When I was offered a chance to take the family to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, I was hesitant. I thought my kids were too young for this "history lesson," and that they really wouldn't be interested, or even understand what was going on.
I was totally wrong.
A visit to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is an educational, yet fun and engaging experience which gives guests an opportunity to participate in a variety of ways, allowing them to have a deeper understanding of this significant event in history through innovative exhibits.
The first act of the 1-hour tour begins with actors leading guests into the Meeting House, where everyone is given new identities of real people who actually took part in the Boston Tea Party. At the meeting, we heard Samuel Adams speak, and guests were encouraged to be vocal in their support or protest of different topics as he spoke. My kids had fun yelling and booing with the rest of the visitors.
Everyone then boarded Eleanor, one of two ships that are replicas of the 18th century ships used in the Boston Tea Party (a third ship, the Dartmouth, is being built)
Soon it was time to dump the tea! I thought the dumping of the tea would be a bigger affair than it was, but it happened so quickly. A few kids standing next to the parcels of tea tossed them into the channel, the same area where Griffin's Wharf was when the Boston Tea Party happened on December 16, 1773.
Guests had a chance to pull the tea boxes back up and throw them back into the river again before going on a quick tour of the ship.
We disembarked the ship and perused a few more exhibits before going into the museum.
The second act involves listening to two holographic women the day after the event, as they discuss what happened. Everyone thought the holographs were just so neat!
Guests then moved into another room where an actual tea chest is on display. The Robinson Half Tea Chest is the only tea chest from the Boston Tea Party known to be in existence, and it was interesting to hear about its journey to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.
A visit to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is an educational, yet fun and engaging experience which gives guests an opportunity to participate in a variety of ways, allowing them to have a deeper understanding of this significant event in history through innovative exhibits.
The first act of the 1-hour tour begins with actors leading guests into the Meeting House, where everyone is given new identities of real people who actually took part in the Boston Tea Party. At the meeting, we heard Samuel Adams speak, and guests were encouraged to be vocal in their support or protest of different topics as he spoke. My kids had fun yelling and booing with the rest of the visitors.
Everyone then boarded Eleanor, one of two ships that are replicas of the 18th century ships used in the Boston Tea Party (a third ship, the Dartmouth, is being built)
Guests had a chance to pull the tea boxes back up and throw them back into the river again before going on a quick tour of the ship.
We disembarked the ship and perused a few more exhibits before going into the museum.
The second act involves listening to two holographic women the day after the event, as they discuss what happened. Everyone thought the holographs were just so neat!
Guests then moved into another room where an actual tea chest is on display. The Robinson Half Tea Chest is the only tea chest from the Boston Tea Party known to be in existence, and it was interesting to hear about its journey to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.
Then a lively debate between King George III and Samuel Adams takes place in a very cool way in the portrait gallery - the portraits actually come to life! This was one of my kids' favorite parts! It really made an impact, because my kids still remember the speakers and the general conversation because of the creative presentation.
The last act takes place in the Minuteman Theatre, where guests watch the award-winning Let it Begin Here - a short film about the events leading up to the American Revolution. This was my favorite part of the tour. Seeing the reenactment on screen, and watching the toll the war took on the men and their families was heartbreaking. I even got a little emotional thinking about what the families had to endure during that time period.
There is some violence because of the war scenes, but it was nothing too gruesome for my little ones.
I admit - prior to our visit to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, my knowledge of the details of this significant event was scant, at best, but the multi-dimensional experience of the 1-hour tour left a lasting impression on all of us, and provided us with a better understanding of this important time in history.
The last act takes place in the Minuteman Theatre, where guests watch the award-winning Let it Begin Here - a short film about the events leading up to the American Revolution. This was my favorite part of the tour. Seeing the reenactment on screen, and watching the toll the war took on the men and their families was heartbreaking. I even got a little emotional thinking about what the families had to endure during that time period.
There is some violence because of the war scenes, but it was nothing too gruesome for my little ones.
I admit - prior to our visit to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, my knowledge of the details of this significant event was scant, at best, but the multi-dimensional experience of the 1-hour tour left a lasting impression on all of us, and provided us with a better understanding of this important time in history.
For tickets or more information, click here.
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
306 Congress St
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 338-1773
(617) 338-1773
We received complimentary tickets to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum.
