Boston’s Hotel Commonwealth Woos Families with Bedtime in Beantown Offer

From Swan Boats in summer to ice skating in Frog Pond in winter, there’s a lot for families to do in Boston year-round. The Hotel Commonwealth is adding even more to love with a Bedtime in Beantown offer, complete with an in-room sleeping tent for the kids.

Hotel Commonwealth

The package includes an overnight stay for four in a deluxe room, outfitted with a pop-up tent, as well as a welcome gift for up to two children designed to make the camping experience feel even more real, with a backpack, blanket, flashlight and a toy Terry bear, the hotel’s mascot. Also included are breakfast for four at the Eastern Standard restaurant and overnight valet parking. The package is priced from $399 and must be booked in advance.

Of course, there’s more to a vacation in Beantown than staying in your hotel room, and no matter the season, families will find plenty to enjoy in this historic city.

Older kids can join Mom and Dad for a walk along the Freedom Trail — for the most fun, consider going on a tour with a costumed guide — which wends through historic areas of the city. Tiny travelers, in the meantime, can relive Robert McCloskey’s famous Make Way for Ducklings picture book by visiting the commemorative bronze duckling statues in Boston Public Garden — look for them near the corner of Beacon Street and Charles Street — and in case you’re wondering, yes, it’s okay for little kids to climb on them. In fact, it’s expected.

Foodies of all ages can try everything from award-winning clam “chowda” to gelato at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where you can also shop for such New England-inspired gifts — and be sure to stay for the street art and entertainment.

Love Italian food? Join the queues at Mike’s Pastry shop in the North End, Boston’s Little Italy for a homemade cannoli, or tuck into a plate of pasta at Tony & Elaine’s, one of the neighborhood’s newest eateries.

Even kids who don’t think they like museums will probably have to be dragged away from the Museum of Science, which wows kids with Thrill Ride 360 rides — one simulates a roller coaster while another “flies” over Boston — as well as a butterfly garden, planetarium shows and science exhibits that showcase the human body. Or catch the temporary “Thomas & Friends” exhibit, designed for kids aged 2–7.

Boston’s waterfront is teeming with family-friendly attractions, including the New England Aquarium, famous for its penguin and sea lion exhibits, and the Boston Children’s Museum, where interactive playtime is raised to an art form and where Marc Brown’s Arthur and Friends comes to life.