Experience Winter Wonders in Boston With Kids

Boston is an ideal winter-friendly destination for families. Outdoor ice skating, indoor food halls, holiday light displays, and walkable neighborhoods create seasonal experiences for visitors of all ages. Here's a look at what you can experience in the city during the winter:

Holiday celebrations include tree lightings, Faneuil Hall festivities, a Boston holiday lights trail, Old Town Trolley Tours' Holiday Lights, and more.

First Night Boston anchors New Year's Day celebrations with a Greenway Carousel ride, a parade, ice-skating shows, a mid-evening fireworks display, illuminated drone shows, and a Winteractive art walk.

In Chinatown, Lunar New Year celebrations feature a cultural village, calligraphy, performances, lion dances, and family-friendly dining.

Boston's food halls — Time Out Market, High Street Place, and Boston Public Market — make perfect dining spots for kids. Free kids' crafts and Sunday sing-alongs at the Public Market add to the market's kid-friendly appeal. 

Popular skating venues in Boston include Kirrane Rink in Brookline, Kelly Skating Rink in Jamaica Plain, South Plaza in Cambridge, and the Boston Common Frog Pond. Beacon Hill's gaslit streets offer a scenic, walkable setting for families to enjoy Boston's winter scenery.

Winter nature programming includes a heated wildlife cruise around the Boston Harbor Islands and Mass Audubon's winter offerings with maple sugaring demonstrations and nature walks.

Winter culture and sports line up with Celtics and Bruins games, curling at Snowport, Nutcracker performances by the Boston Ballet, Boston Pops concerts, and Black Nativity productions.