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Founded  in 1913 by the Science Teachers’ Bureau, the Boston Children’s Museum  is the second oldest children’s museum in the world and one of the few  that maintain a collection. Designed for both children and families, the  Museum exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness,  health & fitness, and the arts, emphasizing hands-on engagement and  learning through experience, and employing play as a tool to spark the  inherent creativity, curiosity, and imagination of children.

For more info go to bostonchildrensmuseum.org 

The  Currier Museum of Art features European and American paintings,  decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. The permanent collection  includes works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, Calder, John Singer  Sargent, Frank Lloyd Wright, Andrew Wyeth, and Sol LeWitt. Special  exhibitions provide opportunities to present work by contemporary and/or  local artists, as well as take in-depth looks at certain objects or  areas of the Museum's collection. Public programs include tours, live  classical music and “Family Days” which include activities for all ages.  The Museum also offers tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed  Zimmerman House, now listed on the Register of Historic Places  (reservations required). There is a museum store on the premises. For  more info go to currier.org

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, in existence since July 4, 1876, is one  of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, with a collection of  almost 500,000 works of art, ranging from ancient Egyptian artifacts to  contemporary painting, sculpture and video. In addition, there are  always special exhibitions on view, opportunities to take advantage of  educational programs—some right in the galleries—and a contemplative  Japanese garden. For more info go to www.mfa.org

The  New England Aquarium is home to thousands of aquatic animals, from the  giant Pacific octopus to Northern fur seals to little blue penguins.  They offer a wide range of exhibits, including a shark and ray touch  tank and the Giant Ocean Tank, a four-story coral reef featuring  hundreds of Caribbean animals. In addition, they have an IMAX theatre  and run whale watch boat excursions in partnership with Boston Harbor  Cruises from April through November. Passes not available for  Thanksgiving, Christmas or June 1st thru August 31st. For more info go  to www.neaq.org

Located within Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH, the Seacoast Science  Center has been providing educational experiences on behalf of New  Hampshire State Parks since 1992. The center includes hands-on science  exhibits (undersea exploration to marine debris), live animal exhibits  which feature creatures that live in the rapidly changing Gulf of Maine  ecosystem; and many special events, like “Music-by-the-Sea” concerts and  “Sippin' for Seals” (dancing and drinks to support the Marine Mammal  rescue Program). For more info go to www.seacoastsciencecenter.org

Zoo New England operates Franklin Park Zoo, a 72-acre site nestled in  Boston’s historic Franklin Park, and the Stone Zoo, located on a 26-acre  site near Spot Pond reservoir in Stoneham, MA. In addition to animals,  both zoos are engaged in wildlife and conservation programs, research,  and education. For more info go to www.zoonewengland.org

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, located in Concord, NH, is dedicated to the two astronauts who came from the granite state—Christa McAuliffe and Alan Shepard. The museum offers a range of permanent and changing exhibits that focus on astronomy, aviation, earth and space science, including full-sized replicas of Mercury 7 and Mercury-Redstone rockets, a 1956 XF8U-3 Crusader jet, and items from Star Trek movies, a planetarium, and an observatory. There is a museum shop and café on the premises. For more info go to www.starhop.com

The Museum of Science in Boston is located on a piece of land that  extends the width of the Charles River, connecting Boston and Cambridge.  Dedicated to promoting and educating visitors about science and  technology, the museum includes a planetarium, the world’s largest  open-air Van de Graaff generator, an IMAX theatre, a butterfly garden,  and permanent and changing exhibits on birds, insects and animals;  space; dinosaurs; engineering; nanotechnology; math; biology; and more.  For more info go to www.mos.org

New Hampshire has 93 state park properties that provide a variety of  recreational opportunities for all ages and abilities. The park system  includes beaches, campgrounds, historic sites, waysides, natural areas, a  multitude of trails, and much more to explore. A list of these, along  with trail maps which may be downloaded as pdf files, may be found on  their website. The pass provides access to most locations in the system,  though there are a few exceptions. For more info go to www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/

Open 7 days a week, the SEE Science Center in Manchester, NH, is an interactive learning center established to promote the understanding, enjoyment and achievements of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Visitors (ages 3+) encounter hands-on exhibits covering topics such as forces, light, sound electricity, simple machines and more; daily demonstrations; and the LEGO® Millyard Project (Manchester's Amoskeag Millyard as it might have looked circa 1900—including City Hall and the Notre Dame bridge—and all built with commercially-available LEGO bricks). A seasonally scheduled family workshop on weekends may be attended as a drop-in. A science gift shop is on the premises.