort Sewall for a panoramic view of the harbor, choose one of the town’s many historic homes – the Jeremiah Lee Mansion or the King Hooper Mansion, for example – and admire the beautiful architecture and gardens that distinguish Marblehead. Drive a few miles inland to the heart of Salem, park the car and head to the Salem Visitor Center for a superb multimedia exhibit.

Next, stroll along the downtown Heritage Trail to see other Salem high spots: Salem Witch Museum, The Burying Point and Witch Trials Memorial and the New England Pirate Museum, to name a few. The House of Seven Gables Historic Site draws visitors to its seaside gardens and complex of restored houses, including Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace and the house made famous by his novel. Have a picnic lunch at the waterfront park and then tour the Salem Maritime National Historic Site to see the Custom House, Derby House (home of the country’s first millionaire) and the wharves that made Salem a bustling port centuries ago.

Follow the coast north from Salem to Newburyport.
Approximately 45 miles.

Heading north from Salem on Route 127A you’ll pass through many charming "off the- beaten-path" towns such as Manchester-by-the-Sea with its romantic Singing Beach. Along the way, watch for the many lighthouses, some dating from the 18th Century, that mark the boulder-strewn coast. Be sure to stop in Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport. Walking tours to suit every visitor are available in this rugged, active fishing city, made famous in the movie "The Perfect Storm." A small detour to Rocky Neck on the outskirts of the city brings you to a working art colony where you can chat with the artists and browse their galleries. Choose one of Rockport’s many oceanside B and B’s for the night and then enjoy fresh-caught lobster for dinner. Later, walk to Rockport’s town wharf – so picturesque that it is the most painted seascape in the world. Drive north from Rockport to Essex for coffee and a peek at the antique shops that line both sides of the road. Pick up Route 133 in Essex and plan on a lunch of fried clams at the world-famous Clam Box in Ipswich. At Rowley, yet another mecca for antique-lovers, head north on Route 1A to Newburyport, a beautiful Federalist city adorned with overflowing flowerboxes. Grab an ice cream cone at Fowle’s, a classic soda fountain, and then meander through the many tempting boutiques and galleries. Plum Island, just off the coast, is a haven for birdwatchers. The Parker River Wildlife Refuge has numerous trails along the beach that offer birders and other nature buffs perfect vantage points for observing species rarely seen elsewhere.

Visit www.massvacation.com for additional information on attractions and events and to book accommodations online. Or call 800-447-MASS ext. 300 for a free Massachusetts Getaway Guide.