I will be in the Boston area 3rd or 4th week of Sept. and want to show my 1st grade son some history and eastern sights (we live in LA). What would be the most exciting, kid-friendly place to stay (little legs tire easily)? We want to do some of Freedom Trail and Duck Tour-comments. Is science museum good for that age? What else? We have 2 great aquariums in CA so I was thinking of skipping Boston's. Is USS Constitution open? Any offbeat ideas or other advice?

Yes, skip the aquarium. Yes, the Museum of Science is great for all ages. Duck Tour could be the highlight of hte trip, they might let him pilot the craft when it's in the river. Be selective about the Freedom Trail, it's quite a hike and a lot of it will bore a 7-year-old, go to the children's Museum instead. Stay in the Back Bay/Copley area

I'm not sure if you want to stick only to Boston but you can jump on the catamaran right in Boston and go to Provincetown on the tip of the cape. You could go in the morning and come back in the evening...picnic for the boat, etc...
No need for rental car or anything.

Skip it. Goto Philly instead. The natives are much friendlier and the city and suburbs are cheaper. Plus, there's more historical sites in Philly and a aquarium across the river in Camden, NJ.

When my son was that age we took a boat trip to one of the islands in the harbor (can't remember which one, but you can find out when you get here). There was an old fort there and we spent the day just wandering the island. He loved it! We got the boat out of Hingham, but I know you can get from one of the piers in Boston. Maybe someone else has some more info on this.

The boat tours of the harbor are great for kids this age. Second that. Make sure your son gets "Make Way for Ducklings" (McCloskey) out of the library and you read it together before you go -- then go see the "Ducklings" sculpture in the Public Garden and ride on the Swan Boat.

(I'd hate to think Phila., my 2nd favorite city, could claim J. Carson -- who pops up with hostile inanities on every thread -- as a son. Shoo! Go away!)

Could you consider taking him to a Red Sox game? Boston isn't all history!

I think that the National Parks Department has free tours on the freedom trail with a park person giving you history along the way. The office is next to One State Street (corner of Devonshire & State Street). Besides the duck tours, old town trolley has tours as well. There is a drop off at the Constitution.

Ask what "free happening" is going on at the Half Shell (Hatch Shell?) on the Charles River. They used to have Friday night flicks under the stars, and they have free concerts/events.

The Children's Museum is also very good.

I agree with the advice from Suzy and Katie.
My kids went on the Duck Tours on a school field trip and loved it. Then they went to the park to see the Duckling statues. They are big enough for a 7 year old to crawl on, so I agree that your child should read the book ahead of time and experience the work in person.

You can take the ranger-guided Freedom Trail tour or get a map and walk it on your own to the amount a 7 year old will tolerate. It will take you past historical houses and graveyards along the way, so depending on how much history your 7 year old will tolerate, you can stay with the tour or leave it along the way.
The Trolley is a good idea since you can hop on and off since little feet do get tired.
Science Museum is great. My kids love all science museums (no, they are not nerds) and actuallly ask to visit them in our travels. The one in Boston is in their top 5 list.
Enjoy. Boston is a great city.

Before you invest in the trolley, do investigte taking the T or even taxis instead. The trolleys can run very irregularly, and waiting for 20 minutes for a crowded trolley can be taxing.

If you can rent a car for a day, consider taking your son to Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth (skip the rock, it's totally overrated!). You can get a combo ticket to the plantation and the Mayflower ship in town. It will really impress him come Thanksgiving. The interpreters there keep in character, so if they ask where you're from and you say California, they won't know what you're talking about! It's a great place for kids, and full of history.

Salem could be fun- Witch Museum, House of 7 Gables etc. Salem fairly easy to get to by taking commuter rail from Boston.

The Science Museum is very good. See what is playing in the IMAX Theatre while you are there- the IMAX experience is alot of fun. Also- in the museum is the "Hall of Electricity" Great show!

Definately a Duck Tour!

The Children's Museum is a lot of fun.

When I was a child I LOVED going to the Science Museum.

Going to the Public Gardens and riding the swan boats is fun.

The new IMAX theater at the New England Aquarium is fantastic. Just went to see a show last week (it was the underwater one, sorry, forget the name). It is not to be missed!

A whale watch or boat tour of Boston Harbour-go to Fort Warren look for the ghost of the Lady in Black.
Science &Children's museums are great.
He might like Fanuel Hall, they have a couple f kids stors & there are always street performer, clowns & mimes about.

Hi, I have a seven year old boy and we were just in Boston (I grew up there, now live in NY). The science museum is great, I would skip the Freedom trail with him (I just tried it and my son only wanted to go into all the baseball curio shops). The duck tour-definitely, a harbor cruise from near the Aquarium (I would skip the Aq.), if there is a concert at the Hatch Shell go, and if you could get tix to a Red Sox game -go. My kids also love riding the trolley. Have fun!

I just want to add that the only historic site my son was interested in was Paul Revere's house which is a ten minute walk from Faneuil Hall. The actual house is not that exciting, though.

Duck Tour is fun, a definite do (not cheap, but unusual, and your 7 year old will be allowed to "drive" after you splash down in the water, just let the driver know he's interested!).

Children's Musuem is top quality--we've been to many in the US, and Boston's is great.

Also, our 8 year old LOVES to take the "T" (subway). It's a different experience, and she just loves it. Doesn't matter where we go.

The Lenox hotel usually has good rates, and is in the heart of Backbay. Also, try the Elliott hotel, which has jr. suites sometimes at really good rates, and is very historic.

Finally, for fun, I would take a look at 2 Omni theaters:

a. The Aquarium theater (adjacent to the Aquarium). They have 3D Omni movies that are excellent, and some are very kid friendly.
b. The Museum of Science has a lot of kid friendly exhibits, and the Omni theater is currently running a movie on Roller Coasters I think, very fun!

Feel free to e-mail me directly if you'd like.