CHILDREN’S ATTRACTIONS
1. Ramblewild, Lanesborough, MA
110 Brodie Mountain Rd • 844 472 6253
• Open Nov–Apr: 11am–1pm Fri–Sun; May–Oct: 10am–3pm daily • Adm •
www.ramblewild.com
Eight trails of varying difficulty snake through the canopy with logs, nets, ziplines, rope bridges, and more.
Riding a zipline, Ramblewild
2. Boston Children’s Museum
308 Congress St • 617 426 6500
• Open 10am–5pm Sat–Thu (to 9pm Fri) • Adm •
www.bostonkids.org
Hands-on learning fills two former wool warehouses. Children can scale a climbing sculpture, explore the magic of soap bubbles, or join in short plays and shows on KidStage.
3. Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, CT
400 West St • 860 529 8423
• Open 9am– 4:30pm Tue–Sun • Adm •
www.dinosaurstatepark.org
Children are awestruck by more than 500 dinosaur fossil tracks preserved beneath a geodesic dome. Life-size dioramas re-create scenes from the Jurassic and Triassic eras.
4. McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord, NH
2 Institute Dr • 603 271 7827
• Open mid-Jun–early Sep: 10:30am–4pm daily (Fri–Sat in off-season) • Adm •
www.starhop.com
Kids are encouraged to reach for the stars at this space exploration center named for astronauts Alan B. Shepard and Christa McAuliffe.
5. Six Flags New England, Agawam, MA
Rte 159 • 413 786 9300
• Open Apr–Oct, call for hours • Adm •
www.sixflags.com
Some of the fastest, tallest, wildest, and most gut-wrenching thrill rides in the country await at this Six Flags amusement park located beside the Connecticut River.
6. Roger Williams Park and Zoo, Providence, RI
1000 Elmwood Ave • 401 785 3510
• Open 9am–5pm daily (Oct–Mar: to 4pm) • Adm •
www.rwpzoo.org
Visitors can ride the carousel or enjoy a boat ride on the lake in this sprawling park, but save time for the zoo – one of the best in the country, placed in a naturalistic setting. The zoo is laid out in themed areas where you can come face to face with over 100 species.
Elephant, Roger Williams Zoo
7. Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA
1000 Hall of Fame Ave • 413 781 6500
or 877 4HOOPLA
• Open 10am–4pm Tue–Fri, Sun, 10am–5pm Sat • Adm •
www.hoophall.com
This complex in the birthplace of basketball celebrates the sport with footage of games, star players’ memorabilia, and interactive exhibits that are suitable for kids.
8. Lake Compounce, Bristol, CT
186 Enterprise Dr • 860 583 3300
• Open May–Oct, call for schedule • Adm •
www.lakecompounce.com
A 1911 carousel, a 1927 roller coaster, and an antique trolley maintain the ambience of an old-fashioned amusement park.
9. New England Aquarium, Boston
Central Wharf • 617 973 5200
• Open Jul–Aug: 9am–6pm Sun–Thu, 9am–7pm Fri–Sat; Sep–Jun: 9am–5pm Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm Sat–Sun • Adm •
www.neaq.org
Kids love the acrobatics of the harbor seals, the antics of more than 80 penguins, and the shark and ray tank.
Penguins, New England Aquarium
10. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, Waterbury, VT
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield said business should not be dull, and the factory tour of Ben & Jerry’s is a real hoot. The goal is the tasting room at the end, where you might sample flavors in development (for further details see Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory ).
TOP 10 CAROUSELS
1. Flying Horse Carousel
Bay St, Watch Hill, RI • Adm
Beachfront carousel that is one of the oldest in New England.
2. Fall River Carousel
Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA • Adm
Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1920.
3. Shelburne Museum
A vintage 1920s carousel that operates right outside the Shelburne Museum’s Circus Building .
4. Crescent Park Carousel
700 Bullocks Point Ave, East Providence, RI • Adm
Charles I.D. Looff showcase.
5. Bushnell Park Carousel
Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT • Adm
Beautiful three-row hand-carved wooden carousel.
The carousel at Bushnell Park
6. Flying Horses Carousel
Oak Bluffs Ave, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, MA • Adm
1876–8 CWF Dare Company model.
7. Slater Memorial Park
Pawtucket, RI • Adm
This 1895 carousel includes a camel, a giraffe, a lion, and two chariots.
8. Story Land
Rte 16, Glen, NH • Adm
A strikingly unusual early 20th-century German carousel.
9. Heritage State Park
221 Appleton St, Holyoke, MA • Adm
This 1929 carousel has 20 standing horses and 28 jumpers.
10. Lighthouse Point Park
2 Lighthouse Point Rd, New Haven, CT • Adm
A 1916 carousel with 72 original figures.
