Fun little free museum and you can learn a little bit about the history of Bostons water supply!…read more The educational videos and demos about the engines powering the aqueducts were really interesting. The engines themselves are also very cool and quite a bit larger than i expected. I was surprised as well that there was a little section on the second floor which allows you to see the top view of the engines as well as the steeple. Fair warning that the museum isn't air conditioned except the top levels. You can also join a tour which I believe costs money, but this allows you to go into the engines and explore.

" Hours Wednesday- Sunday 11:am -4pm it's FREE"…read more "Waterworks Museum". Wow I live right near here and I didn't know this place existed . The y have a small parking lot . If this doesn't work out , they have street metered parking . It's very interesting. My husband and I had a great time . We learned something new , it was free . We even found non metered parking . So the parking was free .

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

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.

I didn't know about this museum until recently. So glad I found it. It's located at Brandies…read moreUniversity in Waltham. There are places to park up close. The museum is free to enter. There are many different kinds of art here, like paintings, photographs, sculptures. It's very different and informative with information about the artists. What I enjoyed was a room decorated from the 1970s. A living room with the old fashioned couch, television, radio, record player. They had artwork from Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Mark Bradford, to name a few. There was so much artwork to see, focusing on American art,from the 1960s to 1970s. So much to see it can be overwhelming. I will have to go back. It's good that it is handicapped accessible with ramps and elevators. There are clean bathrooms. Highly recommend.

The Waltham Museum is such a gem tucked away in a historic neighborhood. My entrance was free as I…read morewas enrolled in a watchmaking class held by the New York horological society. You can tell that the museum organizers really care to make this area a family, friendly experience. There is naturally a lot of history and museum artifacts surrounding the Waltham watch company, which made amazing pocket watches in the 19th and 20th century. Definitely recommend this museum if you're in the area.

If enthusiasm counts for anything, this museum is tops! The docent was helpful and loved the…read moremuseum. She had so much to share. Her voice was full of love for Waltham. She moved there at a young age, so she has the personal touch. The Museum itself is overflowing with information from the Native American days to almost current events. Waltham has contributed so many inventions - did you know chalk sticks were created in Waltham? Or a ten-seat bicycle was built there by the Metz Car Co. (also from Waltham that sold car kits that the customer put together himself). So many more unique bits of knowledge await the curious, the proud Waltham citizen or the amateur history buff. Maybe you are all three? Go and enjoy yourself!

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

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

Great staff and there so much to see. Being able to see some of these innovations in real life,…read morethat I had only previous seen in history books or documentaries was pretty neat. My favorite part was to see some of the belt driven machinery actually work. We had visited the day after a person had come and replaced some of the belts. We were able to see a belt driven (automated) saw cut through a chunk of metal. It was an impromptu demo as we were walking around the the staff member saw us examining this particular piece of equipment (with our eyes of course). And he started it up for us. Again...staff is really enthusiastic and engaging. We also got to see where they do hands on workshops, where kids can design and print things in 3D, which is pretty cool. They had a nice even space as well for smaller weddings/events. Easy parking (pay) in a nearby garage and a easy walk across the bridge/walkway to get to the museum. If this type of history interests you, I would definitely recommend you stopping by. We were there for a couple of hours and throughly enjoyed the staff showing us around. Cute gift shop as well.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've worked over a decade in this area of Waltham and have never…read morerealized this hidden gem of a historical museum existed. The guys working the front desk are super knowledgeable, funny, helpful and nice. One of them was kind enough to give us a brief intro when we first arrived. They can totally geek out on all sorts of interesting facts, which I live to absorb. Still, I wish I had planned it in advance so we could have a formal tour because there's so much to see. Before coming here I had no idea that Massachusetts held such a rich industrial heritage. We spent two hours exploring the two story museum. There were plenty of interactive exhibits (great for the kiddos and adults) and each time we looped around the museum we found something else we missed the first time going through. This place is a haven especially for those who are interested in history and engineering. They had antique bikes, wooden cars, steam fire engines, watchmaking tools, belt driven machines, typography machines, horse drawn fire truck, and even a phone booth! They also do a great job of mixing in some modern and new exhibits (e.g., we saw whimsical puppetry paintings by Tanya Harsch). The second floor also has a beautiful and grand ballroom space (perfect for corporate events or weddings). I can't wait to come back here. Whether you are local or from out of town I'd highly recommend a visit.

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!

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts features an impressive selection of art from around the world and…read moreacross different periods. We explored the Egyptian, Greek, European, Flemish and Dutch, Asian, Impressionist, and a small Jewish section. The exhibits are wonderful, and the museum is too large to explore in a single day. The gift shop has a nice selection of books, cards, and other typical museum knickknacks. Their Impressionist-themed puzzles were especially interesting. This is a progressive museum that strongly supports respective causes. If that bothers you, you may not enjoy your visit.

Had never heard of this artist. What a nice small museum highlighting his work and life! Amazing…read moresculptures. Loved the story of how he never gave up on creating the Paul Revere sculpture . Spoke with two nice ladies working there. Would recommend stopping in to see it if on the area. Now I know about Cyrus Dallin!

Stopped here at the end of a biking trip and thoroughly enjoyed the free tour. I'd never heard of…read moreDallin or this museum before, and after the visit, I found that fact somewhat appalling. I went in not expecting much and left absolutely amazed. There is so much movement and expressivity in his sculptures. They remind me of early Rodin. In short, this guy created the Paul Revere statue in the North End, the Native American Statue in front of the MFA, and the trumpeting angel of the Mormon church, among others. He could easily be the best American sculptor of the 20th century but, due to political conflict and possibly his own obstinacy/arrogance, he has virtually no legacy. Poor guy, it took him 60 years to erect the Paul Revere statue in the North End and his name isn't even engraved on the pedestal! Boston politicians apparently didn't care for him much at all. He died penniless and all he gets is four rooms in a tiny house in Arlington to showcase his masterpieces. It's a nice little museum though, and the curators are very knowledgeable and dedicated. You can walk through the place on your own, but it's small enough that having a docent guide you through a detailed tour wouldn't take more than 40 minutes. As I said before, everything is free, though donations are greatly appreciated. If you are hosting visitors or just have an hour to kill on a weekend afternoon, this local treasure is well worth the trip.