Museums in Boston

William Hickling Prescott House

Historic Site

The William Hickling Prescott House, also known as the Headquarters House, is a historic house museum located on Beacon Hill. The collection on display includes furniture and decorative arts, Chinese export porcelain and English ceramics, portraits, a restored Tomkison square piano, costumes and more.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at William Hickling Prescott House.

• Furniture and decorative arts
• Chinese export porcelain
• English ceramics

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 55 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108

West End Museum

Specialty Museum

The West End Museum is a neighborhood museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the history and culture of the West End of Boston. The history of the West End is one of a largely immigrant neighborhood displaced or destroyed by the 1958 and 1960 ‘Urban Renewal‘ campaigns.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at West End Museum.

• The Last Tenement
• The Middlesex Canal: Boston's First Big Dig
• Leaving the River

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 150 Staniford St Entrance on Lomasney Way Open throughout construction next door, Boston, MA 02114

Vilna Shul

Historic Site

The Vilna Shul, originally an Orthodox synagogue, was built in 1919 by immigrants primarily from Vilna, Lithuania. Today it is a historic landmark building located in historic Beacon Hill and home to a cultural center, community center, and living museum.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Vilna Shul.

• The cultural center

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 18 Phillips St, Boston, MA 02114

Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons College

Art Museum

Trustman Art Gallery is the gallery space for the Simmons College students of Art and Music. The gallery exhibits the work of professional artists and has a yearly exhibition of student work from the Department of Art and Music.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons College.

• The Painted Place: Mia Cross
• 20 Years of the Art of Grace Lin
• All Good Things: Greg Lamarche

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 300 Fenway, Boston, MA 02115

The Sports Museum

Specialty Museum

The Sports Museum is located in Boston's TD Garden, the home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics. The exhibits celebrate the history and the character of sports in the Boston area, including the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Marathon, New England Revolution, boxing, college sports, and others.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at The Sports Museum.

• Sports memorabilia
• Life-size sculptures of Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $15 per person
• 📍 100 Legends Way, Boston, MA 02114

Shirley–Eustis House

Historic Site

The Shirley–Eustis House was built between 1747 and 1751 on 33 acres in Roxbury by William Shirley, Royal Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The orchards, gardens, and grounds are free and open to the public year-round, from dawn until dusk.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Shirley–Eustis House.

• The Carriage House
• Gardens and Orchards
• Shirley Era Furnishings

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 33 Shirley St, Roxbury, MA 02119

Roxbury Heritage State Park

Historic Site

Roxbury Heritage State Park is located in the oldest part of Roxbury. It is home to the Dillaway–Thomas House, a large colonial structure built in 1750 and possibly the oldest surviving house in Roxbury. The house is now a museum with exhibits of Roxbury's past and present history.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Roxbury Heritage State Park.

• views of the Boston skyline
• Dillaway–Thomas House
• Roxbury's Museum

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 183 Roxbury St, Boston, MA 02119

Photographic Resource Center

Specialty Museum

The Photographic Resource Center hosts several contemporary photography exhibitions each year. They also offer educational programs, lectures, and portfolio reviews, as well as tours of the exhibitions for school and community groups.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Photographic Resource Center.

• PRC Nights with Rachel Loischild
• Your Work Here
• Between Thinking and Dreaming

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1801 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140

Old State House

Historic Site

The Old State House, built in 1713, is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States. It was the seat of the Massachusetts General Court (the oldest court in the nation) until 1798. Today it is a history museum operated by the Bostonian Society.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Old State House.

• From Colony to Commonwealth
• Council Chamber
• Boston Massacre Multimedia Presentaiton

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $12 per person
• 📍 206 Washington St, Boston, MA 02109

Old North Church

Historic Site

Old North Church, located in the North End of Boston, is the site from which the famous "One if by land, two if by sea" lantern signal is said to have been sent. This is, of course, referring to Paul Revere's midnight ride on April 18, 1775. It is Boston’s oldest surviving church building and most visited historical site.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Old North Church.

• Bell ringing chamber
• 17th century wooden Baroque angels
• 37 tombs constructed in the crypt

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $8 per person
• 📍 193 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113

Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists

Specialty Museum

The Museum of the National Center of Afro American Artists (NCAAA) is located in a historic house on Walnut Avenue in Boston. The museum's collection includes a wide range of historical and contemporary objects in many media, including painting, sculpture, graphics, photography and decorative arts.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists.

• Aspelta: A Nubian King’s Burial Chamber”
• Inmate Ingenuity: The Cell Solace Collection
• Mardi Gras Indians: Paintings by Robert Freeman & Photograghs by Max Stern

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $5 per person
• 📍 300 Walnut Ave, Boston, MA 02119

Massachusetts College of Art and Design Galleries

Cultural Center

Massachusetts College of Art and Design has many different galleries on their campus. The Arnheim Gallery is a public venue used to showcase interfaces of art, education, and research. The Brant Gallery hosts cross-cultural exhibition programs, lecture series, and visiting artists. The Patricia Doran Graduate Gallery presents graduate student and student-curated events. The Frances Euphemia Thompson Gallery features curated exhibitions honoring distinguished members from the MassArt community. The Godine Family Gallery is a student-run multi-use space for exhibitions, performances, installations, conferences, lectures, events, and gatherings that serve the MassArt and Boston community. And finally, The Student Life Gallery presents student exhibitions throughout the year.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Massachusetts College of Art and Design Galleries.

• Nourish
• Theresa-India Young
• MassArt Thesis exhibition

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 621 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115

Mary Baker Eddy Library

Library

The Mary Baker Eddy Library, located on the Christian Science Center, is a research library, museum, and repository for the papers of the founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. Visiting the library is free with the exception of one room, the Mapparium, a three-story stained-glass globe that allows visitors to stand inside a globe depicting the world of 1934.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Mary Baker Eddy Library.

• The Mapparium
• Pathways to Progress: 1968 to Today
• Celebrating 100 Years of Christian Scientists in Military Chaplaincy

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0+ per person
• 📍 200 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115

Captain Lemuel Clap House

Historic Site

The Captain Lemuel Clap House, built in 1767, is a historic house located in Dorchester. Today it is owned by the Dorchester Historical Society and is open for tours on the 3rd Saturday of each month. The rooms of the Lemuel Clap House are filled with artifacts from the Society's collection.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Captain Lemuel Clap House.

• Early 12 over 12 pane windows
• Two brick chimneys
• Boxed cornice and decorated frieze

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 199 Boston Street Dorchester MA 02125

Gallery 5 at Emmanuel College

Art Museum

Gallery 5 at Emmanuel College is the primary exhibition space for Emmanuel's College Art Department. They host rotating contemporary art exhibitions by professional artists, emerging artists, artist residents, outsider artists and Emmanuel College art students and alumni. They also hold opening receptions and artist talks to engage their local community.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Gallery 5 at Emmanuel College.

• Theresa Monaco: Transforming Memory
• Ceramic Commons: 3D Printed Ceramics Collaborative Exhibitions
• Lizzie Falvey: It's So Beautiful, But It's Not Enough

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 400 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115

Faneuil Hall

Historic Site

Faneuil Hall opened in 1743. It is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center in Boston. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain. It is now part of Boston National Historical Park and a well-known stop on the Freedom Trail.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Faneuil Hall.

• Quincy Market History Tours
• Freedom Trail
• Faneuil Hall Marketplace

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 4 S Market St, Boston, MA 02109

Commonwealth Museum

History Museum

The Commonwealth Museum displays some of the Massachusetts Archives' collections of important documents about state and national history. The main exhibit, "The Massachusetts Experiment in Democracy: 1620–Today", traces the Massachusetts experience through the Colonial, Revolutionary, Federal, and 19th-century reform periods. The museum also features rotating exhibits from its collections.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Commonwealth Museum.

• The Massachusetts Experiment in Democracy: 1620–Today
• Tracing our Roots

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 220 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125

Boston University Art Galleries

Art Museum

Boston University Art Galleries are made up of three different spaces: the BU Art Gallery (BUAG) at the Stone Gallery, the 808 Gallery, and the Sherman Gallery. These three galleries display rotating exhibitions of visual artworks by students and by visiting artists.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Boston University Art Galleries.

• Domenic Esposito: FDA Spoon

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

Boston Athenæum

Library

Founded in 1807, the Boston Athenæum is one of the oldest and most distinguished independent libraries and cultural institutions in the US. Resources of the Boston Athenæum include a rare book collection of over 100,000 volumes, an art collection of 100,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, and decorative arts and much more.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Boston Athenæum.

• Liber chronicarum, (Nuremberg Chronicle) is a celebrated book from the early years of printing, 1440-1514, mainly because of its 1,089 glorious images.
• Testament and Psalter, 1653, is a devotional volume with a spectacular binding and a rare 17th century fore-edge painting.
• Julie Chen's book The Veil lies flat or can be displayed as a standing sculpture when its pages are manipulated.

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 10 ½ Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108

Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company Museum

Specialty Museum

The Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company Museum is located on the fourth floor of Faneuil Hall which is on a central part of the historic Freedom Trail. The museum is a private, non-profit, institution that focuses on military and historic artifacts from the birth of the US to the present day. On display are uniforms, firearms, swords, artifacts, memorabilia and more.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company Museum.

• Uniforms
• Firearms

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 4 Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA 02109

Abiel Smith School

Historic Site

Abiel Smith School, founded in 1835, is located adjacent to the African Meeting House. It is the nation's oldest public school for African American children. The former school, designated as a National Historic Landmark, is a site on the Boston Black Heritage Trail and is now part of the Museum of African American History.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Abiel Smith School.

• Exhibit galleries
• Museum store
• Educational programs

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 46 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114

Fort Warren

Historic Site

Fort Warren is a historic fort on the 28-acre Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. It was constructed between 1833-1860 and was initially built as part of a broader network of coastal defense. The fort is named for Revolutionary War hero Dr. Joseph Warren, who sent Paul Revere on his famous ride, and was later killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Ferry ticket fares include round trip ferry passage to the park, plus any transfers to other islands.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Fort Warren .

• Fort’s Bakery
• Parade Ground
• Dark Tunnel

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $20 per person
• 📍 Boston Harbor Islands

Boston Fire Museum

Specialty Museum

The historic fire station that now houses the Boston Fire Museum was constructed in 1891. The museum's collection includes fire alarm displays and artifacts, firefighting equipment, antique fire apparatus, and photographs. The museum offers a self-guided streamable audio tour on Soundcloud to guide your visit.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Boston Fire Museum.

• Mounted Circuit Board, c. 1920
• Gamewell Fire Box, c. 1900
• Box Transmitter, c. 1960

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 344 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Boston Public Library

Library

Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library was the first large free municipal library in the United States. The museum offers free public daily tours highlighting the architecture of Central Library buildings by Charles Follen McKim and Philip Johnson as well as the art treasures within, including works by Daniel Chester French and John Singer Sargent.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Boston Public Library.

• Map Room Tea Lounge
• Architecture Walking Tour
• Abbey Room

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 700 Boylston Street Boston MA 02116

Harvard Art Museums

Art Museum

The Harvard Art Museums are part of Harvard University and are made up of three museums: the Fogg Museum, the Busch-Reisinger Museum, and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum. The collections include 250,000 objects in all media, ranging from antiquity to the present and originating in Europe, North America, North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Harvard Art Museums.

• Hendrick Goltzius. Dirck Volkertsz. Coornhert Prints
• The Moon God Mên Sculpture
• Henri Matisse. The Large Woodcut Nude Prints

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $20 per person
• 📍 32 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Museum of Science

Science Museum

The Museum of Science is both a science museum and an indoor zoo located in Boston's Science Park, an area spanning the Charles River. With 700+ interactive exhibits, the Museum of Science is one of the world's largest science centers and Boston's most visited cultural institution.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Science .

• Bradford Washburn: The Man Behind the Lens
• Butterfly Garden
• Colossal Fossil: Triceratops Cliff

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $29+ per person
• 📍 1 Museum Of Science Driveway, Boston, MA 02114

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Specialty Museum

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to preserving and providing access to the legacy of the 35th President of the United States. The Museum's exhibitions include high definition, large-screen projections, interactive displays, re-mastered films and original artifacts from the life and times of JFK to bring to life President Kennedy’s 1000 days in office.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

• Young Jack
• 1960 Presidential Election
• JFK Meets the Press

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $14 per person
• 📍 Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125

African Meeting House

Historic Site

The African Meeting House was built in 1806 to house the first African Baptist Church of Boston. It is the oldest black church building that still exists in America. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. Today it is part of the Museum of African American History.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at African Meeting House.

• Black Heritage Trail
• Museum of African American History

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 15 State Street Boston African American National Historical Site Boston, MA 02109

USS Constitution

Historic Site

The USS Constitution Museum is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard, which is part of the Boston National Historical Park. The museum is situated at the end of Boston's Freedom Trail it offers two historic ships, interactive exhibits, and hands-on programs for adults, families, and students of all ages.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at USS Constitution.

• Commander William Bainbridge Collection
• Arms and Armament Collection
• Medicine Collection

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10+ per person
• 📍 Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129