Boston Children's Museum, 300 Congress St, 10AM-5PM daily (F until 9PM), +1 617-426-7336 . $12, Ages 2-15 $12, Age 1 free.
Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. (Museum of Fine Arts station, Green Line, E Train), +1 617 267-9300, . (Free for ages 7-17 after 3PM weekdays, all weekend, and public school holidays; entrance fees are optional on W from 4PM-9:45PM). Boston's largest and most comprehensive art museum, and also one of the pricier museums in the US. Currently undergoing an expansion project, it is also known for its impressive assortment of French Impressionist paintings, with the largest collection of Monet paintings outside of Paris; it also has extraordinary collections of Egyptian and Japanese art, one of the major American collections of art from ancient Greece and Rome, one of the most comprehensive collections of American art, and one of the largest and finest print collections in the United States.
The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, 1 Oxford St,, Cambridge, +1 617-495-2779, . T stop: Red Line to "Harvard Square". M-R 11AM-4PM, F 11AM-3PM. Free and open to the public (despite at least one Web page that can be misread to indicate that it is by appointment only). Closed on University Holidays. Has over 20,000 objects dating from 1400 to present day.
Harvard Art Museum, 32 Quincy St, Cambridge, (Harvard Square Station, Red Line), +1 617-495-9400. M-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su 1PM-5PM, except school holidays.
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St, Cambridge, +1 617-495-3045 . T stop: Red Line to "Harvard Square". 9AM-5PM daily. Its amazing "Glass Flowers" collection has been a major tourist attraction for nearly 100 years.
Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave (Courthouse Station, Silver Line), +1 617 478-3100 . The much-anticipated new building designed by starchitects Diller+Scofidio, the ICA is on Fan Pier on the South Boston Waterfront.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway (MFA Station, Green E Line), +1 617-566-1401 . Tu-Su 11AM-5PM. The villa-turned-museum of an eccentric Bostonian, the Gardner features an eclectic collection of European objects, beautiful floral displays, and was the site of a spectacular painting heist in 1990. Students $5.
MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, (Red Line to either "Central Square Station" or "Kendall Square/MIT"), +1 617-253-5927 10AM-5PM, closed major holidays. The MIT Museum is a place that 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.
Jellyfish, New England Aquarium
Museum of Science, Science Park (Science Park Station, Lechmere-bound Green Line trains). +1 617-723-2500 . 9AM-5PM daily (Summer until 7PM). $21 plus a la carte menu of attractions.
New England Aquarium, Central Wharf (Blue Line to Aquarium), +1 617-973-5200 . M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 9AM-6PM. Home of what was until recently the world's largest fish tank, according to the Guiness Book of World Records. Great fun for kids of all ages. Whale watching tours available, too. $20.95, Students $18.95, Senior 60+ $18.95, Ages 3-11 $12.95.
Mapparium, 175 Huntington Ave (Green Line to the Prudential, Symphony, or Hynes/ICA stop), +1 888-222-3711 . The Mary Baker Eddy Library at the world headquarters of the Christian Science Church houses a three story globe room where visitors can view a stained-glass map of the world from inside the center. Tu-Su 10AM-4PM. The $6 admission covers most of the museum and library.
Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge (Red Line to "Harvard Square"), +1 617-496-1027 . Daily 9AM-5PM. One of the oldest museums in the world devoted to anthropology and houses one of the most comprehensive records of human cultural history in the Western Hemisphere.
Semitic Museum, 6 Divinity Ave, Cambridge (T stop: Red Line to "Harvard Square"), +1 617-495-4631 . M-F 10AM-4PM, Su 1PM-4PM. See a collection of over 40,000 artifacts from the Near East across multiple ancient civilizations.
USS Constitution Museum, Charlestown Navy Yard, +1 617-426-1812 . Apr-Oct Tu-Su 10AM-6PM, Nov-Mar Th-Su 10AM-3:50PM. Tour famous Old Ironsides, enjoy all-ages hands-on exhibits on sailing skills and crafts. Freewill donation.
Warren Anatomical Museum, 10 Shattuck St, (T stop: "Brigham Circle" on Green E line), +1 617-432-6196, See an extensive collection of distinct and pathological examples in anatomy including the actual skull of Phineas Gage. M-F 9AM-5PM, except Harvard University holidays.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Boston
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Boston - updated May 2024
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Boston Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
