Boston Museums Not to Miss

Boston’s museums are numerous, rich, and absolutely not to be missed. Many museums are scattered throughout the capital of Massachusetts, in the United States. Several museums for children and families are present throughout the city.

Here is a brief overview of Boston museums not to miss with useful information for your visit.

1 Museum of Fine Arts Boston 

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston features temporary painting exhibitions and the most beautiful art displays from around the world. Famous is the gallery of Monet paintings, alongside the American Impressionists, the Italian Renaissance, Ancient Egypt and Nubia, collections of Japanese art. Since 2011, the Art of the Americas room exhibits twice the number of works in the museum’s collection, including some multiple and immense pieces never shown to the public for decades. It was designed by the London Firm Foster + Partners, better known for completing the apex of the Berlin Reichstag with a glass dome. The same emphasis and transparency were used for the MFA: glass walls helped dismantle the barrier between the hall and the sidewalk. The Museum of Fine Arts displays works divided by geographic areas spread over four floors:

• Precolonial art;
• Colonial art;
• European, ancient world, and Asian art;
• Modern American art.

In gallery 252 on the floor dedicated to European art, there are 37 works by Monet, the largest collection outside Paris. Particularly interesting is the one dedicated to water lilies. Contemporary art, on the other hand, has its own separate spaces. The museum shop offers unique gift items related to the temporary and permanent exhibitions of the Museum of Fine Arts. The catalog includes printed reproductions or on other materials of the art pieces hosted in the museum’s galleries, educational and divulgative publications on visual arts, including essays, biographies, catalogs, and books by both ancient and contemporary authors. Lastly, there is a section dedicated to children with fun and educational products designed to stimulate the imagination and creativity of the little ones. The museum is open from Saturday to Tuesday (10:00 AM/5:00 PM) and Wednesday to Friday (10:00 AM/10:00 PM). From April to October, the Japanese garden is open. Admission fee applies.

2 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Boston

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston offers traveling exhibitions throughout the year. The beautiful house-museum located at Fenway Court was conceived by Isabella, a Bostonian magnate and billionaire, who collected priceless artwork during many years of travels in Europe. The Venetian Renaissance-style residence, obtained by dismantling a palace in Venice and reassembled here, houses paintings by El Greco, Titian, Vermeer, Sargent, to name just a few painters. Over 2,500 pieces of art, including the first Matisse painting acquired by an American museum. Gardner was a controversial and forward-thinking figure in late 19th and early 20th century Boston, as she mingled with enlightened personalities and eccentric artists. She was a muse and patron, as well as the holder of a salon “outside puritanical norms”. In 2012 the new wing of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston was opened, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. The museum also has a plant greenhouse, revaluated by the well-known Italian architect. This museum should be visited together with the Museum of Fine Arts located nearby, in the same Boston Fenway Cultural District neighborhood. Visiting hours are from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed on Tuesdays. Admission fee applies.

3 Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge

Situated across the Charles River that divides Boston from the college town, the Harvard University Art Museums of Cambridge belongs to Harvard University. It is a true treasure chest of art and rare collections. It consists of three distinct museums and was fully renovated in 2014 by architect Renzo Piano. Since their foundation over a century ago, the Harvard Art Museums (Fogg Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, and Arthur M. Sackler Museum) have been dedicated to the growth and support of education at Harvard University, both within local communities and worldwide. The museums have played a role in the development of art history, conservation, related sciences, and the evolution of art museums. Through research, teaching, professional training, and public education, the museums aim to advance understanding and appreciation of art. The overall collection of Harvard Art Museums boasts over 250 thousand pieces in a vast range of classifications: accessories, albums, amulets, architectural elements, archival materials, weapons, artist tools, books, boxes, molds, cameos, coins, sketches, fetishes, fragments, furniture, gems, graphic designs, inscriptions, jewelry, lighting, lamps, manuscripts, measuring instruments, medals and medallions, mirrors, mosaics, musical instruments, paintings, objects, photographs, plaques, prints, equestrian equipment, sculptures, seals, decorated glass, panels, texts, and textile art from all around the world, spanning the 6th millennium BCE to the 21st century. All pieces relate to multiple world cultures, and each museum exhibition section is divided by geographic zones and periods.

• The Arthur M. Sackler Museum: collections of ancient art including coins, pottery, and sculptures from Greek and Roman eras; examples of Islamic and Indian art, paintings, drawings, metal objects, Iranian, Indian and Turkish calligraphy; an Asian gallery exhibiting ceramics, jade, bronzes, paintings, sculptures, and lacquers from China, Korea, and Japan.
• The Fogg Art Museum: European painting, sculpture, and decorative art, featuring an excellent 19th-century French collection; Italian Renaissance; studies of Bernini in terracotta; 16th-century Dutch and 17th-century French paintings; an American paintings gallery including Sargent, Homer, and Hopper. A modern art collection with works by Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. The Wertheim Collection with a superb group of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.
• The Bush-Reisinger Museum: a collection featuring German Expressionism, Viennese Secession, 1920s Abstract art, and contemporary art.

The Harvard Art Museums are open daily except for U.S. holidays, from 10 AM to 5 PM. They are accessible to disabled visitors. They can be reached by subway, MBTA Red Line stop Harvard Square, in 5 minutes from the station, entering from any entrance of the famous College and walking directly through the center of Harvard Yard, between the Widener Library and the Memorial Church, exiting at the access point on Quincy Street.

4 Harvard Museum of Natural History

The Harvard Museum of Natural History (Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge) presents collections resulting from research and discoveries in natural history at Harvard University. The historic Glass Flowers Gallery displays 25-30 of the most wonderful and famous glass flower models. Among the flowers are the famous irises and red maple leaves, the favorites. Each model in the exhibition includes 8 to 10 pieces. For the first time, visitors can have a close-up view of each individual specimen displayed and see it in a new way. Furthermore, the Sea Creatures in Glass is displayed in the Marine Life Gallery, a gallery opened in 2015 that features flooring and a ceiling recreating coastal life in New England waters. The museum is part of the Boston CITY PASS.

5 Museum of Science, Boston

The Museum of Science, Boston (Museum of Science, Boston) is one of the most renowned in the world. A “living wall” presents a lush vertical garden two stories high and a waterfall over 9 meters tall. The Museum of Science, Boston received in 2016 a $50 million donation from Michael Bloomberg (former New York Mayor, born in Medford, a town near Boston), through his foundation, in recognition of his years of education. Bloomberg owes much to the Museum of Science, Boston which helped shape who he became. Every Saturday, Bloomberg at age 10 attended courses organized by the famous Boston museum. The institution exposed him to opportunities and all that exists differently than school. Among the various exhibits in the museum is a giant 2,000-year-old sequoia. The educational division of the Museum of Science, Boston is called the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center, in honor of Bloomberg’s parents, with an exterior plaque at the museum’s main entrance. The museum is part of the Boston CITY PASS. The ticket price is just over 25 euros. You can skip the line by purchasing it online.

6 Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is located on the Boston Harbor Walk, opposite the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston, Congress St. Bridge on the Fort Point Channel. The museum commemorates the Tea Party, a historic event of December 16, 1773. It is interactive and recreates the event and its consequences with unparalleled realism, using state-of-the-art technology and live actor interpreters, a method rarely used by museums worldwide. The tour is a true multi-sensory documentary, lasts 1 hour, and runs every 30 minutes. Historical accuracy is guaranteed by the authority of Professor Benjamin Carp of the History Department at Tufts University, a researcher specialized in the American Revolution. The stories presented are narrated using Musion Eyeliner technology, which creates the illusion of real people, not on a screen but in an open space, allowing these virtual images to interact with each other and with the live actors. The intent is to immerse the visitor in the event that was the most important leading to the American Revolution. Three restored historical vessels exist, replicas of the Beaver, Eleanor, and the third available in 2014, Dartmouth, maintained by master shipwright Leon Poindexter, specialized in historic vessels and maritime museum consultant. The museum also features a Tea Room that seats up to 106 people – Abigail Tea Room – serving an assortment of hot and cold teas with pastries. The patriot women in this Tea Room teach visitors how to prepare tea and tell anecdotes of Boston in 1773. There is also a shop.

See also: Boston, what to see

7 John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, Boston

The John F. Kennedy Library (JFK Library & Museum, Boston) is unequivocally one of the most engaging museums and archives about the “American Dream” of the 1960s and the three-year presidency of John F.Kennedy. Interactive exhibitions, films, memorabilia, themed displays, JFK’s boat, historical testimonies, and portraits in the splendid futuristic architecture of I.M. Pei, the Chinese-American architect who gifted Boston with magnificent works. The Library stands at Columbia Point, in the southern part of the city, easily accessible also by subway. It offers a view of the Boston Skyline and the bay. In early 2015, the exhibition spaces were completely renovated updating technologies and design.

8 Dreamland Wax Museum

The Dreamland Wax Museum is located opposite Boston City Hall (the city hall) and opened in 2017 with an exhibition dedicated to U.S. Presidents, world and local politicians, sports figures, and celebrities both living and deceased. Half of the 100 figures in the Boston museum are historical, including U.S. presidents, and world leaders like the British royal family, the Pope, and the Dalai Lama. The Hollywood stars of past and present, along with sports celebrities, make up the other half of the exhibit. The museum plans to add 3-4 well-known Boston personalities each year. Figures are not roped off, allowing visitors to come close and freely take photos or selfies.

9 Boston Children’s Museum

The Boston Children’s Museum is the perfect place for children. An interactive museum entirely dedicated to them, where learning happens through play. In 2007 the museum received LEED certification, the first museum in Boston ever to receive this Green recognition.

10 Boston Immigrant Walking Trail

The Boston Immigrant Walking Trail is the Immigrants’ Trail that includes several places dedicated to the memory of events such as: the Irish Famine, the Holocaust, the African-American History Museum at Beacon Hill, “Ping On Alley” (the jingling alley) in Chinatown, and the statue of “the father of public education in South America,” the Argentine Domingo Sarmiento.

11 Edward M. Kennedy Institute for The United States Senate

A dynamic “laboratory of democracy” emphasizing civic education and offering educational programs on history and public procedures, as well as insights into the United States Senate, its history, role, customs, and personalities. Inside is an original-scale representation of the Senate Chamber at Capitol Hill. The EMK Institute is a non-partisan, dynamic center for learning and engagement using innovative technology to provide visitors with rich information and a personalized experience that brings to life important past and current debates. Located at Columbia Point, the southern side of Boston, the institute occupies over 6,000 square meters with a building on the campus of University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) and adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. The proximity of the two buildings encourages visitors to explore both.

12 New England Aquarium, Boston

The New England Aquarium, Boston is one of the largest and most spectacular aquariums in the world. It houses more than 2000 species including exotic fish, sharks, turtles, penguins, and seals. The coral display from the Caribbean is very beautiful, featuring at least 2000 specimens. The central tank – the Giant Ocean Tank – offers clear views of giant sharks, turtles, rays, and thousands of tropical fish. The aquarium adventure also includes a penguin colony, joyful seals, and the soft nose skin of a ray gliding between your hands. The visit is completed with a 3D IMAX film. The Aquarium is a treasure ready to explore and suitable for families and sea lovers, right in the city center. It is located along Boston’s Waterfront. The New England Aquarium is part of the Boston CITY PASS.

13 Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts (CCVA)

The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts (CCVA) – Harvard University, Cambridge is the only building by Le Corbusier in all of North America, and one of the last completed during the architect’s lifetime. It is probably a gift from Alfred St. Vrain Carpenter, finished in 1963 with the intention of hosting Harvard College art programs under one roof as a visible symbol of the University’s recognition of the importance of all contemporary art. Every Thursday, a series of evening readings gather important contemporary artists who talk about their works.

14 MIT Museum, Cambridge

The MIT Museum in Cambridge exhibits, in constantly updated displays, the most marvelous discoveries and the most advanced research of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: holograms, robots, high engineering works, high tech design, and futuristic kinetic sculptures. This is where the computer was born.

See also: Boston guide, what to see and do in the capital of Massachusetts

15 Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston

The museum presents provocative programs and exhibitions of national and international artists, exploring ideas, themes, and images of our time. The Institute was the first to exhibit works by many of the most innovative artists worldwide, from Picasso to Warhol to Cindy Sherman to Bill Viola. A new location for the museum is planned soon: a futuristic building to open in 2006, which will become an important presence on Boston’s waterfront.

Other Boston Museums Not to Miss

16 Davis Museum & Cultural Center: Wellesley

The museum is located within Wellesley College. It boasts a wide collection of works covering 3,000 years of art history. Free entrance.

17 Longyear Museum, Chestnut Hill

Exhibitions, programs, and events about the life of one of America’s best-known women: Mary Baker Eddy, founder of a religious movement known as Christian Science. From 1866, Mrs. Eddy spent more than 40 years of her life spreading her ideas through writing, teaching, and medical assistance. Guided tours of the six historic buildings where M. B. Eddy lived are available. Admission is free.

18 Mass General Hospital Museum of Medical History and Innovation, Boston

It shows the evolution of medicine, surgery, and research within the hospital.

19 Museum of Afro-American History, Boston

It is the largest museum in New England dedicated to preserving, conserving, and interpreting African-American history.

20 Nichols House Museum, Boston

A look into Boston’s domestic environment between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Located in historic Beacon Hill, the house was built in 1804 by architect Charles Bulfinch. Inside are furniture and belongings of the Nichols family.

21 Old South Meeting House, Boston

It is the place where the American Revolution began. Within its walls met the colonists who decided to oppose the tea tax. It was the spark that ignited the revolt.

22 Old State House Museum, Boston

Dated 1713, it is the oldest public building still standing in Boston. The seat of the colonial government, during the American Revolution it became the headquarters of the insurgents. Inside are artifacts and relics from the era, as well as permanent and temporary exhibitions on the history of the city from its founding to today.

23 Otis House Museum, Boston

It is the ideal place to discover what life in Boston was like in the immediate post-American Revolution era. It was the elegant residence of Harry Otis, entrepreneur and member of Congress, and his wife Sally. It is now the headquarters of Historic New England, the oldest and largest regional organization in the United States for historic preservation.

24 Paul Revere House, Boston

It is the oldest building in downtown Boston. Built in the 1680s, it was the home of patriot Paul Revere between 1770 and 1800. Inside are furniture and objects from the 17th and 18th centuries.

25 Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History, Weston

The Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History, Weston is a paradise for philately lovers.

26 Sportsmuseum, Boston

The history of basketball, hockey, baseball, and American football in the region where the passion for sports is strongest and the tradition deepest than anywhere else in the United States.

27 The Commonwealth Museum, Boston

It is the state museum of Massachusetts history. It is located right opposite the JFK Library.

28 The Mary Baker Eddy Library, Boston

It is particularly famous for the Mapparium, an astonishing glass globe representing the world as it was in 1935. Inside there are also other interactive exhibits, whose inspiring theme is to emphasize the importance of ideas in human history.

29 The Newton History Museum at The Jackson Homestead

It is one of the few small museums in the United States nationally recognized. It is the main source of information on the history of Newton. The institution’s approach is to place Newton’s historical story in the wider regional context of New England. The museum hosts temporary and permanent exhibits on topics ranging from colonial times to the present day.

30 USS Constitution Museum, Boston

Located near the historic warship, the museum is dedicated to the history of the USS Constitution, to the life of its sailors and those who built it. Historical memorabilia and computer simulations lead the visitor on an interactive journey aboard the ship.

Thanks to the Massachusetts Tourism Office in Italy for their valuable contribution.