February Winter School Vacation Activities Across MA: Hikes, Outdoor Skating, Museums

With students off for the next week, and some of the harshest weather of a cold and snowy winter perhaps behind us for the year, there are plenty of things to do across the state during February vacation for individuals and the whole family.

From winter hikes, snowshoeing with more than a solid foot of base still on many trails, to public skating, to museums, Patch has compiled some fun things to do without spending the whole day traveling or, in many cases, breaking the bank:

Winter Hiking

• The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is hosting 86 free, fun and educational programs throughout the state during February school vacation week, including:
• Belle Isle Marsh Reservation
  1399 Bennington Street, East Boston An Oasis for Birds Saturday, February 21, 8:00 am – 9:30 am Meet in the main parking lot
• Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park 
  287 Oak Street, Uxbridge, MA  Kidleidoscope Friday, February 20, 10:00 am – 11:00 am Meet inside River Bend Farm Visitor Center
• Douglas State Forest
  Route 16 parking area (bit.ly/dougroute16) Reservoir Loop Hike Sunday, February 15, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Meet at Route 16 parking area
• Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT)
  234 Grove Street, Franklin, MA Franklin SNETT Hike Sunday, February 22, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Meet at the Franklin SNETT trailhead (234 Grove Street, Franklin)
• Breakheart Reservation 
  131 Walnut Street, Saugus, MA   Wild Breakheart  Wednesday, February 18, 9:00 am – 10:00 am  Meet at Camp Nihan parking lot
• Halibut Point State Park 
  4 Gott Ave, Rockport, MA StoryWalk® The Nest Robin Built Daily, Saturday, February 14 through Sunday, February 22, 10:00am – 2:00pm Starts at the Visitor Center
• Walden Pond State Reservation 
  915 Walden Street, Concord, MA  Walden, a film by Ken Burns Daily, 10:00 am – 2:30 pm Visitor Center
• Blue Hills Reservation 
  840 Hillside Street, Milton, MA  Fox Walk Tuesday, February 17, 10:30 am – 11:30 am  Meet at Houghton’s Pond Visitor Center
• Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
  131 Waquoit Highway, Waquoit (East Falmouth), MA Sharks in Estuaries Monday, February 16 11:00am - 12:00pm Pre-K and adult 1:00pm - 2:00pm ages 6+ and adult

Outdoor Public Skating

• The SBLI Rink MarketStreet is back for its twelfth season of winter fun. The SBLI Rink at MarketStreet will be open daily from November 15 through February 22. 2025 – 2026 Rink Hours: Special Hours School Vacation: 10:00am – 8:00pm
• Boston Common Frog Pond is open for the season, weather permitting. General Hours
  Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM Monday: 10:00 AM – 3:45 PM Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM Friday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
• Patriot Place Winter Skate season in Lot 12B of South Marketplace with an exciting, freshly-designed skate path. Experience the joy of outdoor skating on a scenic route, perfect for families, friends, and skaters of all levels. Open Monday – Thursday: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM; Friday: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Skate Canal District Kendall Square, Cambridge Skate is a seasonal outdoor ice skating rink located in the heart of Canal District Kendall, just off 3rd Street. Hours: Monday & Tuesday: Noon - 5pm; Wednesday & Thursday: Noon - 8pm; Friday: Noon - 9pm; Saturday: 11am - 9pm; Sunday: 11am - 6pm

Museums:

• North Shore Children's Museum of Peabody brings together children, families, and their community with accessible, hands-on learning through play. Our vision is to create inclusive, welcoming spaces and learning experiences that use the power of play to nurture the imagination, engage families, and strengthen the community.
• Boston Children's Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Typically closed on Tuesday, it will be open on Feb. 17 for school vacation week. Advance tickets/reservations are highly recommended, especially on weekends, holidays, school vacation weeks, and TJX $1 Sunday Afternoons.
• The Peabody Essex Museum will host a festival next week in celebration of Lunar New Year 2026: Year of the Horse. On Feb. 21, a Year of the Horse festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with dance performances and meet-and-greet, scavenger hunt, art-making and self-guided tours.

Snowshoeing/Cross-Country Skiing:

• Weston Ski Track snowmakers work around the clock as temperatures permit throughout
  December and January to create a loop about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in length. The resilient nature of this artificial snow allows that base to last well into March. Monday–Thursday 10am–9pm Friday 10am–8pm Weekends/Holidays 9am–6pm Hours are subject to change based on snow conditions, special events and capacity. See the ski report for daily updates.
• Great Brook Ski Touring Center, Carlisle, provides over 10 miles of machine-groomed trails for cross-country skiing from December 1 to March 31, snow conditions permitting.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)