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Friendly park rangers help make memorable visits for all ages.
NPS Photo / Sam Mckenzie | The Rambling Woods
Kids and families are always welcome at Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site! During the open season, families can visit inside the house (by guided tour), paint in the garden, look for plants and animals in the landscape, ask a park ranger a question, pick out a book at the Little Free Library, have a picnic on the lawn, earn a junior ranger badge, watch a concert, and more.
Ranger Tips for Planning a Visit with Kids
Before you Visit
Go online, or visit your local library and check out a few books that will help your children learn about where they will be visiting. A few of our favorites:
Review the website together and have a conversation about what they would like to see, experience, and learn about.
Call the Visitor Center at (617) 876-4491 the morning of your visit to reserve space on a house tour. Let the Ranger know how old the kids are and if there’s anything in particular that could help support them having a good time!
Pack a few essentials! There are free lockers on-site to store your belongings. No food or drink is allowed in the house, but you can bring pencil and paper, books, and small stuffies.
Preparing for a Guided Tour:
Find a quiet place on the lawn 15 minutes before tour time to have a snack.
Help kids think about what following the house rules will look like:
How do we take care of things that are special to us?
How should our bodies move in a museum? Compare to a place they are familiar with (the hallway at school, a fancy store, church, the library, etc.)
What should we be doing when other people are speaking? How do we let the tour guide know if we have a question or want to say something?
Get the wiggles out! Play Simon Says or Red Light/Green Light, challenge your kids to a jumping jack competition, or take a dance break to get them moving. End your wiggle session by stretching and taking a few deep breaths together.
Head into the visitor center about 5 minutes before the tour time and introduce yourself to your tour guide. Tell them what you are excited to learn about!
Pick up a Junior Ranger book, or a house tour bingo card.
Drink some water and use the restroom while you wait for the tour to begin. You won’t be able to do this later without leaving the tour.
During Your Tour:
Preserving historic objects and architecture is hard work, and the rules we follow in the house can be hard for younger visitors. It’s okay if your child is struggling on the tour. Here are some ideas that have worked for kids who have taken the tour before:
Staying on the carpet path
Play the floor is lava.
Pretend you are a fish and the carpet path is your river.
Not touching objects
Put your hands in your pockets.
Ask the ranger for a fidget toy.
Feeling tired or antsy
Sit on the trail.
Do your favorite yoga pose.
Feeling bored
How many ______ can you find? (pictures of animals, statues, yellow things, etc.)
Ask them to be the official tour photographer.
Need to leave?
Just let the ranger know if you need to leave the tour early. We're glad you chose to visit the Longfellow House!
