stories and photos by Kayte Deioma
There is no shortage of things to do with kids on a rainy day in Boston. Whether you want to spend an hour or the whole day, there is plenty to keep the young set entertained.
Abstract Exploration: the Mapparium and Hall of Ideas
To escape a passing shower, stop in to the Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity at the Christian Science complex on Massachusetts Avenue. If you’ve been looking for ways to get your kids thinking about the world and their place in it, the Library has designed a variety of interactive exhibits that can spark great discussions, whether you agree with the Christian Science philosophy or not.
When you have just a little time, visit the Mapparium and Hall of Ideas. The Mapparium is a three-story stained glass globe, which visitors can enter and view from inside. The countries represented in the Mapparium reflect the world as it was in 1935, when the globe was created. A seven minute audio tour and a short video clip highlight some of the significant changes that have occurred in the geo-political divisions of the world since then.
Next door, in the Hall of Ideas, philosophical quotations are projected around the room in playful swirls and streaks. They dance around a central fountain and flit across the floor before climbing the wall to a screen where they disassemble and reassemble themselves into the words of famous thinkers and young philosophers-to-be.
If you have more time, head upstairs, where The Quest Gallery uses technology and age-appropriate content to ask questions such as: Who am I? What is my purpose? Is there a higher power? The Monitor Gallery gives you a glimpse into the workings of a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper, including history, “how to” exhibits and a window that looks into the offices of the Christian Science Monitor.
The Mary Baker Eddy Library exhibits are open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to exhibit areas is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors 62+, youth 6-17 and students with ID. Children under 6 are free. The Hall of Ideas, research areas and Reading Room are free. For more information, visit www.marybakereddylibrary.org or call (617) 450-7000 or 1 (888) 222-3711.
Concrete Exploration: the Museum of Science
With MIT and Harvard right down the street, it’s only to be expected that the Museum of Science (MOS), straddling the Charles River Dam between Boston and Cambridge, would be one of the best in the world. Between the museum’s exhibits, lunch at Puck’s (as in Wolfgang) café in the first floor dining area and a visit to the Mugar Omni IMAX Theater and the Charles Hayden Planetarium, you can stay dry all day, or even two at the MOS.
Incorporating all the sciences in one place, the MOS lets you learn about 
dinosaurs, electric currents, animal behavior, the brain, X-rays, the properties of light, human genomes and how a computer works – all without leaving the building. Kids can measure their own motion waves, see themselves on interactive video, create colored shadows of themselves, build and race a scale model solar car, use a computer to create an animated fish or discover the properties of flocking birds. In the Current Science and Technology Center you can check in on what’s happening at NASA or communicate with research expeditions around the world.
Get a schedule when you arrive and plan your day according to the live 
presentations and special exhibits you want to see. Appointments are required to visit the Butterfly Garden, where flowering plants and a steamy environment keep a vivid assortment of butterflies [flittering] happy from cocoon to adulthood. A mirror on the way out lets you check yourself for hitchhikers before you exit. Don’t miss the lightning show created by the world’s largest Van de Graaff generator in the Theater of Electricity. A variety of live animal presentations, demonstrations and plays about developments in science are presented on the Science Live! Stage. The 3DTheater presents 20 minute films that get you up close and personal with insects and butterflies. The Mugar Omni Theater has a five story domed IMAX screen and tilted seats that put you smack in the middle of the action. Planetarium shows introduce you to the stars and planets.
To maximize your visit and choose the exhibits that interest your family most, visit www.mos.org ahead of time and explore some of the museum exhibits online. Today’s schedule of live events is also posted to help with pre-planning your visit. The web site also has some virtual exhibits found only online.
The Museum of Science exhibit halls are open July 5 th through September 5 th from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the rest of the year they close at 5 p.m., except Fridays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. all year. General admission to exhibit halls is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors 60+ and $12 for children 3-11. The Butterfly Garden, 3D Theater, Mugar Omni Theater and Planetarium and some traveling exhibits have a separate admission charge. Check the web site at www.mos.org or call (617) 723-2500 for combination ticket pricing.