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Museum of Science

4.1 (877 reviews)
Closed • 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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ice room
Hank C.

Pretty cool institution (I'm not saying that just because of their ice room!) for events at night - they had a blue wing open for us to wander in, put in some cool ice-themed ice cream service, music, racing and ping pong, plenty of catered food and giant donuts. The exhibits were fun - the micro to macro size, the ice area, the hands-on play, watching the robot dog, and more. Definitely a fun afternoon for the kids and one even the adults appreciated after hours with drinks. Liked the VR and flying your drone across to find animals and more in the ice space, the real ice wall, and the scary climber (shocked a few ppl not paying attention). The globe and space exhibits were interesting, theater and more to explore. Plenty of areas to get hands-on with science and look at weird and cool science experiments that could inspire you to do more. And the dinosaur T-Rex with a tuxedo bow? Nice touch! Will have to come by here another time to explore the other areas in the museum.

Concerning bee habitat
Katherine R.

As someone with a master's degree in chemistry I just had to check out the museum of science. I allotted three hours, but it was not enough!! Be prepared to want to spend like five hours in here. My rating is mostly about the sheer number of stations that did not work. There were a bunch that had signs that they were being repaired, but there were also several that we tried to do that were open but did not work at all, which wasted some of our precious time. Their instructions overall left something to be desired. Same with their animal habitats, there were a lot that did not have their animals in them or were hard to see into. The ones that did were sometimes a little concerning. The bee population in particular had a TON of corpses and even the honeycombs looked sickly. This museum is definitely geared towards kids, so if you are a scientist prepare for the science to be heavily dumbed down. The periodic table info board hurt my heart and I actually had to stop reading and walk away. I also am an AI hater in this day and age (environmental and critical thinking reasons) so I positively hated how much AI stuff there was and that they were teaching kids to love it. Still lots of interesting things to see and learn! Some very cool informational animations as well. I particularly enjoyed the shell collection and the dinosaur area.

Inside
Danielle D.

I had a great time here at the Boston Museum of science. It was very big and there was so much hands-on stuff to do with kids of all ages. They have a little food court inside of this museum and there is a parking garage that connects right to the museum as well. There is definitely a wide variety of things to learn and see here. I feel like just one day at the museum was not even enough. They do offer memberships and I can see why lol. This museum is definitely a place kids will want to go back to. One of my favorite parts of the museum was the brain area where they have a human brain and someone that explains all about it. I just thought it was pretty cool that they had a human brain on display. They even had exhibits that I did not get to see, simply because there was just not enough time in one day like I said. Highly recommend for a rainy day activity or a fun play date!

Brad L.

Been coming here since I was a wee lad and still love the hell out of this place. Plenty to do for kids and adults. Interactive exhibits cover pretty much everything STEM-related. Don't miss the planetarium shows. My only gripe would be that the food service closes down way too early and it wouldn't be so bad to extend the overall hours a tad too.

Austin G.

People told us that the Museum of Science is among the best science centers in the country. After spending two hours there, there is a lot to see and experience. Here's our take on the Museum of Science visiting with our nine-year-old daughter. 1) Admission: Visiting from Washington, D.C. where many museums are free, it's always abrasive to pay so much for museums. For the three of us to visit with an IMAX ticket too, it was $120+. To their credit, they stamped our tickets so we could go back again within six months since we went two hours before closing. Staff were super helpful and kind. 2) Space: There are three floors well organized with clear signage. There are areas for smaller kids and some for older kids. My nine-year-old enjoyed the robot dog and the arctic experience. 3) IMAX: We paid for the 50-minute rescue dog movie. It was engaging and inspiring! It does bring up some disasters like terrorism and earthquakes so be prepared for that if your child has a big imagination.

Menghai T.

Visited here through the ASTC passport program. Normally it's about $30 pp. there are various science topics from dinosaurs, biology , math, etc... It took me about 3 hour to see everything. A pretty good science museum for both kids and adults!

Stephanie B.

We make it a point to stop in every 1-2 years as a lot of the museum exhibits stay the same. The museum is interesting but honestly isn't big enough to hold your attention all day unless you're also doing the Omni and the Planetarium shows. A few of the interactive exhibits were broken which was a bummer. It's also under construction so there were tons of construction workers walking around. Staff is friendly. The food from the cafe is below mediocre, so if you can bring your own or plan to go to the nearby CambridgeSide Galleria for better options. The electricity theater was super interesting and while they offer a low sensory area for viewing, you cannot hear the presenter well at all. Overall if you can get discounted tickets it's worth the trip.

Melissa M.

I was a little worried there wouldn't be enough for my 17 month old but there is truly so much there. We could have spent our whole 3 hours in the train exhibit! They have headphones for kids for the electricity show which is nice. It's easy to get to and to park if you drive in. Pretty pricey for parking, getting a membership may be worth it! They have a nice cafe which wasn't too pricey and has a nice view of the river

Entrance on left
Gail U.

I've only been on part of their first floor. There is a Duck Tour office inside but you actually can buy tickets outside once the booth opens or on line. Those who purchased tickets catch the land and water vehicle by the big dinosaur to the far left of the building. I purchased hot beverages from their cafe and used the restroom before the tour. I saw stairs going down that said live animals. The exhibits I got a glimpse of were impressive. After our Duck Tour I spent a bundle at their gift shop. It wasn't open before 9:30 a.m. I saw a few families bringing their young kiddies to the museum.

Christina R.

I hadn't planned to visit the Museum of Science, but I had purchased a CityPass and it was raining pretty bad on our first day in Boston. I had all outdoor activities planned so plan B was museums and other indoor activities. This museum is huge and it's got a plethora of interactive displays and exhibitions. I would say that it's more geared towards children than adults, but as two adults, we still had a great time. What I mean by it's geared toward children is that the interactive displays are very basic and a bit simplistic. You could use the word "hokey" maybe. There are a lot of elevators if you have strollers or mobility issues. The escalators were being worked on when we were there but it wasn't too big of an issue. I will say the best part of this museum is the presentations that they have. I'd highly suggest the electricity one with the Tesla coils. Super cool and really fun.

Meg M.

Maybe if i came with a small group of friends and got to explore, rather than keeping an eye on 115 teens I would have enjoyed the museum more! It has a lot to offer but was really crowded, preventing the ability to slowly go through and enjoy each exhibit. A lot of the shows took place after we had to leave too. Not a bad spot, i guess i was just expecting a bit more. New York museums are just a little more extra than the ones in Boston!

Mae-Lou Z.

I've loved the Museum of Science since I was little. The last time I went, I was in a wheelchair due to foot surgery. I was delighted by how accessible the entire building is. The floors are flat and there was enough space in between displays for me to maneuver, even with my foot elevated.

Green wall
Shreya G.

Such a fun museum! This was my first time at the museum of science here in Boston, and it was such a blast! I truly learned so much and I love how interactive the museum is. My favorite exhibit was probably the electricity/ lightning one. We didn't catch a show there but I wish we had, hopefully next time we'll go early enough to see it! You could easily spend all day here so I'd recommend going early. We went on a Sunday afternoon, so of course it was very crowded with families (as a science museum should be!) but this did mean that I got muscled out of some interactive exhibits by little kids. So if you are going without kids, I would recommend going sometime during the week as to avoid that. Otherwise it was such a fun experience and I definitely want to go back!

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Reviews are generally positive. Many enjoy the interactive exhibits and live shows. The museum is clean and well-maintained, with helpful staff.

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

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Ask the Community - Museum of Science

How walkable is the Museum from the Green Line Science Station? I'd have my two year old with me. Too difficult to bring a stroller? Thanks!

It's maybe one block. You cross the street and walk about 500 feet and you are there.

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Review Highlights - Museum of Science

“The Lightning show was fun (get there a few minutes early for good seats), and the Halloween days were very cute.”

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Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - Greek statue

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

4.4(1k reviews)
2.3 mi

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!

My son's love for art museums brought us here when we were visiting Boston & we had a wonderful…read moreexperience despite the unnecessary incident with security that occured to us, which I'm not going to mention. The museum itself was beautifully organized, spacious & had plenty to see. They had a huge selection of galleries and exhibits depicting art spanning thousands of years & many global cultures- from ancient civilization to modern contemporary art with lots of impressive collections too. My son esp. love European art & I like Renaissance art. Definitely a must-visit for anyone who appreciates art & culture. Fyi, don't forget to grab a map after you walk up those stairs. There's a lower ground level, ground level 1, level 2 & 3. Expect to spend atleast 2-3 hours.

Photos
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - Miniature display, AKA: doll house for eccentric rich women "too old" for dolls --  aka: 19th century version of me minus "rich" -- haha!

Miniature display, AKA: doll house for eccentric rich women "too old" for dolls -- aka: 19th century version of me minus "rich" -- haha!

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - Gorgolla like statue

Gorgolla like statue

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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - July 2026

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

4.3(817 reviews)
2.5 mi•Longwood

One of the most characteristic museums I have ever visited, because the story of how it came to be,…read morewho created it and the infamous art heist that happened here. I really enjoyed learning about Isabella's own life story and how she specifically instructed in her will that everything has to stay arranged the way she designed. It felt like a castle full of treasures, every room is stuffed full of art collected from all over the world. I came for the beautiful courtyard but stayed for so much more. I went on a weekday and it was still packed. There are certain rooms like the blue and yellow rooms that limit the amount of the people that can occupy at a time, expect to wait in a line for a bit. Entrance is free for anyone named Isabella.

If you're someone who really appreciates art, you'll probably love this place. Knowing myself, I've…read morenever been someone who appreciates art the way others do, so take my review with a grain of salt. I came here based on the photos and had a completely different picture in my mind. I was expecting more of a garden experience, particularly the beautiful garden pictured in so many of the reviews. While it was pretty, it was also incredibly crowded, which took away from the experience. I walked around hoping something would really impress me, but it just didn't do it for me. Again, this is entirely personal preference. I can see why people who appreciate art would enjoy this place, but for me, it just wasn't what I had envisioned.

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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - Little Salon.

Little Salon.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - 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.

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Museum of Bad Art - "Blue Eyed Fox" ( I think)

Museum of Bad Art

4.2(59 reviews)
3.2 mi•Dorchester

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!!!

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Museum of Bad Art - "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
Museum of Bad Art - "Hot, Hot, Hot (Victoria's Real Secret)"

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Boston Public Library - Quite room

Boston Public Library

4.6(672 reviews)
1.3 mi•Back Bay

As someone who loves reading, this library was honestly a dream! The interior is absolutely…read morebeautiful and spacious, with so many different areas to sit down and study or read. I could easily see myself spending hours here if I lived in Boston lol. One thing that really stood out to me was the children's section. There were so many families visiting that they even had what looked like a stroller parking lot right in the middle of the room! What impressed me the most though was how well the noise was contained. Despite how loud and lively it was inside the children's area, you could barely hear anything as soon as you stepped outside, even with people constantly going in and out. I've never seen anything quite like this at other libraries and thought it was such a thoughtful design! It allows kids to enjoy their own space while everyone else can still have the peace and quiet you'd normally expect from a library.

We came here on a Sunday to visit the Courtyard Tea Room for their Sunday Brunch Tea. They don't…read moreopen until 11AM, which is fine, but it was pouring and windy due to the Nor'easter that was occurring and perhaps in that situation, they should open slightly early to allow those with reservations access to wait inside. Only other gripe - The amount of homeless people walking through, using the restroom to dry off, etc was ridiculous. I get this is a liberal city, but there are many tourists from all over the world and they shouldn't be subjected to the dirty restrooms, those shaking their wet trash bags onto others, etc. There was security up front where you enter, they should monitor a little better. Aside from those issues - The library's architecture was beautiful! Spacious and grand with lots of mosaic and beautiful stone, like marble work throughout. It's a very nice building with a gorgeous courtyard worth visiting when the weather is nice.

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Boston Public Library - Exterior

Exterior

Boston Public Library - The lions. The ceiling. The floors. All of it was gorgeous!

The lions. The ceiling. The floors. All of it was gorgeous!

Boston Public Library - Bates Reading Room

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Bates Reading Room

Harvard Museum of Natural History - Chocolate Tasting

Harvard Museum of Natural History

4.4(258 reviews)
2.4 mi•Harvard Square

I came here to see the glass flowers exhibit and it was so worth it. The entire collection is…read morebreathtaking, so much care goes into the preservation of every piece and so interesting to learn about the history of the art and the father and son artists. This was the most impressive and captivating exhibit I have ever seen in a museum, simply insane to know that man is able to create something so intricate with glass. A must-visit in a lifetime!

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!

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Harvard Museum of Natural History
Harvard Museum of Natural History - Dinosaur

Dinosaur

Harvard Museum of Natural History - Rock or mineral?

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Rock or mineral?

Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston - A piece from AAMARP exhibition.

Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston

3.6(447 reviews)
1.8 mi•Waterfront, South Boston

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.

Photos
Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston - A piece from AAMARP exhibition.

A piece from AAMARP exhibition.

Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston
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.

Museum of Science - museums - Updated October 2026

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