This is a mother’s field guide to the Boston Museum of science, with survival tips and tricks, in no particular order:
- DO NOT go on a vacation week. It was beyond mobbed. Had I any idea, we would have gone somewhere else, but I have limited time here.
- Don’t forget to carry bottles of water for everyone. The water fountains are very low-flow, and your germphobic son will refuse to drink from them, while enacting Death from Dehydration in three acts, with loud death rattles. Also, if there is a cafe or vending machines, we couldn’t find them, and we had maps.
- Don’t try to take a mixed age group. The 9 yo was bored with things the teens found fascinating, and vice versa, which led to whining by all three.
- Prepare to empty your pocketbook. The BMOS considers a 12yo an adult, and it was $90 for the four of us. To get in the ‘special’ exhibits, it would have been even more. Way to nickel-and-dime your visitors, BMOS.
- For a much more relaxing and educational experience, I’d recommend avoiding this, which will leave you tired, cranky, and possibly bodily dragging a sulky child around. Instead, look online for some hands-on science experiments, or buy a whole book of them. Set aside a Saturday afternoon with plenty of drinks and snacks, and the kids will learn more, and you won’t have to drive in Boston.
- Mommy Photographer Tip: don’t bother with the zoom lens. Put the 18-55 on, leave the rest of the gear in the car (oh, and park on the roof of the parking garage for great shots of Boston). Don’t be afraid to hand the teens the camera from time to time, you’ll wind up with some creative shots.
- Mommy Photographer Tip 2: in the lightning show, switch to manual, and shoot at 1/6″ or even longer to get awesome pics.
The Little Man tells me his favorite things were the chick hatching (he would have sat and watched that for hours, I think) and the huge nose that sneezed when you pushed allergens up it.
The Junior Mad Scientist was disappointed with it. She enjoyed the senses exhibit, where each of the five sense was challenged. But most of the exhibits were a bit junior for her. The Redhead liked the Human Life Experience, where you could get a scan bracelet, and in theory, go from station to station doing biometric and social surveys to learn more about yourself and others. But this area was so crowded, with lines for every station, there was no way for her to complete it.
Would we do it again? No. It was very expensive for the privilege of being jostled, bored, unable to look at anything long enough to appreciate, much less learn. If I had to do it again, I’d take them out to the nearest bookstore, and then to dinner and a movie, and still wouldn’t spend as much, for the same time spent.
Oh, and while arriving at the museum about 11:30 did avoid morning traffic, leaving it at 3:30 did not, and we were stuck in Rush Hour traffic all the way back up to Concord NH.
(Note: I have no internet at the hotel. I won’t be back online reliably until Jan 2. Sorry about the long hiatus, this was not planned and I’m really unhappy with the hotel for several reasons, not just this one. They will not be getting a good review, nor will we stay there again)
