Coming to Boston with the Kids? Try the Museum of Science!

I went to the MoS this past week and wrote the following article for another site. I thought you all might enjoy it:

Boston is a great city for kids of all ages. Whether your child is an infant, a toddler, a history buff or a little scientist, there is something for everyone. One place in particular that is not to be missed is the Museum of Science. With ever-changing exhibits, a planetarium and an IMAX theater, you and your family can easily make an entire day out of a visit to this wonderful and historic institution.

The Museum of Science was established in 1830 and has been a very popular attraction ever since. According to their website, the museum accommodates more than 1.6 Million visitors each year and has more than 400 interactive attractions. Exhibit halls change throughout the year, offering visitors a wide variety of hands-on and virtual experiences. The museum is made up of three levels, each offering children and adults alike a one-of-a-kind experience.

Infants and toddlers will enjoy the Discovery Center (Level 1, Red Wing), which allows children to participate in drama play, assemble bones, fossils and other manipulative’s and provides an infant-safe zone for little ones who are still crawling.

Preschoolers can investigate dinosaur skeletons and replicas, see how electricity works, experiment with magnets, see and touch animals that once lived in New England (Level 1, Green Wing) and explore all things space, including planet models, rocket capsule replicas and innovative space travel designs.

Older children will learn about the human body and what happens from the time of conception to birth (Level 2, Green Wing). They can explore the Universe and visit the Charles Hayden Planetarium (Level 1, Red Wing) to experience the night sky as it exists throughout the seasons. Math, electronics and engineering are covered in great depth (Level 1, Blue Wing), allowing children to ask questions and experiment with various interactive exhibits. This is one of the few museums geared toward kids where parents have just as much fun as their children.

Several theaters located throughout the museum offer visitors live shows and exhibits where presenters interact with the audience and answer questions. There is a Butterfly Garden (Level 2, Blue Wing), a Theater of Electricity (Level 2, Blue Wing), and the Mugar Omni IMAX Theater with ever-changing 3-D movies, the River View food court, Museum Store and the exciting Simulator Experience (all on Level 1 in the Red Wing) that provides riders with an extreme virtual reality ride of a lifetime!

Weekends and holidays tend to be crowded, so arrive early or come in the afternoon to avoid the masses. The museum is handicapped accessible and there are coat room lockers, stroller rentals and a cash machine on site. The Boston Museum of Science is located at 1 Science Park in Boston, MA. It is open Saturday through Thursday from 9am to 7pm and Friday from 9am to 9pm. Click heres for holiday and special exhibit hours. The price of admission is $23.50 for adults (12+), $21.00 for seniors and $19.50 for children (3-11). There are also season passes and special membership options available here. It is easily accessible by the MBTA public transportation system and there is a parking garage attached to building.