If you’re anything like our family when the New England winter drops its cloak down on your life, then you barricade yourself in your house until the spring thaw. This can make life a little tense, especially if you’ve got kids with energy.

Weekends especially can be stressful for parents and kids alike. Can you spell “cabin fever”?

So getting out and about can really help the family harmony. But where to go? Isn’t everything closed for the winter in Massachusetts? The fact is a lot is open for you to visit. My suggestion is take a trip to places that during the summer you’d never think of visiting. For a starter here’s five suggestions:

Kidspace in North Adams:

Kidspace is a gallery of MASS MoCA in North Adams where children can see and make art. It features exhibitions that change biannually. Admission is free and it is open Saturday and Sundays from noon to 4 during the school year.

The USS Constitution Museum in Boston:

The USS Constitution Museum brings to life the stories of the individuals who authorized, built, served on and preserved USS Constitution. Through hands-on exhibits, displays of historic artifacts, computer simulated re-enactments, and public programming, the Museum strives to make a personal connection to our American past and the heritage of USS Constitution. The Museum is located adjacent to USS Constitution, in Building 22, Boston National Historical Park, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston.

Museum hours are November 1 – April 30: 10:00am-5:00pm, and May 1 – October 15: 9:00am-6:00pm. Admission is free.

New Bedford Whaling Museum:

Visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum, where you can board the half-scale model The Lagoda whaling vessel. While it’s true you can see whale bones here (you’d expect that at least wouldn’t you), there’s a whole lot more. Here’s some sample exhibits: Dutch Whaling in the Golden Age, Kobo – the famous Blue Whale, The Forecastle – feel what it’s really like to line on a whaling vessel, and plenty of displays about the history of whaling and by-product artifacts.

The museum is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740 – (508) 997-0046. Operating hours are: Open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and until 9 p.m. Thursdays in the summer. Admission: Adults $10, seniors and students $9, children (6-14) $6, and under 6 free.

Battleship Cove:

Battleship Cove in Fall River is home to the WWII battleship USS Massachusetts and the world’s largest collection of historic naval ships. Though “Big Mamie” is the biggest draw for visitors, another popular destination is the USS Lionfish. This balao-class submarine saw active duty during WWII and was kept in service until 1971, making her permanent home here in 1973. Other highlights of the exhibit include USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. and tons of displays for die-hard or casual enthusiasts of military hardware.

Battleship Cove is located on scenic Mount Hope Bay. Operating hours are: November 1 – April 3: 9:00am-4:30pm, April 4 – July 3: 9:00am – 5:00pm, July 4 – September 5: 9:00am-5:30pm, and September 6 – October 31: 9:00am-5:00pm.

Basketball Hall of Fame:

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield has a striking spacious entrance, consisting of hoop-lined walls and just beckoning kids to take basket shots with any of the plentiful basketballs lying around. And that’s just the starter…

You’ll find a healthy mixture of artifact exhibits and interactive displays and games, and a good dosing of the history of the sport. You can see how you measure up to the wingspan of Kevin McHale, or the shoe size of Shaquille O’Neal or Michael Jordan – hey, don’t be depressed I’m no Tarzan either.

Basketball Hall of Fame is at 1000 West Columbus Ave., Springfield, Massachusetts. Hours are: 10:00am to 4:00pm Sunday-Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm Saturday. Adults $17, seniors $14, ages 5-15 $12. Call (413) 781-6500.

For more on and off seasonal attractions to see around Massachusetts check out my special Massachusetts vacations page by clicking here.

Talk to you next week.

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
Unforgettable Vacations in New England web site