Gardens worth visiting with kids around Boston
Gardens are the most underrated outing with small kids: flat paths, calm, something new around every corner, and Boston's two best are free. With a treehouse, water pumps and a hill to roll down, kids never notice they're 'visiting a garden'.
The Arnold Arboretum is 281 paved acres, free, peaking at Lilac Sunday in May and again in fall color, and rolling down Peters Hill is a fixed ritual; the Public Garden's tulips and duckling statues need no introduction. Elm Bank in Wellesley has a dedicated children's garden with a treehouse, maze and pumps that hold a 2-year-old all morning; Garden in the Woods in Framingham carpets the forest floor with wildflowers in spring and lends discovery kits; and an hour away at Tower Hill, the Ramble children's garden plus two greenhouses make it a garden you can visit in winter.
- 5 places
- 2 free
- 4 stroller-friendly
- closest is 15 min away
5 places
Drive times from Newton
Arnold Arboretum
5.0Boston · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free street parking along the Arborway and Bussey St; or Orange Line to Forest Hills and a 5-minute walk
Elm Bank gardens and Weezie's Garden for Children (Mass Hort)
5.0Wellesley · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot inside the grounds; admission about $12 adults, kids cheap or free, check the website
Boston Public Garden and the Make Way for Ducklings statues
5.0Boston · 20 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Green Line to Arlington puts you right there; by car use the Boston Common underground garage (from about $20)
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill
5.0Boylston · 55 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free lot inside the garden; admission about $20 adults, about $8 kids, check the website
Garden in the Woods (Native Plant Trust)
4.0Framingham · 25 min drive
1.5 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: Free lot inside the garden; admission about $15 adults, about $7 kids, check the website
💡 Good to know
- Garden in the Woods is dirt woodland paths, so bring a carrier; the others are fine with a stroller.
- Elm Bank and Garden in the Woods are open roughly April to October; Tower Hill is open year-round, and Night Lights in November through January needs advance tickets.