If you have never registered for a homeschool field trip at the MoS, it's easy. Call the school group reservation line (617-723-2500) with your expected visit date and tell them you are a homeschooling family. They treat us as professionally as any school. :-) I usually pre-plan for the entire school year, so I have a list of dates for them. One thing to note, though; we can only get the school rates when public schools are in session. Summers, MA school vacation weeks, etc are regular rates (as well as crowded, lol).

* The Arnold Arboretum

125 Arborway Jamaica Plain in Boston.

Admission: Free

Hours: 9-4 M-F, 10-4 Sa, 12-4 Su

* Belle Isle Marsh Reservation

an MDC reservation located in East Boston, Revere and Winthrop, MA

Entrance on Bennington Street in East Boston

* Mass Audubon

There are 43 Wildlife Sanctuaries in Massachusetts, 18 of which currently have Nature Centers. Listed here are those 18:

* Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary

127 Combs Rd. Easthampton 413-584-3009

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 9-3 M-F

* Blue Hills Trailside Museum

1904 Canton Ave. Milton 617-333-0690

Admission: $3 adults, $1.50 children $2 seniors

Hours: 10-5 W-Su

* Boston Nature Center

500 Walk Hill St. Mattapan 617-983-8500

Admission: $2

Hours: 9-5 M-F, 10-4 Sa-Su

* Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center

414 Massasoit Rd. Worcester 508-753-6087

Admission: $4 adults $3 children and seniors

Hours: 9-4 Tu-Sa, 12:30-4 Su

* Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

280 Eliot St. Natick 508-655-2296

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 9-5 Tu-F, 10-5 Sa-Su

* Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary

208 South Great Rd. Lincoln 781-259-2200

Admission: $6 adults, $4 children and seniors

Hours: 9-5 Tu-Su, in the summer. Times vary throughout the year.

* Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Felix Neck Dr. (off Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road) Edgartown 508-627-4850

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 8-4 M-Sa, 10-3 Su in the summer. Times vary throughout the year.

* Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary

10 Juniper Rd. Belmont 617-489-5050

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 8-4 M-F, 10-4 Sa

* Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

87 Perkins Row, Topsfield 978-887-9264

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 9-4 Tu-F, 9-5 Sa-M in the summer. Times vary throughout the year

* Joppa Flats Education Center

1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, 978-462-9998

Admission: $2

Hours: 8:30-4 Tu-Su

* Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary

345 Bone Hill Rd. Barnstable, 508-362-1426

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors * Moose Hill

293 Moose Hill St. Sharon, 781-784-5691

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 9-5 M-F, 10-4 Sa-Su

* North River Wildlife Sanctuary

2000 Main St. Marshfield, 781-837-9400

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 8:30-5 M-Sa

* Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary

1417 Park St. Attleboro, 508-223-3060

Admission: Free

Hours: 9-4:30 Tu-Sa, 12-4 Su

* Pleasant Valley

472 West Mountain Rd. Lenox, 413-637-0320

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 9-5 Tu-F, 10-4 Sa-Su

* Stony Brook

108 North St. Norfolk, 508-528-3140

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 9-5 M-F, 10-4 Sa-Su in summer. Times vary throughout the year.

* Visual Arts Center and Mildred Morse Allen Wildlife Sanctuary

963 Washington St. Canton, 781-821-8853

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: F-Su 1-5

* Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary

113 Goodnow Rd. Princeton, 978-464-2712

Admission: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Hours: 10-2 Tu-Sa

For example: My favorite field trip site would be the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, www.mfa.org, 465 Huntington Ave. My three favorite exhibits would be 1) The harpsichords in the Musical Instruments Room on the first floor 2) The John Singer Sargent murals on the ceiling of the Upper Rotunda and 3) The reconstructed Ancient Egyptian tomb rooms on the second floor of the Egyptian section.

On the game sheet, it will look like this:

**********

Boston Area

- - -

The Museum of Fine Arts Boston

1) This is something that could have been played by musicians at the time of the American Revolution. It can be found on the first floor in a room with other objects like it. What is it?

_____________________________________

2) Go to the round room and look for the sky. The artist may have learned not to paint on his walls as a child, but I guess his mom forgot to teach him not to paint on the ceilings. Who did this?

_____________________________________

3) The Ancient Egyptians spent a lot of time building this. Archeologists spent a lot of time digging for this. The Museum took apart a small section of this and put it back together on the second floor for us to go into. What is it?

_____________________________________

**********

The clues are deliberately open-ended to allow for more than one answer if there is more than one answer (such as the harpsichord; it could be any number of musical instruments from the 1700's), but specific enough that one can find an answer. Most museums and historical sites have either a map or plaques with descriptions (or both), but if your favorite site does not, please include as many details as you can so that others can find it.

Thanks for participating and sharing your experiences! I hope you enjoy the game!

With next month being the 231st anniversary of the Battle on Lexington Green in which our forefathers first defended with their very lives the idea of the freedom of self-rule, I'd like to share information on places in our historic state pertinent to that event.

Of course, the big one would be Lexington Green on April *17th* at 5AM (My apologies, I thought it was celebrated the same day - the 19th - every year. Apparently it was held on Monday, Patriot's Day.) for the re-enactment of the 'shot heard 'round the world'. I would suggest getting there early (at least by 4:30) to get a good spot to see the action somewhere around the edge of the Green. A good spot may be the corner closest to Buckman Tavern as then you could catch sight of Paul Revere and William Daws meet up with John Hancock and the Redcoats coming up Mass Ave. Afterwards, Lexington center has many, many activities happening all day, there's even a parade and colonists and British Regulars out and about available for questions and photos. Also, just down the road Concord has plenty of activities happening. You might wish to get a good night's sleep the night before, as this day is quite full of things to do each year LOL!

Other good places to visit in Lexington and Concord:

The National History Museum in Lexington at 33 Merrett Rd. 781-861-6559

The Concord Museum is on the Cambridge Turnpike in Concord 978-369-9609

For a good overview of historic happenings and places, you might want to walk the Freedom Trail. If you go to 15 State St. in Boston first, you can get a map of everything with short descriptions including which sites have an entrance fee. 617-242-5642

Some highlights along the way:

Paul Revere's house is at 19 North Square in Boston. 617-523-2338

The Old State House can't be missed if you're interested in the Revolutionary War. This is where the Declaration of Independence was first proclaimed publicly. It is on the corner of State and Washington streets at 206 Washington St. Boston 617-720-1713

The Old South Meeting House is just down the block at 310 Washington St. in Boston 617-482-6439 Kids under 6 are free. :-)

And King's Chapel is not too far away on the corner of Tremont & School streets in Boston 617-523-1749

One of my favorite places concerning this period of history is the Adams family homestead:

Adams National Historical Park at 135 Adams St. in Quincy 617-770-1175

I hope this information helps you to enjoy our national history!