We are planning a family day trip to the Bostom Museum of Science next week. Many (many) years ago my husband and I went, parked outside of Boston, and took the T to Science Park. Since then we have gone numerous times but always drive right to the Museum.
This time the kids are older, and they would LOVE to take the T to the museum. Years ago my husband and I would have just figured it out, trial and error style...But with 3 kids in tow, we would like to get it right the first try. :)
So, any input on where to park? How often the T runs? How do pay the fare? NYC has the metro card...How does it work in Boston??
Any and all advice would be appreciated to make this adventure as smooth as possible. Oh, and we will be coming up from Connecticut.
Thanks so much!
The T now has a website & maps, which are very helpful. We use the commuter rail (silver line) & have found it pretty punctual. Go to mbta.com for maps, fare info etc.
Also the museum of science web site has a page dedicated to how to get there via public transportation (http://www.mos.org/web_media/public_trans_directions.pdf).
You'll have a blast! Enjoy your trip.
I used to live in Boston and have visited recently. You buy a Charlie card to pay for the T now. You can buy it at the station. It runs frequently if you are traveling within Boston so you do not need to worry about train times -- it runs every few minutes. The museum is on the green line. It is so easy to change lines in Boston because there are only the red, green, orange, blue and silver lines so you could park on any line and switch. I guess it depends on how far you want to drive into Boston before getting on the train to determine where you should park. Have fun. Boston is a great town and it has so much to offer for kids. On our list trip, we visited the Boston Children's Museum and it is wonderful. It is near South Station on the red line. It was a great museum that kept their attention for hours. They didn't want to leave but we had plans to meet a friend so we had to leave.
Just to add to the last poster my husband just added that if the science park stop's not there anymore, the closest one is lechmere. It's on the green line. The green line is a subway line, so it's not scheduled (runs more at rush hour, less in the middle of the day). Honestly, I'm not sure of the best place to park coming up from CT - you could park way out in the 'burbs, but then it's a long ride to the science museum. Have a good trip!
The Science Park stop on the Green Line is not Handicap Accessible so if you have a stroller be prepared to take it down (and up on the way back) a few flights of stairs. You can buy a Charlie Card at the T station it is cheaper than paying for a paper ticket, kids under 10 ride free. The Red, Green, Blue and Orange Lines run every few minutes, the Purple (Commuter Rail) runs less frequently.
Some other places to visit that are one the T are
Boston Children's Museum- South Station -Red Line
New England Aquarium- Aquarium- Blue Line
Boston Public Garden- Arlington St- Green Line
Frog Pond and Tadpole Playground- Park St- Red Line
Not sure how old your children are but my 5 and 3 year olds love those spots :)
You can use the trip planner on www.mbta.com
