Oh geeze. If there ever were a place to spend too much time the MIT Museum would be it. Go ahead, educate yourself on the history of slide rules (Did you know that with the proper device, you can calculate the effect of a nuclear bomb? Hey that's kind of useful...), the workings of holograms (this involves mirrors and lenses and an object or something), and science meets art in the form of a a chair hoping over a cat and the complex (no really...) motions of an unending chain. Sure it's small, but this doesn't mean you won't spend hours ogling at the whipped cream spelling rotating hologram woman - it was the first!...and the wishbone that pulls a machine (or is it pushed by it?) down a mini rail track. If you're looking for fun, come here. If you're looking to entertain your inner child come here. If you're looking to kill an hour, and only an hour, be prepared to over spend your time budget...you won't be disappointed. Oh shit...check out the synthesizer that makes noises you'll never hear again. It's pretty awesome. read more

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This review is overdue. I went here for a Yelp event and I was very impressed with the place. The displays have lots of Useful, Fun and Cool information and there are plenty of interactive exhibits. The galleries upstairs are particularly cool, with an area dedicated to holograms but my favorite was the area with kinetic art. A variety of unique and interesting moving sculptures. I haven't been back with my family yet but I know the kids will love it. The overall feeling here is that the curators want to engage the visitors. It 's always a good thing when learning is fun! read more

Favorite part about the museum is looking to the future and all the innovative creativity that goes around at MIT. I enjoyed the robotics and the additive manufacturing of 3D printing. Holographic room was my second favorite! It's just amazing in there! Kids 5 and young are free, and adults are $10 which is very affordable in my opinion. read more

Arguably this museum does a better job of making science fun and accessible than the actual Museum of Science. The kinetic sculptures by Arthur Ganson are a mainstay and always a treat. They're even featured in an episode of Arthur! If the sculptures aren't moving when you approach them, you might have to press a button to start them up. Apparently the artist himself can sometimes be found in the exhibit, so keep an eye out (and maybe keep your criticism to yourself...)! Another exhibit that seems permanent is about holograms. There's information on the science of interference patterns for the physically inclined, but plenty of interactive displays for kids and people who are just seeking entertainment. I really enjoyed the newer exhibit on photographing science. It's a perfect example of the intersection of art and science. I probably spent half an hour there trying out the activities! I'm usually not one to spend a lot of time in the gift shop, but this museum has one of the best gift shops I've ever encountered! There are plenty of books, science gadgets, toys, jewelry, and MIT apparel. I would come here just to shop! Overall, the MIT museum is definitely worth the admission fee, especially if you're at all interested in science and engineering. I would recommend it to both locals and tourists! read more

MIT Museum - Products that were manufactured in Cambridge as part of an exhibit on the history f MIT's campus - Art Museums Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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What an exciting place! The museum itself is interesting, with an interesting variety of MIT history and information on past and current scientific research/discovery at MIT. Find out what advances students/faculty have made and are making. I must admit that a few exhibits were over my head, but that's okay. Geniuses needed thought-provoking exhibits, too, and some things you just can't dumb down for the lay person. Both visits have been in conjunction with an exciting event. The first was a yelp event, which added yelpers, refreshments, and music to the mix. The most recent was an event that displayed some fascinating projects in the world of science. We saw installations that straddled the worlds of art and science. Beautiful creations that played with light and sound, and passionate people. We learned about thoughtandmemory.org, a group that offers reviews (not unlike yelp) that allows you to learn about and rate the social and eco-responsibility of businesses. Plus, for the regular cost of admission, there were free sandwiches and drinks! All that information and entertainment, plus free veggie burgers and beer? Thanks, MIT Museum! Kudos to MIT for offering a dynamic museum that consistently offers new and exciting events/exhibits. read more

Really cool place to visit! Great learning experience and they have a lot of awesome exhibits that include robotics, holography, kinetics sculptures, old school cameras, electronics, etc etc. Their displays are a little out of date, though. And I really wish they had an actual robot that you could play with and not just look at! read more

A tribute to engineering, but doesn't flow. I felt as if there was a lot of unused space that make parts of it feel void/vacant. The collections were interesting, but random. With only the loose theme of engineering to tie everything together. I wouldn't recommend this museum, except on a free day! read more

Awesome place to visit to get a picture of the history of technology and how it has tranformed lives around the world. There are activities for kids. Surprisingly many are hands on. I liked the visit because as an entrepreneur, I like to see how ideas are hatched and how technology can be used in unexpected ways. Worth a 1/2 day to full day visit. Something for everyone read more

Would I want to pay $8.50 to go to this museum? No. That's why I go during their free hours or when they have some special reception for a new exhibit. Their free hours are Sunday from 10AM-12PM and there's also some Friday free admission but I think that's generally during the summer. I've been here by myself or with friends every few months. The main area they change is the first floor gallery. Perhaps once every 6 months there'll be a new exhibit. Though you'd want to get in on the new stuff fairly early, because if they have anything fun going on that people can touch you can bet it'll be "out of order" in a month. As for the second floor those exhibits have been there for some years now. Seriously, for a school that's on the edge of innovation you'd think that the folks at MIT would update their museum exhibits with cutting edge research that happens all the time. But as a few people already mentioned a good deal of their pieces on the second floor are grossly outdated. I might expect or forgive to see the same thing for 5 years at a public state run facility but I guess we shouldn't have higher expectations of one of the top universities in the country. In all if you've run out of things to do in Cambridge or the Boston area (highly unlikely) or wake up early enough to get in before noon on a Sunday then sure it's worth a small trip and a waste of an hour or two. Otherwise I wouldn't waste your money here. And if you're looking for a bit of something fun in the hallway of the basement there's a model city with Tetris programmed into one of the buildings. It's from one of their clubs though and not really a museum piece. Hence probably why it's in the basement. read more

MIT Museum - Basement Tetris - Art Museums Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Place was pretty cool...I think it's worth checking out no matter how old you are. You'll learn a lot and should take your time with everything. You get the feeling that they're trying to be educational and entertaining at the same time. It's a shame that people don't wanna learn anymore. You could spend a day here...easy. Just depends on how much you're willing to cram into your head (and in how much time). read more

I'm a bit surprised to see the MIT Museum ranked so highly. I'm definitely not a science person, and I didn't see all the exhibits since I was there for a private event, but the exhibits seemed bland and not especially interactive. I thought the MIT students' exhibit answering common science questions people ask on the Internet was the most interesting exhibit I saw, and even that one wasn't especially interesting. But it looks like a lot of people can get into this museum for free, so at least the only cost is your time, not your money. read more

Actual rating: 3 Service: friendly Price: $ ($10/adult) active military free Specialty: Mechanisms Quality: fair Revisit:   no, this is good for a one time Parking: Metered parking      Finding space: easy (Saturday) Cleanliness: clean Overall: it's a good place to go if your child likes anything with engineering, robotics or just building things with gears. It's a one time thing visit. Only has 2 levels not big, 1-2 hours is enough. It only took me 1 hour but didn't read through all either. If you thought it was helpful, please hit those buttons [helpful, funny, cool or send me a compliment ]  Thank you and happy traveling! read more

I expected a lot more from MIT. It takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get though the whole museum. Not a whole lot of stuff. But the stuff is pretty good. The lovemaking gondola is nice. The Kisnet is so cute, check out his eyelashes, I wonder if they used mascara on his pretty robotic face. The holograms are quite nice. Very cool. The sculptures are interesting, especially the lonely man and the oil machine. Overall, very enjoyable but I wanted MORE! The bathrooms are spotless and the staff is very nice and extremely friendly. Students, don't forget your ID, then its only $3, otherwise its $7.50. read more

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Though a bit dated the MIT museum is interesting for those who are into science and engineering. There are two floors of exhibits with a few interactive displays. We are able to complete our tour after about an hour (give or take a nano second). Not that the museum was not interesting, it's not as big as expected. Perhaps one day and if we're in the Cambridge area, we'll make a return visit. read more

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I was delighted to discover this museum a decade ago and was just as delighted to visit again. It's not huge, which means you can actually get through the whole thing. The robotics exhibit in their permanent collection is still neat even though I'd seen it before. Their special exhibitions are also well done. There are often stations set up with staff with interactive projects. Having been to a lot of science centers, they all start to feel the same after a while. The MIT Museum stands out for having unique displays. read more

I LOVE the MIT museum. I went there for the third time this week. It's small, but it has some cool exhibits and is affordable ($5 for college students/youth/seniors, $10 adults, free for anyone affiliated with MIT or Cambridge residents who check out a pass through the library). I really like the holograms, and the photographs that demonstrate various scientific principles are pretty cool, too. If you like science, check it out! read more

Being a graduate of MIT it is fun to take in some memories walking around the museum. On the plus side there are a number of exhibits you can get your hands on and experiment with. The displays cover a good range of materials over a wide span of time as well. I do understand that it will be moving soon to a location on, or near, the other side of campus so hopefully there will be a significant upgrade as well, for on the downside... I think there are places where more justice could have been served for specific topics (like Harold "Doc" Edgerton and strobe lab) -- not that much more was needed in the way of space to cover the material but rather of all the works a person was known for I found it odd to have what I saw displayed. Also, with the hands on material I found it rather basic in design and though it was nice to be able to share photos with yourself via email the quality of what these experiments could be was far from achieved. So... I still give it four stars for just being there and making the history accessible, however, it really should be a 5 star place and I hope the move to a new location gives it the upgrade needed to get there. read more

I'm not too much into science and technology but was very entertained by the exhibits. I especially like the moving Holograms and the Gestural Engineering section. I was hoping that MIT would infuse me with some extra smartness by just being in its presence, but alas no. It takes less than an hour to peruse the museum. Definitely a must see while in Boston/Cambridge. We geeked out and bought too much in the gift shop! read more

MIT Museum - a walking chair - Art Museums Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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In my opinion, as far as Museums in Boston goes, this is one of the best. (that and the ICA) Its small, but teh quality of the exhibits is higher than most of the others. The Museum of science is large, and has many things to see, but its exhibits are rather plain and shallow, and could really leave a child over the age of 8 or so board. MIT has a bit more substance and imagination to its exhibits, while not being over the heads of a younger audience. If your looking something a little different this is a nice change of pace. read more

MIT Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Pros: +It's inexpensive +The exhibits they have are very detailed +The gift shop is impressively nerdy... Which, if you are considering visiting the MIT museum, you are too +Idea Lab, the hands-on area for kids and adults looks interesting. We arrived too late to complete a project, however +They use touch screens in one of the exhibits to great effect Neutral: Expect to like science and engineering or if you go with a prospective engineer, bring a book Cons: -It's kinda small -Most of the exhibits are former projects. It'd be nice to see something from the 2010s. read more

I think the MIT museum is well worth the visit for locals. It's small but not expensive to get in. They have a good variety of things to see. Try to go on the last Sunday of the month and it's free (although parking is nearly impossible on Sundays). read more

MIT Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Small, but cool place. The first floor is mostly a gift shop, but there is an exhibit too. Most of the exhibits are on the 2nd floor. They are nice, but it won't take long to go through the whole museum. Maybe an hour and a half at most. read more

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MIT Museum Review . geeky good place for robots holograms all kinds of weird contraptions an interesting history of nerdy student pranks called hacks early computers amazing freeze photographs of exploding apples black oil covered kinetic sculptures a little small great if you love 3.1415926535 read more

I loved it! $7.50 and open everyday? If you have an hour or so to kill in Central, I would check it out. It's not huge, so it is not a commitment. You go in, and can wander the downstairs displays on cars and cancer and fish. All good The money room is upstairs though. CRAZY robots everywhere! Creepy but fascinating, Anal beads and depressed artichoke leaves, and baby heads and maggot rice. I know it sounds bad, but it is oh so awesome. Next door are the holograms. I was the perfect height at 5'3", but taller people may have to bend down to get the full effect. This would be a great room for the kiddies. I want to bring the boy for lunch in Central and a walk through the museum. Another Cambridge hidden gem. read more

This museum makes the case for MIT's importance, by highlighting the school's contributions to the history of technology. The problem is that these 1990s-era robot videos seem almost laughably low-tech nowadays. Early artificial intelligence demonstrations come off sounding like Siri's senile grandpa. Some of these exhibits could use an update, to illustrate how far we've come since then, and to show off MIT's more recent innovations. I did like the musical stairs that greet you on your way in. (Each step sounds a different note). And I *loved* the Arthur Ganson gallery of kinetic sculptures. So cute! In one sculpture, a flying chair narrowly misses a cat. In another, a wishbone struts along, not unlike Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. These sculptures reminded me of Alexander Calder's witty circuses and mobiles. Except you can actually turn on the Ganson sculptures and see them in action! http://www.youtube.com/user/dreamingmachines#p/u/4/__GhJl_UQg0 read more

As you would imagine...geeks love this place...so..yeah i love this place. If you're into new developing technology..or you want to dig down to your techie roots...this is a great exhibit. Look for special events hosted here...many of them include food and drinks too! There's nothing better than geeky museum events with cool music and drinks! read more

I visited this museum with four friends over the weekend, and we really enjoyed it. In addition to the fantastic holography and Arthur Ganson sculptures already reviewed, there are exhibits on the history of AI and robotics, and the history of MIT. Take the time to watch the video exhibits scattered throughout, especially in the MIT history room. One was an incredibly cheesy promotional film from the 50's about women at MIT ("Like all women, they gather to gossip about clothes, men, and each other..." over a shot of some hornrim-bespectacled ladies knitting in a lounge), another described some of the more famous MIT hacks, and so on. They also have some cool physics-modeling computer programs that you can play with, which entertained us for perhaps too long, and some interactive AI that doesn't work very well. All in all, a fun place to spend a few hours! I didn't think there was a discount for non-MIT students, but we got in for $2 apiece instead of $5, so the price really can't be beat. read more

My first time at the MIT Museum was at the Yelp Modulations party. I want to go back and bring my geeked-out friends along. The downstairs is interesting, but the real goodies are available on the second floor. The first floor highlight, pour moi, was checking out the strange toys and inventions ("Claude Shannon's Ingenious Machines") which were alternately delightfully creepy and sweetly precious. Upstairs, as many have mentioned, were buttloads of robots. Reading the placards next to many of their cases, I was amazed at how many were developed by MIT students at such a young age. It's amazing to think that your senior thesis project might go on to become a viable piece of medical technology that actually helps people, but I digress.... The holograms on display are awesome. My favorite were the "moving" holograms, in which a lady will blow you a kiss and one which shows a red line train eternally pulling into the Charles MGH T-stop sometime in the early 80's. It's pretty freaky to look at representations of people, like artist Keith Haring, and know that they are now dead, yet have them look so real and so touchable in front of you. The absolute best part of the museum was the gallery with Arthur Gascon's "Gestural Engineering" : utilitarian, machine-based artwork. I loved the 11 flying pieces of paper that flapped their wings like birds and the violin whose strings were gently stroked by a feather. It was gorgeous, and better than anything I've seen recently at the ICA. Finally the "Mind and Hand: The Making of MIT Scientists and Engineers" exhibit, featuring academic paraphernalia such as textbooks, school supplies, uniforms and ephemera like dance cards, laundry receipts, and movie tickets dating from 1860 to the present was very touching. It made me wonder about the fates of these students and wonder what they did with all their wonderful potential. read more

Honestly, I'm surprised this isn't a free admission/donation based museum. Will probably take the average person 1 hour to complete since there's only one floor of exhibits. The most interesting part for me was the robotics/AI section. Other than that, nothing really caught my attention. if you have nothing else to do in the Boston area this could be a good way to kill some time. Otherwise, I would skip and save your 10 dollars. Probably biggest perk of coming here though is that Toscanini's Ice Cream is right around the corner! read more

I just write this for the administration of this museum to read:: Otherwise it is a great place to visit. 1-- Such a museum should be dusted regularly, lots of dust are sitting on many of the projects. 2- Some of the exhibit halls have bad odor. 3- The front desk and upper floor desk staff should have customer service traning. I felt invisible. We are talking about MIT museum with $20 entrance fee! read more

I avoid math and math-based sciences like the plague! But, even still, I loved the MIT Science Museum. The holograms were neat, and I stayed in there for an hour, tripping out. I also loved the history of science section, because it played up to my love of obscure historical facts. This museum had something for everyone: history, medicine, electronics, technology, and more! I know where to bring my science geek friends when they come! read more

It's small, but totally worth the money for the entrance fee. When I was a small child, I would have abhorred and protested my parents attempts to take me to a math and science oriented museum. (Actually, this would be from about age 10 to age 15 due a B grade in 4th grade science). But then I let my inner geek shine and I visited the MIT museum at age 17 with my father at the beginning of a Boston trip. The installation art is insanely cool, as is their almost Furby-esque robot. It highlights all of MIT's achievements quite well without being overly pretentious. The layout is fluid and spacious and even a non-science person such as myself had a wonderful time. Don't go out of your way to make a trip, but if you're in the area for a college tour or something, make a stop in at the MIT museum. Not a disappointment. read more

I'm from Chicago, and even though I don't usually go to museums, I've been to a fair share of them growing up. I have to say though, that the MIT museum is the most interesting museum I have ever been to. It was not what I was expecting at all. From the outside, it looked small and there weren't many people going in. At the front desk, there is a kind old man handling the register and managing the shop. At that point, I was thinking that we will probably be out in 30 minutes and that it will be a waste of money. We headed up the stairs, and as we walked through each exhibit, I became more and more impressed. The first station we saw was a machine that claims will never repeat a tone. I was somewhat speculative of that but still impressed. We also saw a station with a high frequency strobe light, where by altering the frequency we can see water droplets stand still. We also saw exhibits that have many moving parts, robots, and various automated machines. However, the exhibit that blew me away was the hologram exhibits. I have always wanted to work on a project involving them but never really had the chance. Seeing them there made me feel like a kid again. It was just amazing seeing them. I must have spent more than an hour in this exhibit alone. I went downstairs and they had a few more optical illusions and historic relics, as well as a student designed video game machine. The shop was also very unique and I wanted to buy a lot of things there. I must have been in the small shop for an hour looking at everything. In the end though, I didn't buy anything because the 'toys' were pretty expensive and just didn't seem practical. I was very impressed by the whole experience though and I am very glad I came. We were here for about 3 hours...much longer than the 30 minutes I was expecting. read more

OK, this review could be a little bit... well... I was pretty toasted...So, if something seems way off... I could just be remembering things wrong or not remembering things. The downstairs part is OK. There are these pictures that look like famous people, and then, when you start to sway a bit and your vision gets all blurry they all turn into Einstein. The upstairs has the "robots." It's larger than I expected. People made these robots that can hop and walk and things. I don't know why, but I suppose it's in the pursuit of science. The best part of the upstairs is the place with the stuff you can play with. This is the best part of the whole museum! There is a machine that lubricates itself and a violin that rubs a feather on itself. There's a hologram (? maybe?) that winks at you and blows you a kiss and another lady that spells "whipped cream" with whipped cream. There are a few creepy ones that I don't remember well. I just know I went "EW!" and ran away. There is a room with a nucleus table and 2 ribosome tables. They entice you to look behind this little black cloth and that is where you will find DNA or Elmer's glue labeled DNA, but I trust the MIT Museum folks enough to label things honestly. I also hear that in this room lap dances happen... but I could be wrong, like I said, I was drunk. read more

I'm not sure if I missed something, but I didn't really enjoy my visit. I thought the entrance fee was steep, but maybe I was expecting too much since it's associated with MIT. read more

Brought the kids (ages 11, 8, and 4) over February vacation and had a great time! There were FIRST Robotics teams doing demonstrations on the first floor. It was great to see so many high school students so deeply involved in engineering projects. On the second floor, we loved the gallery with the history of robotics at MIT, the holographic displays, and (particularly) the kinetic sculptures. Very nicely curated and very kid friendly. Spent about three hours in the museum, which was just about right to see everything and not bore the kids. read more

I know this place is damn cheap, but some of the bots kind of wig me out. The major reason I would go back is to scope out the men of MIT, and I don't see that happening anytime soon. I hear that the new exhibition is pretty excellent so perhaps a return is in the works, but the robot with eyelashes will definitely make me reconsider. It was fun, just creepy. The holograms exhibit is pretty wonderful. read more

I went to the MIT Museum's Berenice Abbott exhibit titled, Photography and Science: An Essential Unity. Her Science and Photography Manifesto is not to be missed (I'm talkin' to YOU, science bloggers extraordinaire). The exhibit highlights her years at MIT, and I learned that she was a prodigious inventor, innovator, entrepreneur, and an overall savant about all things light, shadow and in between. I recognized most of her science and physics photographs from my high school physics text. But two of them stopped me cold. Her photographs of magnetic filings with magnets are remarkably like Edward Gorey's "atmosphere" for want of a better word. Could it be that he was inspired by those photos? I can't remember - wasn't he lurking around Harvard during the 50s and 60s? MIT? Could they have known each other? As part of the exhibit, there is a handwritten notation of the science photography project's projected staff budget. Five women and about treble that number of men are listed. Four of the five women, Abbott included, have their projected salaries rounded down to the nearest hundred from the actual. All of the men's are rounded up. Coincidence? I think not. Yet the caption only discusses Abbott's salary as the highest she had earned to date. Let me guess the gender of the curator... The exhibit book is fabulous, and I plan to purchase it soon on a day when I don't have other encumbrances, because it is hardbound, over-sized and heavy. But the museum itself - always incredibly interesting, and a bonus is that many of the fellow visitors are themselves geeks extraordinaire, and so by accidentally on purpose overhearing their commentary, you get all sorts of bonus geeky inside info. Don't ever pass up an opportunity to hang out here and soak in the atmosphere - you're apt to find that the atmosphere has an out of this world quality because of the MIT space racers who burst across their made up finish line and have now moved it to way beyond our Milky Way. read more

Quiet, almost eerie works of mechanical art in one dimly lit room, fantastical holograms and holographic animations in another. Full of scientific detail for the inner nerd in some of us, plenty of interesting and whimsical eye candy for all. Bring a local, preferably a student, any discount helps with the entry fee. Everything's generally on one floor, so only plan to be there for two hours, tops. Nonetheless, like all good museums, plan to leave satisfied and knowing something you never had before! read more

The museum is alright, not too exciting. But for $2 (student discount), I'm not complaining much, though I rarely need to pay to get into a museum. Weird displays of what the student life is like there, such mismatched unorganized items scattered around on display boards. I mean, do you really need to put up a Crayola marker to exemplify that MIT students also do artistic activities? read more