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.

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.

I'm a huge museum fan, and I loved this museum!…read more One of the most unique museums in the East coast. You feel like you're actually going through a palace, as opposed to your typical museum. No placards exist, which is apparently the way Isabella Stewart wanted it. And honestly, it's a breath of fresh air because you are left simply appreciating what's in front of you. I think more museums should adopt this practice. Also everything is left arranged the way Isabella Stewart arranged it to be. No re-arranging or "curating" what might appeal to the masses. Apparently there was a heist here back years ago and they've just left the areas where the paintings were stolen blank, lol. I like that it's a doable museum that can be completed within a few hours. I'd come back! It does get busy on weekends though, so plan accordingly.

Our whole family LOVED this museum! And when I say everyone from age 2 to almost 40 had an amazing…read moretime, I truly mean it! You could easily spend an entire day here and honestly, probably even longer. Every area has something different to explore, with hands on activities that are both fun and educational. There was so much to see and do that we were constantly discovering something new. The kids' favorite was building a car using batteries and then testing it to see how fast it would go along the track. They could have stayed there forever! My personal favorites were the bed of nails (yes, I actually tried it ) and the machine sponsored by Takeda that you stand on, and it tells you which areas of your body supposedly need a little extra attention. It was hilarious and so much fun! The AI dog robot was also SO cool! And honestly, the list of things we loved just keeps going. Even the cafeteria was a pleasant surprise. There was a good selection, the food was decent, and the prices were actually reasonable which isn't always the case at museums. This is definitely one of those places where every age can find something to enjoy. We had an amazing time as a family, and I would absolutely recommend adding this museum to your list!

Super fun thing to do with the family and children of all ages. Lots of things to touch and explore…read moreand just as many shows available as activities. We tried to get 3 shows shoved in our trip along with seeing the museum and barely made it and still missed things. For the shows, we found them all to be very entertaining. Saw the ai and robot show first in the morning. It was a fun experience and the kiddos loved it. Then we did the lighting show and I will say if you aren't a fan of loud noises and bright lights maybe pick to go inside the sensory room for this. They've thought of everything to ensure everyone has a great experience and this was a great idea to offer. Finally we did the Omni deep space show. It's an extra $10 a person but it was absolutely worth it and stunning! The kids were in absolute aw. For the museum, I will say it was exceptionally clean, and filled with hands on experiences. There's so much to do I recommend doing this with a plan. Cafeteria inside the red wing offers food for the whole family at very reasonable prices. All the food was hot and tasty. I did a separate review for them on their side and it's under "riverview cafe". Finally the gift shop was very cool. I bought a dinosaur sweater with spikes on the back and a key chain. Note: this is expensive and can easily be bypassed if you don't want to spend more because admittedly I had no plans to buy anything there and still spent $111 . Overall amazing trip with the family and it was made even easier with parking that connects right to the museum. $33 for me for 7 hours of parking. Yes you can absolutely get parking cheaper elsewhere, but if you have or know someone with a disability and want to make the experience smoother without the rush in Boston this is a great option.

Great experience! Love how this exhibit is interactive. First, we got to take part in a reenactment…read moreof the secret townhall meeting. All of the actors were awesome and stayed in character the entire time. After, we were led onto the ship where we had the opportunity to throw "tea" into the harbor. There was a lot of people to get through so this portion goes quick. Also, it's completely optional. Lastly, they take you into a few more rooms to look at artifacts and watch a short video. At the end of the tour, there is a tea room and gift shop. Overall, I think its a fun activity worth trying. You get to learn a lot about the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War.

Improved a lot over the years, Boston Tea Party museum has improved!…read more For our tour/experience, we joined the town meeting hall room where we were guided through some background before the Boston Tea Party took place with actors bringing the history to life with their own experience Each of the attendees received a card to tell us who we were. Now, our actor, character's name, was Peter. They had a little of a quieter voice so I could hear them clearly but it was a little challenge. We went from the meeting room to the boat where we had a limit opportunity to throw tea off the ship. Children were the primary participants in our group of 40-50 people. Then we went into this theater area with moving portraits and wide-length screen to hear the story of the museum. The tour ends in Abigail Tea Room and I recommend checking out all of the tea because it is graded based on the popularity in the 1770s from most expensive to cheapest. When I have visitors, I will go back again and glad to see such a robust experience.

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!!!

The library is huge! There are maps that help guide you but I was still a bit confused since it was…read moremy first time there. We ended up asking for a bit of help for directions on where to go. The library is stunning though! Definitely something to see when visiting. There were a lot of people visiting and taking photos.

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.

I have always loved this museum but never reviewed it! Their rock collection is amazing, the glass…read moreflowers are breathtaking, and everything else is a jig to explore. If you're a mass resident you get in free Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons!

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!

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!

If you are a science nerd, then you will love this museum. If you're not much into museums, you're…read morenot going to like it a whole lot cuz there's a whole bunch of history and the evolution of science women in science, the space, race, advancement of photographic lenses all kinds of things that the MIT community has contributed to the advancement of our human kind. I loved it cuz I was geeking out. My husband not so much.

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This was such a fun and interactive space. Admittedly, timing is a gamble game because…read moreLarge groups in front or behind you can affect your experience with moving through the exhibits. Staff we friendly. I would not recommend this place for younger children.

I had a great time visiting the mapparium. The guide was informative and answered questions as…read morewell, they were also volunteers. Tickets are $6. Well worth it. There are also discounts for: students, children, library card reservation, military, Mass residents.

Came here by myself when I helped my daughter move into her college dorm 5 years ago, now today…read morebrought my husband, brother and sister-in-law, because a cool unique historical glass give of the world as known in 1935. When I came by myself, I spent over an hour reading all the exhibits and information about the history of Christian Science. Pretty interesting. Today we just did the 20 minute tour of the mapparium and appreciated the artistry, engineering, acoustics, and historicity of the globe as well as the two timepieces hanging in the main atrium. All the staff were very welcoming. Brad and Steve did a great job giving us the tour. They have gorgeous tile work even in the restrooms, and speak with pride about the every aspect of the design of the building. They offer a coat room so that you can safely store your bags and water bottles to avoid any chance of dropping anything inside the mapparium. Glad to come back again with family. Very memorable.