Indoor Things to Do With Kids Around Boston in Winter
Three North Shore museums plus Boston's children's museum and aquarium and a climbing gym: hours and prices for cold days.
The closest indoor options for a Melrose, Malden or Medford family are in Peabody, Wenham and Salem, with Boston’s children’s museum and aquarium about 30 minutes in. Hours and prices below come from each place’s own website as of November 9, 2026.
Quick comparison
| Place | Town | Open (as published) | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Shore Children’s Museum | Peabody | Wed to Sun | Buy Tickets page |
| Wenham Museum | Wenham | Wed to Sun, 9 am to 1 pm | $14 ages 1+; $12 seniors 55+ |
| Peabody Essex Museum | Salem | Thu to Mon, 10 am to 5 pm | Under 16 free; adults $25 |
| Boston Children’s Museum | Boston | Wed to Mon, 9 am to 4 pm | $24 ages 1 to 15 and adults |
| New England Aquarium | Boston | Daily, 9 am to 5 pm (6 pm weekends) | Adult $39.95; child (3-11) $30.95 |
| MetroRock Everett | Everett | Daily, long hours | See its rates page |
North Shore Children’s Museum, Peabody
The North Shore Children’s Museum is at 10 Main Street in Peabody and is run with the city (its contact email is a peabody-ma.gov address). It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Published hours are:
- Wednesday to Friday: 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm (closed noon to 1)
- Saturday: 9 am to 12 pm, 12 to 2 pm and 2 to 4 pm
- Sunday: 12 to 2 pm and 2 to 4 pm
Those split blocks mean you are booking a session rather than wandering in all day. Most programs are included with admission, but the museum asks you to book your spot. Ticket prices are on its Buy Tickets page. Peabody residents can visit free on Saturdays and Sundays in November with proof of residency, while tickets last. The phone is (978) 538‑5765.
Wenham Museum, Wenham
At 132 Main Street, the Wenham Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 am to 1 pm, with extended hours (9 am to 6 pm) on the first Wednesday of each month. Admission, as listed starting July 1, 2026, is $14 for adults and children age 1 and up, $12 for seniors (55+) and grandparents, and free under age 1.
The museum says strollers are welcome and every restroom has a changing table, and snacks are allowed in designated indoor areas. It encourages families to visit the Claflin-Gerrish-Richards House, which has hands-on activities for all ages. A “Mornings at the Museum” series is listed for November (the page names a Colonial Life: spice grinding session on November 12 at 10 am). A playground sits across the street, which helps on the rare dry day.
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem
The Peabody Essex Museum is at 161 Essex Street in Salem. It is open Thursday to Monday, 10 am to 5 pm, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Visitors under 16 are free. Adults are $25, seniors (65+) $23 and students with ID $15. Salem residents are free, as are people who work in Salem with a business card or employee ID.
For families, PEM lists hands-on art activities, kid-friendly exhibitions and a nursing room. The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center has art and nature activities for all ages. Strollers can be borrowed at the Visitor Resource Center, and sensory bags are available there too. Program prices are on pem.org/events.
Boston Children’s Museum
In Boston, the Boston Children’s Museum (308 Congress Street) is open Wednesday to Monday, 9 am to 4 pm, closed Tuesdays, and opens at 10 am on the first Saturday of each month. Admission is $24 per person for adults and for children ages 1 to 15, with infants under 12 months free. It recommends buying tickets in advance.
Parking is the part families tend to wonder about. The museum lists four garages that offer validation: Stillings Street, Farnsworth Street, Atlantic Wharf, and Seaport South (weekends only). Validation requires the physical ticket you pull at the garage gate, not an app or QR code. Holiday hours vary, so check its visit page. Exhibits named on the page include PlaySpace for ages 0 to 3, the STEAM Lab, Dream it! Build it!, Bubbles and Kid Power.
New England Aquarium, Boston
The New England Aquarium at 1 Central Wharf lists hours of 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am to 6 pm on weekends. Standard admission is $39.95 for adults, $30.95 for children 3 to 11 and $37.95 for seniors (60+), with children 2 and under free. Residents of CT, MA, ME, NH, RI and VT save $5 per ticket, with blackout dates; the aquarium says the discount is not available on weekends or summer holidays (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend in 2026).
The aquarium recommends booking at tickets.neaq.org because weekends often sell out. It also mentions 10 percent off aquarium tickets when combined with a whale watch (by phone or at the box office) and discounts on a Boston CityPASS.
A climbing wall for older kids: MetroRock Everett
MetroRock in Everett lists hours of Monday to Friday 10 am to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 8 pm, with member-only early hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Day-pass rates and youth rules are on its Hours & Rates and Waiver & Policies pages. Other local gyms offer scheduled youth climbing lessons, including Boston Rock Gym in Woburn for ages 5 and up, per its listing.
Also in Boston
The Museum of Science is the other classic snow-day choice; hours and tickets are at mos.org. Malden and Salem libraries lend passes to it, as covered in library museum passes.
Get family weekend plans by email
Santa visits, kid-friendly outings and what is worth the drive.
Free bonus when you join: the printable December plan. Unsubscribe in one click.
Sources
- Peabody Essex Museum: Visitpem.org
- North Shore Children's Museumnschildrensmuseum.org
- Wenham Museum: Visitwenhammuseum.org
- Boston Children's Museum: Visitbostonchildrensmuseum.org
- New England Aquarium: Ticketsneaq.org
- MetroRock Everettmetrorock.com
Details such as dates, hours and prices come from the sources above and can change. Check with the organizer before you go.
How we report: every date, price and address comes from a linked source.
