Trains, ferries and swan boats for kids around Boston
For a train fan, the ride is the destination. Boston's options run from free to vintage trolleys to an amphibious bus that drives into the river, and most of them conveniently solve the downtown parking problem.
Easiest is the Green Line D: above ground all the way from Newton into the city, free for kids under 12, 30 minutes to Park Street and Boston Common. The Public Garden swan boats take 15 minutes and cost a few dollars; on the Greenway carousel you ride a lobster or a sea turtle. The cheapest boat is the MBTA's Charlestown ferry, $2.40 for 10 minutes to the foot of the USS Constitution; in summer, 20 minutes by ferry to Spectacle Island makes a full island day, and the moment a Duck Tour splashes into the Charles the whole bus screams. Drive 45 minutes to Lowell National Historical Park for a free vintage trolley and canal boats through the locks.
- 7 places
- 1 free
- 6 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
7 places
Drive times from Newton
Ride the Green Line D into the city
5.0Newton · 5 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: MBTA pay lot by Newton Centre station, or the big lot at Riverside (cheaper on weekends)
Public Garden Swan Boats
5.0Boston · 20 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Green Line to Arlington puts you right there; by car use the Boston Common underground garage
Rose Kennedy Greenway carousel and fountains
5.0Boston · 25 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Blue Line to Aquarium or Orange/Green Line to Haymarket and a 3-minute walk; by car use the Parcel 7 garage
Ferry to Charlestown and the USS Constitution
5.0Boston · 25 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Board at Long Wharf (by the Blue Line Aquarium station); by car use the Harbor Garage or Parcel 7
Ferry to Spectacle Island (Boston Harbor Islands)
4.0Boston · 25 min drive
5 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Board at Long Wharf (by the Blue Line Aquarium station); round-trip ferry about $25 adults, about $17 ages 3–11, free under 3, check the website
Lowell National Historical Park: free trolley and canal boats
4.0Lowell · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Lot beside the visitor center (246 Market St), downtown garages cheaper on weekends; check the website
Boston Duck Tours
3.0Boston · 20 min drive
1.5 h · carrier recommended · reservation needed
$$$ · Parking: Departs from the Prudential Center (Green Line Prudential / Copley), with departure points at the Museum of Science and New England Aquarium too; garage parking is expensive
💡 Good to know
- Up to two kids 11 and under ride the MBTA free with each paying adult, who can just tap a credit card; weekend mornings are empty and easy for strollers.
- Book the Spectacle Island ferry and Duck Tours online for weekends; the swan boats run mid-April to early September, the carousel April to October.