Massachusetts: Cambridge, Family Vacation Ideas - Whales, Art and Living History. From the ever changing exhibits at the Peabody and the delights of the   Charles Hayden Planetarium to the New Bedford Whaling Museum and living history at Old Sturbridge Village family vacation options are plentiful. Family fun is effortless.

See snakes and mummies. The Museum of Science is a buffet for the mind. More than 600 hands-on exhibits tempt all ages. The ever-changing roster of traveling exhibits and a friendly crew of science interpreters guarantee a different experience with every visit. The museum atmosphere encourages visitors to think like scientists by encouraging looking, listening, and touching. The facility has the Thomson Theater of Electricity, home of the world's largest Van de Graaff generator complete with indoor lightning demonstrations. Also onsite one of the nation's largest free computer centers and a scale model solar system extending into the Greater Boston area. Bonus points: For mega entertainment try the five-story domed screen Mugar Omni Theater. (Museum of Science & Charles Hayden Planetarium. Science Park, 02114. 1(617) 723-2500 or www.mos.org)

It's all about the art. DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park (Lincoln) is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary American art in the region. The museum is dedicated to the exhibition, collection and preservation of works by living New England artists. (51 Sandy Pond Rd. Lincoln MA 01773 1(781) 259-8355 or www.decordova.org)

Picture that. MASS MoCA is the largest center for contemporary arts in the United States. The institution is dedicated to the creation and presentation of provocative visual and performing arts pieces, and of works that blur conventional distinctions between artistic disciplines. Discovery: In addition, MASS MoCA functions as a laboratory for the contemporary arts, fostering experimentation by artists, encouraging collaborations among institutions, and allowing visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process. (87 Marshall St. North Adams 01247. 1(413) 664-4481 or www.massmoca.org)

It's all in the name. The MIT Museum explores invention, ideas, and innovation. Home to renowned collections in science and technology, holography, architecture and design, nautical engineering and history, the museum features changing and ongoing exhibitions, unique hands-on activities, and engaging public programs. The in-depth learning opportunities the museum offers showcase the fascinating world of MIT. (265 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge 02139. 1(617) 253-4422 or www.mit.edu/museum)

The New Bedford Whaling Museum. Established by The Old Dartmouth Historical Society in 1907, it tells the story of American whaling and describes the role New Bedford played as the whaling capital of the world in the nineteenth century. Today, it is the largest museum in America devoted to the history of the American whaling industry and its greatest port. Not for the faint of heart, the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast (Fall River) shares the story of a mother and father brutally murdered in their Victorian home. The accused was their youngest daughter Lizzie. Experience this remarkable story while over-nighting at the bed & breakfast and in the morning wake up to a hot breakfast reminiscent of the food Lizzie ate that fateful day in 1892. (18 Johnny Cake Hill New Bedford MA 02740. 1(508) 997-0046 or www.whalingmuseum.org)

Connect the dots. The Peabody Essex Museum founded in 1799, began as a showcase for the museum’s founders, who were among America’s first global entrepreneurs traveling the world in search of trade. Today, the collection exceeds more than 2.4 million works of art and culture, including Asian art (Japanese, Chinese, Korean and India art) along with nineteenth-century Asian photography. The most recent architecture acquisition, Yin Yu Tang, is the only complete Qing Dynasty house located outside China. The museum also has a local flavor cataloging the spectrum of New England’s heritage over the past 300 years. (East India Sq. Salem 01970. 1-866-745-1876 or www.pem.org)

Time travel with your kids. Old Sturbridge Village is a living history museum and learning resource that invites visitors to explore New England’s past, the village is the largest outdoor living history museum in the northeast. The historical landscape consists of more than 40 structures including restored buildings brought from across New England as well as some authentic reconstructions. (1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd. Sturbridge 01566. 1-800-SEE-1830 or www.osv.org)

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