What a treat it was to be able to see this in my lifetime and to spend some time on the grounds of…read moreHarvard University. So much in this museum I don't think you could possible see the whole place in one day. We spent 4-5 hours here and may have seen 50%. I so wish I lived closer so I could take it all in over several visits. The mineral and rocks area especially drew lots of my attention and I spent way too much time there and slowed us down a good bit. It's was so freaking cool though! Giant wads of gold and precious metals everywhere. Things I have never seen. Wonderful things! Also.... They have dinosaurs and so many cool things. Glass flowers, ancient artifacts, rare finds from around the world all housed in the historic University of Harvard campus. Check out my pics. I even have one where I am the last link in the evolutionary chain, LOL. Totally worth a trip here if you can. So many wonderful things to see!! '26 - 29

"Let's have some light for our birthday week! "R said it with her usual enthusiasm, and since we…read moreboth get restorative energy from flowers, she proposed seeing the Glass Flowers exhibit at the HMNH which we'd heard about, but hadn't seen yet. We started off in the Earth and Planetary science section right next door, thinking it would be quick. But thinking was not the same as being there. This exhibit was awe-inspiring, with stones from all over the world and the room's natural light highlighting the striking crystal colors and beautiful formations. It made us wonder more deeply about time, the natural laws of creation, and the transformation process. In fact, we got so lost in thought there that we only had a few minutes left for the glass flowers, so that part of our visit is still on hold. But we still got to recharge in the light-filled geology section, which brightened our day. Tip: Entry is free on Sunday mornings for MA residents and always free for Harvard affiliates (plus one guest). No need to stress if you get caught up like we did--the exhibits are not rotating so far as I can tell. Great for visitors of all ages.

This was my first time to the Harvard Art Museum and I loved it...it's so big and varied. You can…read moreenjoy paintings from masters as well as interesting culture from the ancient times. There are many docents and security people around in case you have questions. The main benefit is that it is FREE. The collections include approximately 250,000 objects in all media, ranging in date from antiquity to the present and originating in Europe, North America, North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. The museum has a large collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works that contains many famous masterpieces, including paintings and sculptures by Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh. The main building contains 204,000 square feet of space for public exhibitions, classrooms, conservation and research labs, and other related functions. Just a great way to spend a few hours if you are in the area.

My wife and I stumbled into Harvard Art Museums without even planning it, and it ended up being one…read moreof the best surprises of our trip. The fact that entry was free made it even better, but what really stood out was the incredible collection inside. Seeing so many famous paintings that I recognized from textbooks growing up was honestly amazing--it felt surreal experiencing them in person. The entire museum has a calm, welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy to take your time and really appreciate everything. Definitely a hidden gem and an experience we won't forget.

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!

Fun and interactive, but not worth the $20 admission (even $10 for students feels a bit high). Some…read moreexhibits feel dated, especially the AI section, which is less impressive than what you can explore at home. Would love to see more student projects or newer innovations. Overall nice, just a bit anticlimactic. It is nice though that they have free lockers for visitors.

This was a great day spent viewing the collection of Isabella Stewart Gardner. So many great pieces…read moreall over the museum, floor to ceiling, and the most beautiful courtyard that I couldn't stop taking pictures of. There were 13 pieces of art that were stolen back in 1990 and still haven't been recovered. As you're walking around, you'll notice that some places have empty frames where the works are art were displayed before they were stolen. The museum is housed over 3 floors of the "palace", the newest wing on the ground level has the gift shop, a cafe, a coat check, and the living room with comfy seats if your dogs are barking. Well worth the visit if you're in Boston!

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was commonly mentioned as a must see in Boston, so we decided to…read morecheck it out on a rainy Sunday during our trip. It seems like everyone else had the same idea as well because the museum was packed! Definitely recommend booking tickets at least a few days in advance because some time slots were sold out. We booked the 10:30am-11am time slot and it was already crowded at this time. Check in was straightforward and there are lockers in the basement to secure large bags. This is very different to the standard art museums. Isabella Stewart converted a home into a museum and it is amazing how much time and effort went into the process. There are three stories, each having several rooms to walk through. A couple rooms have limited capacity so we had to wait in line for 10-15 minutes to enter. My personal favorite part of the museum was the courtyard - very pretty with all the plants and statues. We also witnessed a proposal! I'm usually not a huge museum fan, but this was definitely worth checking out. Many people suggested listening to the audio guide available on the website, and while it was interesting, it was a bit slow and I wasn't able to listen to everything - wish the recordings had 2x speed. This is a very popular museum so the crowds made it feel a bit chaotic. I recommend going on a weekday!

A museum filled with an endless amount of national and international treasures, each with its own…read morestory. Let me just start by saying this museum is HUGE so expect to spend the entire day here to see every single exhibit and piece available. The jewels has to be my favorite part of the museum, alongside the beautiful sculptures from Greek history. Tour guides, multiple shops, restaurants and very friendly customer service to give you recommendations on where to begin once entering the great hall! If you're in Boston, you MUST give this place a visit and you'll leave perplexed with the level of importance many pieces carry! I see something new everytime I come in here! The gift that truly keeps on giving.

Great collection. They have a few Van Gogh landscapes (including a rendition of the wheat field)…read moreand their Monet collection is medium-sized and varied. John Singer Sargent's work can be found all around Boston, and the MFA holds the largest collection of John Singer Sargent in the world. Considering that he painted the ceiling murals that you see when you walk in, I think that's very fitting. I was able to catch the Winslow Homer exhibition-- walked in and bought my general admission ticket to the museum. The Homer exhibition was at no additional cost, but did require an additional timed ticket. They had spots open for the next slot, so all four of my friends and I were able to go see it together. One of us accidentally forgot to get the additional ticket at the general admission desk, but an employee in front of the exhibit was nice enough to do the computer work to issue us a ticket there. $30 for general adult admission is a higher price compared to similar art museums around the world, and it would have been nice if there were more ways to get a discount (such as expanding the list of universities they offer student admission for or being part of more city tourism passes). I spent an efficient four hours in there and saw almost every corner of the museum. The price tag means I'll skip it next time I'm nearby, but I still think it's a must visit for first timers.

Great museum but the gift shop employees are bizarrely rude for no discernible reasonread more

Now my kids are 8 and 3 years old…read more We still adore the Museum of Science and find their membership valuable. Looking forward to the new wing (currently under construction).

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!!!

I've been to most of the shows that the Cooper has mounted in the past few years. Their range and…read morepresentation of exhibits have been immersive, thought-provoking, intriguing, and inspiring. I look forward to every new exhibit...

There are few museums that make you feel real emotion. This gallery does that by pushing our…read moreperceptions of race and challenging our comfort zones. They dabble in all areas of art from music and dance, the photography and digital art. These different forms of art play to a wide variety of tastes and expectations. The Cooper Gallery is a refreshing look at what a museum can and should be. Worth going back to check out the newest exhibits.

We were so lucky to be in Boston for the 252nd anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. They were…read moreallowing people to experience it for free so we did. I'm so glad we did because it was a fun and interesting experience. The actors are in character and passionate about their roles which makes it fun. They also ask people from the audience to have a speaking part which makes it interactive. It was neat going on one of the ships and kids threw tea over the side. It was interesting to hear the story of the day, what happened to some of the people who participated and how they kept the story alive for so long. Loved seeing one of the crates that was thrown over and how families kept it and some tea safe. Everyone in our group had fun and enjoyed the experience. It's definitely worth it. Abby's Tea Room at the end is nice too.

Found the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum on TikTok and decided to give it a try as it seemed like…read morea fun, interactive experience. Definitely recommend booking a few days in advance as some time slots were sold out. We went on a Friday around 12:30pm and the tour seemed packed. First, everyone is assigned a character (it didn't seem to matter much) and then the actors pretend to hold a secret town hall meeting to plan the Boston Tea Party. Next, we walked around the ship and can throw a box of "tea" into the harbor (optional), and finally we were given a tour of the museum where they discuss the context leading up to the Revolutionary War. Actors were amazing and had very witty dialogue! I like how the experience was interactive, but it did feel a bit rushed. I was most excited to throw tea into the harbor as I thought that was the main activity, but the entire group only had a couple minutes for this so it was a little underwhelming. Museum was informative and it was cool how they have one of the two surviving tea chests from the Boston Tea Party. There is a gift shop and cafe people can walk through at the end of the tour. Overall, very touristy activity and a bit expensive for what it is, but where else will you get to pretend to be a part of the Boston Tea Party. I would give it a 3.5, rounding up to 4 because of the actors and also because it is an experience worth doing once

Peabody by the numbers: 1.2 million objects, 500,000 photographs, 2000 maps and site plans, 900…read morefeet of documents, 7 yawns. Organized by geographical location, artifacts like headdresses, ornaments, textiles, ceremonial and domestic objects, models, ceramics, porcelains, costumes, wood carvings, baskets, plaster casts, musical instruments, drums, cloaks, helmets, figurines, canoes, cradles, fishing gear, jewelry, crystals, shells, shields, Neolithic tools, totem poles, paintings, artwork, murals, diary entries, prints, manuscripts, records, research projects, weapons, bones, and fossils helped define the shared values and customs that characterized their way of life. What I personally liked about this museum was that it was kinda meta, particularly the fourth floor which seemed to celebrate the history of mankind celebrating the history of mankind. I also was intrigued by what was "missing" due to cultural sensitivity, making me oddly long for a separate museum existing solely of things ripped out of museums, like a museum of cancelled history. We could call it the The Grand Institute for the Reconsideration of Historically Misguided and Socially Problematic Curatorial Acquisitions: A Repository of Artifacts Rendered Unpalatable by Contemporary Ethical Standards, or, for short, the Trump Presidential Library.

Plan to spend your entire day here. I spent four hours and that was still not enough time to…read moreinteract with all the exhibits. You'll get a chance to hear some dead languages and see some really cool artifacts. It's also connects to the Museum of Natural History so you also get to learn about the history of American food, see some cool crystals and fossils, and sooooo much more. Two things to keep in mind: it is very easy to get lost in this museum and the temperature fluctuates between exhibit, so stick with your party and dress comfortably.