For this Backyard Road Trip, we’re exploring what to do in downtown Boston. Making an exhaustive city day can be too much with a city as big as Boston and with kids in tow. With this in mind, we’re focusing on downtown; between Boston Public Garden and Faneuil Hall. Along the way, we’ll make stops on the Freedom Trail, inside a historic (and haunted) hotel, and stop for a bite and a flight at the Samuel Adams Boston Tap Room.
Boston Public Garden
Living so close to Boston and knowing the city as well as I do, it’s funny that I hardly take the kids in just to walk around. The last time I took my oldest son on the iconic Swan Boats, he was less than a year old. Now he’s almost eight.
At the Garden, we took a Swan Boat ride which was as peaceful and serene as ever. Stopping to reflect on the beauty of Boston while on this ride is easy. The giant weeping willows, the Japanese lantern, and the footbridge are only some of the sites on the boat ride. After the Swan Boats, we walked around to different areas of the Boston Public Garden, including the Make Way for Ducklings statue, the monument to Ether, and the sculpture of Edward Everett.
Boston Common
After meeting our friends, we headed across the street to Boston Common. My kids have never been to the Tadpole Playground which is located in the Common. Off we went for a while of climbing and running around among frog statues that actually shoot water from their mouth. Surprisingly cool for August, the water made the kids actually chilly.
The Freedom Trail
Not intending to do all of the stops of the Freedom Trail, a walking route that ties together Boston’s Revolutionary-era historic sites, we did follow it on Tremont and Washington Streets. Starting at the trail’s origin, the Visitor Center on Boston Common, we passed by stops that included the Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel Burying Ground, Old South Meeting House, and the Old State House.
The Granary Burying Ground is the resting place of such Revolutionary luminaries as John Hancock and Paul Revere. We stopped inside the King’s Chapel Burying Ground where I pointed out different types of gravestones to the kids as we wandered among the headstones.
The Omni Parker House
If you’re looking for what to do in Downtown Boston for a day trip, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still drop into a historic hotel. The Omni Parker House is one of Boston’s oldest (19th century) and still one of the nicest. Check out the wood-paneled lobby. Chandeliers and rotary phones harken back to a different era. Hungry? Try Parker’s Restaurant for three Boston signatures: Boston Cream Pie (invented here), the Parker House Roll (also originated here), and scrod. Scrod is not a fish species but whatever’s the freshest from the fisherman’s catch that morning.
Samuel Adams Boston Tap Room
Our revolutionary tour of what to do in downtown Boston continues, kinda. Samuel Adams was not only a leader of the rabble-rousing Boston Patriots, but his namesake beer helped spearhead the current craft beer craze. For the length of time that Sam Adams has been around (1980s), only recently did they make a downtown taproom.
The second floor overlooks the plaza in front of Faneuil Hall. With the kids our order consisted of menu items such as a bratwurst, multiple orders of chicken tenders, a pretzel, and a Caprese sandwich. I ordered a flight of three Sam Adams beers that aren’t readily available, plus their classic Cherry Wheat. The open-air restaurant is perfect for watching the passersby, sipping a few beers, and enjoying some family-friendly food.
If you’re looking for what to do in Downtown Boston, it may be a bit touristy but a few stops on the Freedom Trail, a trip on the Swan Boats, and lunch at Sam Adams Boston Tap Room make for a winning combo!
If you’re looking for top-rated restaurants to grab a bite at while you’re in the city, check out this link from Restaurant Aji.
