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    ICA Watershed

    4.2 (15 reviews)

    ICA Watershed Photos

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    Exhibition
    Jenny T.

    Came here for an exhibition once and I LOVED it. So many photo spots, clean bathrooms, and spacious! To get to the watershed, I boarded a Ferry at Seaport (by the Institute of Contemporary Art). The ferry ride was pretty short and super stunning - the views of Boston's seaport are so gorgeous and it's so nice feeling the wind against your face. The area where the ICA Watershed is also is pretty, stunning photo views, there's a nice park (I saw a couple taking wedding photos there) which could be a great lunch spot in good weather, and there was a spot for Australian pies which I wish I had checked out.

    Ellen K.

    My friend and I made it our mission to visit the Watershed after we snagged our free Thursday evening admissions ticket at the ICA (available 10am every Thursday for reservation online). We had to time it perfectly as we planned to arrive at the Watershed at around 4pm via the T from East Boston, take a look around, and then take the water taxi scheduled at 4:30pm back to the ICA to then take a look around the art gallery at 5pm. Definitely give yourselves enough time to explore and get to the area because my friend and I had a rush a bit to make it to the water taxi (located at pier park) I'm glad I read the reviews before visiting because I truly did start to wonder if I was headed in the right direction as we walked from Maverick station past Pier Park. Once you see a parking lot and pass a mural on your left, you will see the Watershed. Once inside, we had to show proof of our tickets to the ICA and received wristbands, which would signal to the water taxi that we were eligible to ride it later for free. The exhibit itself by Firelei Baez was SUPER COOL. I've seen many pictures so I was really looking forward to it, but wow the details and ambience are amazing. It truly does make someone feel as if they've discovered an underwater kingdom or something. I know some reviewers are disappointed because the Watershed only features this one artwork and is quite distant to get to from the city center; however, I think it is worth seeing as long as you plan in advance and double check the water taxi times which come hourly on weekdays and sometimes only offering one way rides.

    Jonathan C.

    Went early on a weekend and it was easy to get to. Admission was free and parking was free on Marginal Way. The parking limit is 2 hours and is in effect from mon-fri 8am-6pm. Street cleaning is the 2nd and 4th Thursday from 8am to 12 noon.

    Michelle D.

    Free Admission all days of the week to the ICA Watershed in East Boston! Can't beat this^. It's a very quick walk through exhibit that is beautiful. Pro Tip: If you purchase an ICA Ticket in the Seaport, you can take the complimentary Water Taxi over to the ICA Watershed in East Boston that drops you off of Piers Park (A beautiful large public park in East Boston overlooking the beautiful City - great spot to walk around). After, I would recommend stopping by Sea Biscuit, the Tall Ship, or Downeast Cider's Pop Up for lunch/drinks after visiting the ICA Watershed exhibit but, before taking the complimentary Water Taxi back to the ICA in the Seaport.

    Where the sidewalk ends.
    Jess J.

    You can access the Watershed directly from the ICA (via water taxi) or on the MBTA (in a round-about way). I'm glad I went---the exhibit was stunning and I thought the whole place really fit with the feel of the neighborhood. The building and design didn't seem out of place. Accessing the Watershed was a little dicey. You walk in a residential area, and then industrial area (through a park or on the street). At some point you'll question if you're going in the wrong direction (for me it was when the sidewalk ended (see photo), but keep going! You'll get there and it'll be well worth the schlep!

    ICA Watershed
    Vivian T.

    Walking into ICA Watershed, I had no idea what to expect. I was expecting typical museum exhibits, but upon entering I was amazed by the giant structure that looked like ruins of an underwater city (I immediately thought of Atlantis when I saw it!!) If you go to ICA, you should definitely check out the Watershed. ** the water taxi that takes you from the main ICA building to the watershed comes every hour so make sure you keep track of time to not miss it!! You also have to show your ICA sticker; be sure to not to lose it (I saw some stickers dropped in the ICA museum)**

    Hallway of the museum

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    Review Highlights - ICA Watershed

    And beautiful Piers Park has wonderful views of Boston Harbor.

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    Museum of Bad Art

    Museum of Bad Art

    4.2
    (59 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    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!!!

    Photos
    "George and Jackie" Yes, this is a painting of George Washington and Jackie Kennedy lol
    "George and Jackie" Yes, this is a painting of George Washington and Jackie Kennedy lol
    Museum of Bad Art
    "Hot, Hot, Hot (Victoria's Real Secret)"

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    "Hot, Hot, Hot (Victoria's Real Secret)"
    Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

    Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

    4.3
    (798 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    A friend recommended this art collection in this beautiful space so I reserved tickets online for…read moretoday at 11 when it opened. You can buy your tickets in person as well. It's a separate entrance line than the preordered tickets. They do check your bags and tell you to leave your water bottles at the coatcheck on the 1st floor or downstairs at the lockers. We started upstairs on the 3rd floor, and worked our way down. Every room is specifically designed to highlight some theme by Isabella, from the brocade on the walls to the ceiling to the doors to the artwork/furniture everywhere. Because it's a three story mansion, it's decorated as such and has less of the feel of a gallery as a luxuriously decorated estate. Most of the artwork is not identified as it would be in a museum, but it can still be appreciated. There were a few signs along the way that explained the theme of the room according to Isabella. From the third floor especially, the live music in the central garden could be heard so well because of the magnificent acoustics. (There was music in honor of Juneteenth today). If it's your first time there, pay attention to the plaque by the elevator on the 1st floor that states it was the entrance that Isabella herself had used. Apparently that was the original entrance to the museum for a long time and the glass encased current entrance used to be greenhouses. We spent 1.5 hrs there and enjoyed exploring and appreciating the unique museum experience together. Highly recommend!!

    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!

    Photos
    Madame August Manet by Edouard Manet. Below is stolen artwork where the empty frame is.
    Madame August Manet by Edouard Manet. Below is stolen artwork where the empty frame is.
    At Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
    At Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
    Dutch Room.

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    Dutch Room.
    Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston

    Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston

    3.6
    (442 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    I rounded up to three stars, but if you are a non-MA tourist paying full price you would be hard…read morepressed to feel like you got any value for your museum money. This is a very small museum and everything in the museum gift shoppe is massively overpriced, considerably more than the typical museum store mark up around the world. When you walk up through Seaport, it is a really cool building from the exterior and it has great views of the water. It is also very close to the Levain, less than 5 minute walk. So far so good, but you have not even gotten indoors yet. Super cool installation in the lobby to welcome you in. So far so good, you haven't paid yet. How much is admission again? Take the elevator up to the 4th floor, there is no art on any of the other floors for you. It takes less than an hour to go through everything in the museum and that is if you go slow, take your time looking out the windows at the view of the water, hit the restroom, check your phone, and look at everything on the 4th floor again. It is a small museum. One review said she could do the entire 4th floor in 15 minutes, which is a real speed run, I at least read the placards and I was out in well under an hour. It is an interesting collection and art is subjective etc etc. If money is no object to you then great, pay the admission fee and the $85+ to get an unsigned, mass produced paper poster (no frame) as a souvenir in the gift shoppe on the way out. But anyone remotely cost conscious is going to feel like they did not get good value here for the full non-MA admission price.

    I don't think contemporary art is really for me, but we'd never been here and I was able to score…read morefree tickets for a Thursday which is my day off. Honestly, the building and location right by the water is beautiful. The portraits exhibit was lovely and interesting, but the rest of the exhibits kind of went over my head (how high the moon and doors). I also was not aware that we needed water shuttle tickets to go to the watershed exhibit which seemed more interesting, and the they had sold out for the day. The gift shop was worth a browse. We also were able to participate in their free event in which we made our own little displays with modeling clay of a place we want to protect. I thought this was really cute and it was mostly children and parents, but we spent a good chunk of time making our pieces and staff were friendly and helpful. I'm not sure I'd return, especially at full price, but I am interested in eventually coming back with water shuttle tickets next time.

    Photos
    A piece from AAMARP exhibition.
    A piece from AAMARP exhibition.
    Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston
    View from dock.  Designed by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

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    View from dock. Designed by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
    RISD Museum

    RISD Museum

    4.6
    (201 reviews)
    41.8 mi

    The RISD Museum in Providence is one of those places that catches you off guard with how much it…read morehas to offer, especially if you are not already familiar with it going in. I found the building spanning six floors, and the spaces were well organized throughout, giving each piece enough room to be appreciated properly without the galleries ever feeling sparse or rushed. It is the kind of museum where I could spend a couple of hours moving through it and still feel like I left things unexplored. The collection is the main reason to visit, and it covers a genuinely impressive range, from ancient artifacts and historical portraits all the way through to modern and contemporary works. The curation does a good job of making those transitions between periods feel intentional rather than disjointed, and the rotating exhibits add a reason to come back beyond what is already on permanent display. The Liz Collins exhibit drew a lot of attention during its run and was a strong example of how well the museum handles contemporary work alongside its more classical holdings. Staff were present and approachable throughout the floors, and coat lockers near the entrance were available, a small but appreciated detail on a longer visit. The building was easy to navigate even on a first trip, and the overall experience felt well managed without being overly structured. One thing worth knowing before planning a trip is that Sundays offer free admission to all visitors, which makes it an easy addition to a Providence weekend without having to think twice. Weekday visits run quieter if you prefer more space and a slower pace through the galleries. For a museum connected to an art school, it holds up as one of the stronger art museums in the region and is well worth the time.

    The RISD Museum is worth a visit. I'm sharing photos of the pieces that stood out to me most. I…read morestarted in the RISD student galleries, which were full of impressive work. my favorite was a floor installation that looks like a woven rug but is actually made entirely of salt. So many pieces made you stop and think, "How did they do that?!" I visited the whole museum, but my favorites were the Costume & Textile galleries, the exhibit on kingfishers in art and poetry, the European Grand Gallery with its oil paintings and the 18th/19th‑century American rooms in Pendleton House. I also loved how the museum's architecture fits together like a puzzle across several older buildings and street entrances. That was a surprising add-on to the visit. Extra tip: street parking is nearly impossible. Check their website for the free weekend parking lots (within walking distance) they make the visit much easier.

    Photos
    Risd student exhibit
    Risd student exhibit
    Japanese Buddha
    Japanese Buddha
    RISD Museum

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    The Paul Revere House

    The Paul Revere House

    3.8
    (271 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    Nice to have this house preserved, but tickets are 6 dollars and it probably should be free since…read moreit is so small. It is just two rooms and a small gift shop, and we were in and out pretty quickly. The girl working was not the friendliest, which took away from the experience a bit. They also do not allow photography, which is understandable, but barely anything was original so not sure the significance.

    Now here's a little story I've got to tell About 3 bad…read morebrothers you know so well It started way back in history With Ad-Rock, MCA and me, Mike D Ok sorry I had to do that. The Paul Revere house sounds like a must visit place to visit while in Boston but honestly there isn't much to it. The good news is it's cheap at only 6.00 per person. The bad news is there are no pics inside and none of the stuff in there is actually his. Just stuff that was from the time period or reproductions. So why no pictures? The house is small but 2 stories, then you go into a gift shop because I think it's the 8th amendment to the constitution that all museums and tourist attractions must end in a gift shop. There's also a little history timeline at the end with a few artifacts that were cool. It's a decent place to check out especially for the price and it doesn't take long but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Oh, and let people take their pics, they are not British muskets. The I-phones are coming! The I-phones are coming!

    Photos
    Paul revere house.
    Paul revere house.
    Built circa 1680 - the oldest surviving house in Boston and home of Paul Revere!! Amazing to explore this piece of history!
    Built circa 1680 - the oldest surviving house in Boston and home of Paul Revere!! Amazing to explore this piece of history!
    Paul Revere House

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    Paul Revere House

    ICA Watershed - artmuseums - Updated July 2026

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