During a recent weekend trip to Boston, I reserved an entire day for the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)…read moreand it was the best decision I could have made. If I lived in Boston, I would become a member so that I could visit at will, even if only for few hours at a time. I am particularly interested in the impressionists, and John Singer Sargent, so I kept mostly to the 2nd floor. The museum is well organized, and there are staff floating around to answer any questions (one staffer even offered some tips to reduce the glare when taking a photo of a certain painting). I had checked out of my hotel so I had baggage with me (don't we all)...MFA has a convenient bag check. I also purchased a sizeable book from the bookshop and the staff put it in a box for me to keep it from being damaged during travel. I saw one temporary exhibit that was a nicely curated mix of multimedia art, and I also enjoyed seeing some of the rooms presented in a gallery style so that I could truly appreciate modern display methods. Six hours here went by in a flash, and I will definitely be back to see more of the MFA's vast collection. p.s. The equestrian sport of polo came from Persia?? Loved this fact! I also really enjoyed the time put into the object labels and the stories they told. "The most outrageous series of ferocious daubs that any slanderer of Venice could possibly imagine," a quote from a critic describing Renoir's Grand Canal, Venice, made me snort laugh out loud!

On a weekend Sunday morning, we went to Museum of Fine Arts with some family visiting…read more We went to the European painting, American Art, and Egyptian section. The entrance was a very smooth process. If you are a member, you can purchase discounted guest passes for your visitors The main staircase reminds me of the Met Museum in New York City the grandeur. I look forward to future exhibits and checking out their special exhibits.

My husband and I visited ICA Boston last weekend, when we visited Boston for his birthday. We had a…read moregreat visit. We visited to see their current exhibit, "Derrick Adams: View Master," and the exhibit was great. It's the first mid-career survey of Adams's work, and it includes more than 100 artworks spanning 25 years of his career. Most of the works are never-before-exhibited works from Adams's personal collection. Making it even more special? Adams worked with the ICA to create an immersive exhibit - the way the art was displayed was unlike any other exhibit I've seen. I also enjoyed the other exhibit they had at the time, To My Best Friend, which draws from more than 50 artworks Fotene Demoulas and Tom Coté have brought into the ICA Collection. It included works by Lorna Simpson, Sarah Sze, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Diedrick Brackens that I really loved. There were two smaller galleries that weren't open when we visited as they set up for two exhibitions, but there was still plenty to see at the ICA Boston when we visited. Both exhibits were great. The building is incredible - with beautiful views of Boston Harbor, a great wine + coffee bar, and an exceptional gift shop. We sat outside at the wine + coffee bar and had a couple of glasses of natural wine while looking out at the harbor. We spent a little too long in their gift shop, which has great books, art items, tchotchkes, and more. I picked up a Viewfinder made for the Derrick Adams exhibit and a hat, too. We didn't have time to take advantage of this, but there's one more thing that makes ICA Boston special: ICA Watershed, a seasonal space located in the East Boston Shipyard and Marina (this year it is open until 9/7/26). Their Watershed location is accessible by a timed water shuttle; visiting it and the shuttle is free with admission to the main ICA Boston location. We had a great experience at ICA Boston. I'd love to return on a future visit to Boston.

Went for a work event and the music was absolutely DEAFENING. Please turn the sound down! I could…read morenot hear the person sitting six inches away from me, so conversation was mostly smiling, nodding, and pretending we understood each other. We would have escaped immediately, but work obligations held us hostage. I would definitely not return due to the loud music. There's no reason to have it up that high. Thankfully, once we were inside the building, the music was less overpowering and there was some good art to look at. The art gets 4/5 stars, and the staff was very friendly, so 5 stars for them. As for the Seaport itself, it's mostly ugly, towering modern buildings, chain restaurants, and exorbitant parking prices, with plenty of suburbanites and tourists milling around. Not exactly overflowing with charm.

Everything about this museum screams as a must-see when in Boston! The collection varies in era…read morebased on sections of the home. Like most museums but I feel for this one especially, it's important to wear comfy shoes. I had seen amazing photos and videos with the courtyard collection as Isabella Stewart Gardner had a beautiful garden at the center of the building in such a unique way. It's a lovely view from the ground and even from above. It's important to make a reservation ahead of time and pick a window that has decent natural light in my opinion which makes the museum even better of a sight!!

Went on a very rainy weekday around noon. Surprisingly very busy with tours and other visitors…read more Love the layout and that it's kept in original format as she stated in her will. Of course the garden is such a highlight from all angles and levels. Kids were interested in everything! They had fun finding all the works of art on the Map and they also have a kids activity one as well. No surprise the Heist of 1990 is such a draw. Unfortunately the Dutch Room, location of the Heist, is currently under restoration. "Gardner staff are working to restore the Dutch Room so that future visitors can experience it as Isabella originally intended. This floor-to-ceiling restoration will be completed by early 2027. Electricians are upgrading the system for new and improved lighting. We'll be able to see more details, including the painted ceiling that we spent in months cleaning and stabilizing. It comes from a building in Orvieto, in central Italy. Many artists painted its 120 scenes in the 1520s." "While we will wrap up our restoration work in 2027, the room will remain incomplete until all the works of art are returned." - you are allowed to have a purse/bag. They check it when entering - you are allowed to wear a coat or use coat check - large umbrellas need to be left at entrance. Smaller ones can be on you in a a provided plastic bag but be careful not to let it swing around and hit objects - bring headphones and a charged phone to scan QR codes in each room to learn more about the art and highlights from different artists - cool old elevator access and really pretty bathrooms - some bench seating available in rooms and around courtyard (see map for available seating) - don't forget to visit the gift shop for unique gifts and they have ornaments too! Tip: use your local museum library pass Provides up to four (4) people with $5 admission per person. Children under the age of 18 are always admitted for free. Some metered parking but hard to find. Also can park at Levels P1-P3 of the Simmons School of Management Garage. MUST get ticket validated at museum

Wonderful free, one-hour museum staffed by friendly students. A different exhibition each semester…read moreand a very small permanent collection. Unfortunately it's closed between exhibitions so check that it will be open. And free parking! Also a short walk from the BC stop on the Green Line.

An oft-neglected little free gem of BC. I believe they have one exhibition per semester. It's…read morelocated behind the admissions office in Devlin Hall If you go during the week, during the day, don't be put off by the mobs of prospective students/families and current students flooding in/out of class. Once you get past the crowds, you're free to retreat in the quiet, intimate, two floor displays. The guards are very sweet and knowledgeable and will often talk to you about what they know. You can probably leisurely soak in the entire exhibit in a hour or two, which makes for a lovely weekend afternoon outing (or fantastic break from outrageous thesis researching). There have never been more than a handful of people in there when I've visited during the week, and I doubt the weekends are any busier. Last semester there was a Jackson Pollock/Herbert Matter exhibit, and currently the exhibit is Jewish mosaics from the Roman Empire.

This is a cute concept, and since this is the reason I dropped by, I'll review this highlight…read moreinstead of the Dorchester Brewery. It is more like a collection of art around the brewery, but the signs are funny and it's interesting to note paintings that were donated vs. found in a thrift store vs. found in the garbage. It ranges from funny proportions to some truly bizarre. It's a great activity to giggle at with friends or make up fun commentary on a date. It's a fun little concept, free, and open late, so it's a funs stop in. The brewery features a full bar, arcade and board games and BBQ food as well. The owner even showed us an old cigarette dispensing machine now filled with chocolate packs. There's a lot going on and it is apparent a lot of thought and creativity went into the space. It's certainly not like a traditional "museum" but sometimes you need to see some bad art to really appreciate some good art elsewhere. You'll end up laughing at something.

Okay, so museum may not be the exact right word. This is kind of like a gallery in a brewery. I had…read moreseen an ad for this place on Instagram, and filed it away in my brain. I pulled it out of the file and went to see bad art. We walked in and the guy at the bar was very nice and pointed out the "route" of the paintings. The art was so fun--some worse than others. I really did understand what some of what the artists were thinking, and in other cases I just laughed and scratched my head It's small and we weren't there more than 20 minutes, but it was fun. Btw--it's free!!!

A lovely place to observe art while going for a walk. Staff were absolutely lovely and the gift…read moreshop was filled with art themed treasure.

Used to be my favorite museum in Boston. Hadn't been here in a very long time and recent…read moreaquisitions were very "Meh." They had way better sculptures - large, landscape scale ones - in the entry area. More interactive. Minus the slanted house, everything acquired since Covid is pretty terrible, some even very cheap looking. Example, photographs... outdoors?! Attached to wood posts like cheap yard signs. Trellis with hanging fabric with cheap-looking patterns that looked like samples from Joanne's Fabrics... attached to structure that looked like playground set... not really developed. This idea of walking between hanging things has been done by countless others way better. A couple other sculptures were interesting themselves, but supports were so not thought through or developed. Looked like an afterthought, and attracted more attention or equal to the work. The "crystal" one was more interesting, but seems too precious to be outdoors. It's more of an indoor piece. Older works by Dan Graham, Jaume Plesna, Jim Dine, Joseph Wheelwright, Marianna Pineda are great. Smallest Kenneth Snelson I have ever seen... I counted 10 interesting works. 10. And indoor museum is closed for renovation. $14 entry, out of way location. Not coming back unless they dramatically improve curation. Look at New Orleans Museum of Art's sculpture garden for some inspiration. Storm King might be out of this league, but NOMA should be comparable.

BASiCALLY ! All of…read moreyou !! visit WNDR jjj No Questions iV PS !!!!!! There is bar Maximum efficiency ! on size of bottles and quantities of love Of what ; all staff members are so much in loving Of each staff has offering very calm, friendly, less instructive, helpful in very artistic manner ! Let us go to KARAOKE ! I wanna accompanies on my trumpets on your Karaoke As well as on arts exhibitions you already have.

This was such a fun and interactive space. Admittedly, timing is a gamble game because…read moreLarge groups in front or behind you can affect your experience with moving through the exhibits. Staff we friendly. I would not recommend this place for younger children.

This was a small, but enjoyable and FREE museum on Brandeis's beautiful campus…read more It had three exhibits as of our visit on 1/26 - all three were surrealist and we got to see a Kahlo and a Magritte in addition to other wonderful works of art. They would liked you register before you go, but I didn't get the sense that we'd have been turned away if we hadn't. There is very limited parking near the Museum - we parked down by the admissions building and walked up.

Established in 1961, the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University is a hidden gem housing one of the…read morelargest collections of modern and contemporary art in New England. It's a relatively intimate museum, with only 13,000 square feet of exhibition space in its three galleries, but the curators make good use of the space with a rotating selection of the 9,000 pieces in the permanent collection - including works by Matisse, de Kooning, Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, Yoko Ono, Gauguin, Picasso, and Warhol - as well as 9 to 12 temporary exhibitions a year - featuring groundbreaking pieces from emerging artists like Pakistani painter Salman Toor or less commonly-known pieces from more established artists like Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The Rose Art Museum also hosts programs that are open to the public including artist talks, performances, and discussions led by museum staff. My favorite part of the permanent collection at the Rose Art Museum is 'The Undisciplined Collector', an interactive re-creation of an early-1960s wood-paneled den installed by conceptual artist Mark Dion in 2015. It's intended to represent the mid-century modern era in which the museum was founded. The installation features retro-designed furniture (that you can sit on to enjoy the installation!) as well as authentic period artifacts including vintage record albums, magazines, and a cocktail bar. I haven't tried putting on a record or mixing a cocktail. PRO TIP: Admission to the museum and parking outside the main entrance is FREE but you should register for your visit on the museum website (https://slate.brandeis.edu/portal/rose_visitor_admission).

My kids and I enjoyed the MIT museum! Lots of cool history and innovation! The museum is kept clean…read moreand staff is friendly and helpful throughout our trip. Be sure to check out the gift shop on your way out!

If you are a science nerd, then you will love this museum. If you're not much into museums, you're…read morenot going to like it a whole lot cuz there's a whole bunch of history and the evolution of science women in science, the space, race, advancement of photographic lenses all kinds of things that the MIT community has contributed to the advancement of our human kind. I loved it cuz I was geeking out. My husband not so much.

Calling all the cool nerds we recently visited the Natural History Museum, and it was a great…read moreplace to spend a rainy afternoon! There's a ton to see and learn! Some of our favorite areas were the dinosaur (of course), the glass flower exhibit, the rocks... who knew the earth could produce such beautiful ROCKS ?!? We also loved walking through and seeing the various life size animals- giraffes are REALLY TALL, people This museum is the perfect size to walk through and take your time, and still be able to cover everything in 2-3 hours. It's perfect for kids and adults, and easy to get to by taking the red line. We got our tickets on Groupon for a great price, so we highly recommend checking for discount tickets if you're interested in visiting. Lentz_explore CLANDESTINO montreal, canada Love tequila? Looking for a speakeasy while in Montreal? We've got you covered! Clandestino is a tequila bar hidden beneath the hopping restaurant upstairs. Head through the hidden door, into a hallway and down some very dark stairs and you'll find yourself an intimate spot for some tequila cocktails. We both loved our drinks. CL got a couple but his favorite was the Ocho which had cacao and mole, to make for a "damn good" cocktail. I had the Passion Amarga, which was also delicious. We loved the vibe, it felt like being in a friends living room, with the furniture and the music was at a perfect level. The service was wonderful. The staff really helped us with picking out the perfect cocktails. Stop in here if you are in the area, you won't be disappointed! Lentz_explore

I visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History with my husband two weeks ago, and we had a really…read moregood time. To be honest, natural history museums aren't my favorite. Between a natural history museum and an art museum, I'll take an art museum every time. But I'd had the Harvard Museum of Natural History for a while! When my husband and I decided to visit Boston for his birthday, visiting the museum was at the top of the itinerary. So why was this non-natural history museum girl so thrilled to check out this museum? For one specific reason! The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants - otherwise known as the Glass Flowers. The Glass Flowers is a collection of high realistic glass botanical models made by father and son Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka from 1887 through 1936 at their studio in Dresden, Germany, for the Harvard museum. The collection includes 847 life-size models (representing 780 species and varieties of plants in 164 families and 3,000 detail models of plant parts and anatomical sections. The Glass Flowers blew me away. I'm not even sure how long we spent in that one room, but I know I said, "Wait. That's glass?! That can't be glass!" about 100 times. I can't believe the Blaschkas were able to ship these incredibly detailed and delicate models to Boston from Dresden much less make them!!! This collection alone makes the Harvard Museum of Natural History worth visiting. The flowers are incredible, like nothing else I've seen. Unlike me, my husband does love natural history museums, because he's a nerd for rocks and geology. So we did spend some time in the rest of the museum, particularly the Earth & Planetary Sciences Gallery (which contains thousands of rare rock and mineral specimens), the Rockefeller Beetles, and the marine life galleries. General admission costs $20, but it also gets you admission to the connected Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, so be sure to explore that for at least a few minutes, too. If you love natural history museums, this one is worth a visit. If you're not into natural history museums, but I sold you on a visit to the Glass Flowers, make sure the Harvard Museum of Natural History is on your itinerary for your next trip to Boston!