Museums in Boston You Can’t Miss

The museums of Boston are numerous, rich, and absolutely not to be missed. Many museums are scattered all over 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 the must-see museums in Boston 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 finest art displays from around the world. Famous for the gallery of Monet paintings, as well as the American Impressionists, the Italian Renaissance, Ancient Egypt, and Nubia, the collections of Japanese Art. Since 2011, the Art of the Americas gallery has exhibited twice the number of works from the museum’s collection, including some multiple and massive 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 Reichstag in Berlin with a glass dome. The same emphasis and transparency were used for the MFA: the glass walls helped dismantle the barrier between the hall and the sidewalk. The Museum of Fine Arts shows works divided by geographic areas across four floors:

• Precolonial art;
• Colonial art;
• European art, 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 the water lilies. Contemporary art, on the other hand, has its own separate spaces. The museum shop offers unique gift items linked to the temporary and permanent exhibitions of the Museum of Fine Arts. The catalog includes print reproductions or reproductions on other materials of the artworks housed in the museum galleries, educational and popular publications on the visual arts, including essays, biographies, catalogs, and books by ancient and contemporary authors. Finally, 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 to 5:00 PM) and from Wednesday to Friday (10:00 AM to 10:00 PM). From April to October, the Japanese garden is open. Paid admission.

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 designed by Isabella, a Boston magnate and billionaire, who collected exquisite works during many years of travels in Europe. The Venetian Renaissance-style residence, created by dismantling a palace from Venice and reassembled here, houses paintings by El Greco, Titian, Vermeer, Sargent, just to name a few painters. Over 2,500 art pieces, including the first painting by Matisse acquired by an American museum. Gardner was a controversial and eclectic figure in late 19th and early 20th century Boston, as she mingled with enlightened figures and eccentric artists. She was a muse and patron, as well as the host of a “non-Puritan” salon. In 2012, the new wing of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum of Boston was opened, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. The museum also has a greenhouse of flowering plants, revitalized specifically by the noted Italian architect. This museum should be visited along with the Museum of Fine Arts located nearby, in the same Boston Fenway Cultural District neighborhood. Visiting hours from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed on Tuesdays. Entrance is paid.

3 Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge

Located across the Charles River that divides Boston from the college town, the Harvard University Art Museums of Cambridge belong to Harvard University. It is a true treasure chest of art and rare collections. It consists of three distinct museums and was completely renovated in 2014 by architect Renzo Piano. Since their founding over a hundred years 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 the local communities and worldwide. The museums, in fact, have played a role in the development of art history, conservation, related sciences, and the evolution of the art museum institution. Through research, teaching, professional training, and public education, the museums aim to advance the understanding and appreciation of art. The overall Harvard Art Museums collection boasts over 250,000 pieces in a vast array 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, stained glass, panels, texts, textile art from around the world, spanning from the 6th Millennium BCE to the 21st Century. All of the artwork in the Harvard Museums relates to multiple cultures worldwide and each exhibition section of the museum is divided into geographical zones and periods.

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

The Harvard Art Museums are open daily, except U.S. holidays, from 10 AM to 5 PM. They are accessible to people with disabilities. You can reach them by subway, MBTA Red Line Harvard Square stop, in 5 minutes from the station by entering through any entrance of the famous College and walking directly through the center of Harvard Yard, between the Widener Library and the Memorial Church, exiting on the access located 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 the field of 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, the famous irises and red maple leaves are favorites. Each model includes 8 to 10 pieces in the exhibit. For the first time, visitors can have a close-up view of each individual specimen displayed and see it in a new way. Additionally, the Sea Creatures in Glass is exhibited in the Marine Life Gallery, a gallery opened in 2015 that features flooring and a ceiling recreating the coastal waters life of New England. 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 famous in the world. A “living wall” features a lush vertical garden two stories high and a waterfall over 9 meters tall. The Museum of Science, Boston received a $50 million donation in 2016 from Michael Bloomberg (former mayor of New York, born in Medford, a town a few miles from Boston), through his foundation, in recognition of his years of education. Bloomberg owes much to the Museum of Science, Boston which helped make him who he eventually became. Every Saturday, Bloomberg at the age of 10, attended courses organized by the famous Boston museum. The museum institution showed him opportunities and everything that exists differently from school. Among the various exhibits in the museum, a giant 2000-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 a plaque outside the main entrance of the museum. 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 celebrates the Tea Party, a historic event on December 16, 1773. It is interactive, recreating the event and its consequences with unparalleled realism, using state-of-the-art technology and actor interpreters, which only a few museums worldwide employ. The tour is a true multi-sensory documentary, lasts 1 hour, and takes place every 30 minutes. Historical accuracy is guaranteed by the authority of Professor Benjamin Carp of the History Department at Tufts University, a researcher specializing in the American Revolution. The stories presented are narrated by Musion Eyeliner technology, which creates the illusion of real people, not on a screen but in an open space, making these virtual images interact with each other and with live actors. The intent is to immerse the visitor in the event that was the most important in leading to the American Revolution. There are three restored historic vessels, replicas of the Beaver, Eleanor, and the third available in 2014, Dartmouth, curated by the “Master Shipwright” Leon Poindexter, specialized in historic vessels and a consultant for maritime museums. In addition to the museum, there is a Tea Room that hosts up to 106 people – Abigail Tea Room – and serves an assortment of hot or cold teas with pastries. The patriotic women in this Tea Room teach how to prepare tea and tell anecdotes from Boston in 1773. There is also a shop.

See also: Boston, what to see

7 John Kennedy Library and Museum, Boston

The John Kennedy Library (JFK Library & Museum, Boston) is absolutely 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 magnificent futuristic architecture of I.M.Pei, a Chinese-American architect who gave Boston splendid works. The Library is located at Columbia Point, in the southern part of the city, easily reachable also by subway. View of the Boston Skyline and the bay. In the early months of 2015, the exhibition spaces were completely renovated, updating technologies and design.

8 Dreamland Wax Museum

The Dreamland Wax Museum is located opposite the Boston City Hall (the town hall) and opened in 2017 with an exhibition dedicated to US 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 US presidents, as well as world leaders such as the British Royal Family, the Pope, and the Dalai Lama. Hollywood stars from the past and present, along with sports celebrities, make up the other half of the exhibition. The museum plans to add 3-4 more figures of well-known personalities from the city of Boston each year. The figures are not cordoned off, allowing visitors to get 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 fully dedicated to them, where they can learn 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 Immigrant Trail that includes various places dedicated to the memory of events such as: the Irish Famine, the Holocaust, the African American History Museum in Beacon Hill, “Ping On Alley” (the alley of jingles) 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

Dynamic “laboratory of democracy” that emphasizes civic education and offers educational programs on history and public procedures, as well as insights into the United States Senate, its history, its role, customs, and personalities. Inside, there is also an original scale model representation of the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill. The EMK Institute is a dynamic non-partisan center for learning and engagement that uses innovative technology to provide visitors with rich information and a personalized experience that brings important current and historical debates to life. Located at Columbia Point, the southern side of Boston, the institute occupies over 6,000 square meters in a building located on the campus of the 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 Caribbean coral exhibit is very beautiful, bringing together at least 2000 specimens. The central tank – Giant Ocean Tank – features clear views of giant sharks, turtles, rays, and thousands of tropical fish. The adventure in the Aquarium also includes the penguin colony, playful seals, and the soft nose skin of a ray that glides through your hands. The trip is completed with a 3D IMAX film. The Aquarium is a treasure ready to be explored and suitable for families and sea lovers, right in the city center. It is located along the Boston 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 to be completed during the architect’s lifetime. Probably a gift from Alfred St.Vrain Carperter, finished in 1963 with the intention of housing the art programs of Harvard College under one roof as a symbol of the University’s visible recognition of the importance of all contemporary art. Every Thursday, a series of evening readings bring together important contemporary artists who talk about their work.

14 MIT Museum, Cambridge

The MIT Museum in Cambridge displays, in ever-changing exhibitions, the most astounding discoveries and the most advanced research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: holography, 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 from around the world, from Picasso to Warhol to Cindy Sherman to Bill Viola. A new location for the museum is planned soon: a futuristic building opening in 2006 that 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 3000 years of art history. Free admission.

17 Longyear Museum, Chestnut Hill

Exhibitions, programs, and events about the life of one of America’s best-known women: Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of a religious movement known as Christian Science. Since 1866, Mrs. Eddy spent more than 40 years of her life trying to spread her ideas through writing, teaching, and medical care. A guided tour of the six historic buildings where M. B. Eddy lived is available. Admission to the museum is free.

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

Displays the evolution of medicine, surgery, and research at the hospital.

19 Museum of Afro-American History, Boston

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

20 Nichols House Museum, Boston

A look at the Boston home environment between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Located on the 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

This 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

Dating back to 1713, it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston. It served as the colonial government seat and during the American Revolution became the headquarters of the insurgents. Inside, there are artifacts and relics from the era, as well as permanent and temporary exhibitions on the history of the city from its founding to the present day.

23 Otis House Museum, Boston

It is the ideal place to discover what life in Boston was like in the period immediately following the American Revolution. It was the elegant home of Harry Otis, an entrepreneur and member of Congress, and his wife Sally. It is now home to Historic New England, the oldest and largest regional organization in the United States dedicated to the preservation of historic properties.

24 Paul Revere House, Boston

It is the oldest building in downtown Boston. Built in the 1680s, it was the home of the patriot Paul Revere between 1770 and 1800. Inside, there are furniture and household items 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 stamp collectors.

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 across from the JFK Library.

28 The Mary Baker Eddy Library, Boston

It is particularly famous for the Mapparium, a stunning glass globe that represents 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 to have received national recognition. It is the main source of information on the history of Newton. The institution’s approach is to place Newton’s historical story within the broader regional context of New England. The museum hosts temporary and permanent exhibitions on themes ranging from the colonial period 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, the life of its sailors, and those who built it. Historical relics and computer simulations take visitors on an interactive journey aboard the ship.

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