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Massachusetts museums and galleries are among the finest in the world

Great art and artifacts, sculpture, photographs, machinery and much more spanning millennia of human endeavor are on vivid display throughout Massachusetts in cities and in the mountains. Masterworks of every era and culture are here. Galleries feature the work of living artists, and living history museums offer interpretations and reenactments. The state of Massachusetts has its own museum; there’s the Salem Witch Museum, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Indian Motorcycle Museum and many children’s museums. The fabulous Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) and the Norman Rockwell Museum chronicle American life and its artists.
Salem Witch Museum with Roger Conant - Photo Credit North of Boston CVB
Salem Witch Museum

19 1/2 Washington Square North Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-744-1692

Stories from the Salem Witch Trial are brought dramatically to life in this museum

Learn the stories of the 14 women and six men who were found guilty of, and executed for, witchcraft as a result of the 1692 witch trials when you visit the Salem Witch Museum. The stories, and the web of lies and intrigue that brought them about, come dramatically to life through 13 life-size stage sets, figures, lighting and narration. A second immersive exhibit, “Witches: Evolving Perceptions,” explores the meaning behind the word “witch” and the evolution of its image over time, discussing the emergence and power of stereotyping to this day. Presentations occur every half hour, and visitors should plan to stay about an hour. The museum store offers everything from tarot cards and spell books to apparel and locally made treats. Several parking garages are nearby.
Fitchburg Art Museum - Fitchburg, MA - Visit North Central Massachusetts
Visit North Central Massachusetts

1000 Route 2 West (between Exits 103 & 102) Lancaster, MA, 01523 Phone: 978-534-2302

Steeped in history and culture, the region offers a variety of interesting museums and galleries

Not surprisingly, North Central Massachusetts is an area rich in history and culture with a variety of museums and galleries that celebrate its past and its current cultural offerings. The Fitchburg Art Museum’s permanent collections include the work of Georgia O’Keefe, Ansel Adams, John James Audubon and John Singer Sargent. The Museum of Russian Icons’ current and upcoming exhibitions include “Artists for Ukraine” and costume pieces and playbills from international performances of “Swan Lake.” The Fruitlands Museum features 210 acres of walking trails and buildings celebrating Shaker, Native American and New England art. Gallery Sitka is a woman-run art gallery that focuses on abstract art. Student art is displayed at the Hammond Art Gallery at Fitchburg State University. - Read more about North Central Mass. here!
Spring Entrance View - Pilgrim Hall Museum - Plymouth, MA
Pilgrim Hall Museum

75 Court Street Plymouth, MA, 02360 Phone: 508-746-1620

Artifacts, programs illuminate the stories of Pilgrims, indigenous people

At the Pilgrim Hall Museum, visitors will discover the story of families of different cultures and the great difficulties they faced from the arrival of the Mayflower to the end of the Plymouth Colony in 1692. Opening its doors in 1824, the museum is the nation’s oldest continuously operating public museum, with a vast collection of Pilgrim possessions, including Myles Standish’s sword, William Bradford’s Bible and Peregrine White’s cradle. The museum’s focus also encompasses the experiences of the Wampanoag people, who lived in the area for over 13,000 years before the Pilgrims. Exhibitions and programs trace the interrelationships between the Wampanoag and early colonial settlers. Begin your historical journey with a 15-minute orientation film and end it in the gift shop with items from corn husk dolls to Mayflower replicas.
Modern Art - Worcester Art Museum - Worcester, MA
Worcester Art Museum

55 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA, 01609 Phone: 508-799-4406

Museum noted for vast, varied collections and, now, new ways of viewing art

Since it first opened its doors in1896, the Worcester Art Museum has been amazing visitors with its vast collections, now encompassing 38,000 objects from around the globe and from ancient to modern times. With newly imagined ways of presenting art and engaging visitors, the museum continues to delight, from newly reinstalled medieval galleries with an expanded arms and armor collection to modern ways of looking at Old Masters. Visitors can contribute “alternative labels” to different works via iPads, create their own art on community days or just stroll through galleries featuring the contributions of Paul Revere and stunning Japanese folding screens. Upcoming exhibit topics range from kimonos to the history of stolen art to baseball jerseys. See the website for timed-ticket admission information and safety protocols.
House of the Seven Gables - Salem, MA
The House of the Seven Gables

225 Derby Street Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-774-0991

Celebrate the storied history of the home that inspired a great American novel

You could say that The House of the Seven Gables, on the waterfront in Salem, has a storied history. The house, now called the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, hosted Nathaniel Hawthorne often, inspiring his classic novel. Now you can visit that house and other homes on the property, including the 1682 Hooper-Hathaway House, the 1655 Retire Beckett House, Hawthorne’s birthplace, and the Kids Cove in the Counting House, with its hands-on activities for kids to learn about maritime history. A rich collection of objects and archival material from the late 1600s to the present includes first-edition Hawthorne works, postcards and ephemera featuring Salem and the The Gables over the years, paintings and embroidery. Lush gardens capture the charm of four centuries of gardening and vibrant colors. Lush gardens offer a beautiful seaside view or place to enjoy a book!
Hours: Open daily 10am - 6pm from March thru August, and by online reservation in November and December. Advance tickets highly recommended.
Cotton Gin - Old Sturbridge Village - Sturbridge, MA
Old Sturbridge Village

1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, off Route 20 Sturbridge, MA, 01566 Phone: 508-347-3362 Toll-Free: 800-733-1830

Making a museum come alive is the goal at this lovingly re-created New England village

At Old Sturbridge Village, the idea is to make history, and a 200-acre museum in Sturbridge, MA, come alive. As you stroll through heirloom gardens, admire textiles being made on a loom or a barrel being crafted by a cooper in his shop, you’ll be transported back to a typical rural New England village of the 1830s. Costumed historians will be happy to answer questions or demonstrate crafts as you explore everything from the 1810 general store to the Greek-Revival bank to the functioning gristmill, cider mill and sawmill. Check the website for special exhibits and daily activities, including guided tours, musical performances and talks on everything from dentistry to the life of a peddler. At the Freeman Farm, kids especially will enjoy getting to know sheep, cows, pigs and chickens.
Early American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA - Photo Credit Avery Samuels & VisitNewEngland
Meet Boston

Information Centers on Boston Common and Prudential Towers (Center Court) Boston, MA, 02116 Phone: 888-733-2678

Art, science, history and so much more celebrated in the eclectic museums of Boston

Gaze at the gardens of Monet, hobnob with dinosaurs, admire a Venetian courtyard: Boston’s museums are waiting for you! From the Museum of Fine Arts, with its collection of Impressionist art, to the Museum of Science with dinosaurs and a butterfly garden, there is something for everyone in this vibrant city. See tea getting tossed at the Tea Party Ships & Museum, or let the kids climb a three-story structure in the Boston Children’s Museum. Check out sculptures at the Institute of Contemporary Art in the bustling Seaport district, walk through the Paul Revere House or take the Black Heritage Trail. Visit the gorgeous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, modeled after a Venetian palazzo, or learn inspiring stories at the Museum of Afro-American History.
D-Day Exhibit - American Heritage Museum - Hudson, MA
American Heritage Museum

568 Main Street Hudson, MA, 01749 Phone: 978-562-9182

From trenches to battlefields, museum exhibits will bring you into the heart of America’s greatest conflicts

The museum is now open! Wednesdays-Sundays from 10am-5pm. Advance ticketing is preferred - Please call or visit our website.

Detailed and engaging exhibits at the American Heritage Museum will make you feel you were there for the battles that have defined America’s defense of freedom. Dioramas and exhibits include a World War I trench experience, with a Ford Model T ambulance and German machine gun; D-Day, with a Higgins Boat landing craft; the Battle of the Bulge, with a Sherman Jumbo tank; the Korean War, with a Pershing tank; the Vietnam War, with an exhibit detailing the Hanoi Hilton prison camp; and the War on Terror, with a structure from the World Trade Center. The museum also includes vintage aircraft, autos and other vehicles and weaponry. Arrange ahead of time to ride (or drive) a tank. Check the website for special event weekends, including re-enactments.
Center of Revolution - Concord Museum - Concord, MA
Concord Museum

35 Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Road Concord, MA, 01742 Phone: 978-369-9763

Revere lantern, Thoreau’s writing desk among museum’s extensive Americana collection

Home of one of the oldest collections of Americana in the country, the Concord Museum provides visitors with a glimpse into the Indigenous, revolutionary, abolitionist and literary history of the area. Newly renovated and redesigned, its 16 galleries are rich with artwork and artifacts, including one of the Old North Church lanterns that led Paul Revere on his midnight ride, Henry David Thoreau’s writing desk on which he wrote “Walden,” an extensive collection of 18th and 19th century New England schoolgirl needlework and an historic clothing collection. You’ll also find muskets, intricately carved powder horns and swords from the Revolutionary War, images that mark the town’s history and an archaeology collection dating back 12,000 years. There’s a scavenger hunt for children and families and special hands-on areas and activities.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA - Photo Credit Explore Western Mass and Greater Springfield CVB
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

1000 Hall of Fame Avenue Springfield, MA Phone: 877-446-6752

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is home to more than 300 inductees and more than 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Hundreds of interactive exhibits share the spotlight with skills challenges, live clinics, and shooting contests. Basketball fans will find exhibits, interactive kiosks, memorabilia, and hands-on activities. Children and adults can spend the day in the 80,000-square-foot facility shooting baskets on a regulation court, measuring their skills against sports legends in an interactive game. Kids are invited to coaches’ clinics on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hours vary by season
JFK Presidential Library and Museum - Boston, MA - Photo Credit Greater Boston CVB
JFK Presidential Library and Museum

220 Morrissey Blvd. at Columbia Point Boston, MA, 02125 Phone: 617-514-1600

The Library and Museum are dedicated to the memory of President Kennedy. They portray the life, leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy through multi-media methods. The buildings are on a ten-acre park overlooking Boston harbor and the region where Kennedy grew up and began his legendary career.
Hours: Year-round Thurs-Sun, 10am - 4pm.
Admission: Adults $18; Seniors 62+ & College Students with ID $12; Ages 13-17 $10, Free for 12 & under and Members. Discount for veterans, MA-based college students and EBT holders available.
MASS MoCa in North Adams MA - Photo Credit-MOTT
Mass MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art )

87 Marshall Street North Adams, MA Phone: 413-662-2111

Since opening in 1999, MASS MoCA has become one of the world's premier centers for making and showing contemporary art. MASS MoCA exhibits work by many of the most important artists of today, focusing on large-scale and complex installations that are impossible to realize in conventional museums. MASS MoCA hosts more than 75 performances year-round, including popular music, contemporary dance, alternative cabaret, world music dance parties, outdoor silent films with live music, documentaries, and avant-garde theater.
Hours: September-June 25, daily except Tuesdays, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; June-September, daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admission: Adults $15; Students $10; Children age 6-16 $4
gingerbread cottages
Gingerbread Cottages and Cottage Museum of Martha's Vineyard

1 Trinity Park Oak Bluffs, on Martha's Vineyard, MA Phone:

Thirty-five acres of brightly painted cottage dating back to mid 1800s; tour a gingerbread home; performances at the tabernacle. Visitors to the Cottage Museum can view the interior of a typical Campground cottage, complete with period furnishings of the 1800s. Also on display are vintage photographs and other documents relating to the history of the Campground. The Cottage Museum and Museum Shop is a good place to learn about the cottages and the history of the Campground, and to find a nice memento of your visit.
Hours: Summer months, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $2; children age 3-12, 50 cents.
sandwich glass museum
Sandwich Glass Museum

129 Main Street Sandwich, MA, 02563 Phone: 508-888-0251

Sandwich was home to a glass factory throughout much of the 19th century. This museum features exhibits of glassware made from 1825 to 1888, along with changing exhibits of contemporary glassmaking art. Glass artwork for sale. Glassblowing demonstations held daily.
Hours: April 1-December 30, daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Closesd during January. February and March, Wednesday hrough Sunday, 9:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $12; Age 65 and older, $11; children age 6-14; group rates available.
nantucket shipwreck & lifesaving museum
Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum

158 Polpis Road Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-2505

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum features permanent and changing exhibitions about the history of Nantucket lifesaving, famous shipwrecks and rescues, life-saving equipment, the daily routine at a lifesaving station, and the workings of the United States Coast Guard in modern day. Come see period surfboats, beach carts,; vintage photographs, and a Fresnel lens from Brant Point Lighthouse and Great Point Lighthouse.
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors and college students, $7; youth age 6-17: $5
USS Constitution Museum - Charlestown, MA
USS Constitution Museum

at the Charlestown Navy Yard Charlestown, MA, 02129 Phone: 617-426-1812

The USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. The museum houses the ship's logs, weapons, charts, journals, arts, and more. Visitors fire a cannon, swing in a hammock, or command the USS Constitution in battle using a computer.
Hours: Museum is open daily 10am - 5pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. The Ship is open for tours Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 6pm, and is closed Mondays, MLK Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
Museum Admission (suggested): Adults $10-15, Children $5-10. Thank you for supporting us.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park - Photo Credit New Bedford Whaling Museum
New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park

33 William Street New Bedford, MA Phone: 508-996-4095

Covering 13 city blocks, a Visitor Center and many other buildings in downtown New Bedford, this park, operated by the National Park Service, preserves the history of 19th-20th century whaling industry, which had its epicenter in this old seafaring town. The park also tells stories of global immigration, Underground Railroad, women’s history, cultural diversity, architecture, and art. Here, you can see scenes like the Seamen’s Bethel, places depicted in Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby-Dick.”
Hours: April 1 to December 31, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; January 1 to March 31, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - Boston, MA
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

25 Evans Way Boston, MA, 02115 Phone: 617-566-1401

Modeled after a Venetian palazzo, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum opened in 1903, largely presenting the collections of Gardner, an avid traveler of the Victorian era and patron of the arts. The museum is located next to the Emerald Necklace of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. In fact, much of the museum is devoted to botanical imagery and gardens, including within the magnificent Courtyard. The collection includes 7500 paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, silver, ceramics, rare books, and objects from ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia, and the Islamic world. The museum is unfortunately famous for a theft in 1990 – yet unsolved -- of several artworks. - Virtual Tour of the Galleries
Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science - Boston, MA
Museum Of Science

1 Science Park Boston, MA, 02114 Phone: 617-723-2500

The museum includes that fabulous Charles Hayden Planetarium, the most technologically advanced digital theater in New England, presenting a rotating series of shows about the cosmos. Permanent exhibits include A Bird’s World, Bradford Washburn: The Man Behind the Lens; butterfly Garden; Catching the Wind; Colossal Fossil; Triceratops Cliff; Cosmic Light, Dinosaurs: Modeling the Mesozoic; Discovery Center; Hall of Human Life; Math Moves!; Mathematica; Nanotechnology; Natural Mysteries; Science in the Park; Seeing is Deceiving; The Light House; the Rock Garden; To the Moon; Transportation, and more.
Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA
Museum of Fine Arts

465 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA, 02115 Phone: 617-267-9300

Opened on July 4, 1876, the date of the country’s nation's centennial, the Museum of Fine Arts has undergone significant changes. Today the museum’s collections include 500,000 works of art from ancient to contemporary times. The museum takes special pride in its Art of the Americas Wing.
Hours: Thurs/Sat/Sun/Mon 10am - 5pm, Fridays 10am - 10pm, Closed Tues & Weds.
Admission: Members Free, Adults $27, Ages 7-17 $10, 6 and under Free. "Turner's Modern World" exhibit is an additional $7 with any paid admission.
US Naval Shipbuilding Museum and USS Salem - Quincy, MA
US Naval Shipbuilding Museum & USS Salem

Pier 3 - 549 South Street Quincy, MA, 02169 Phone: 617-479-7900

This museum is home to the USS Salem, the world’s only preserved heavy cruiser and place for children and families to explore this unique fighting vessel. In addition to day trips, kids can camp overnight on the USS Salem and take part in hands-on activities like radar tracking, damage control, simulated fire fighting, scavenger hunts, cold water survival, and first aid lessons.
Historic Deerfield - Deerfield, MA
Historic Deerfield

88 Old Main Street Deerfield, MA, 01342 Phone: 413-775-7214

Located in western Massachusetts off Routes 5 and 10 in the 330-year old village of Deerfield, the museum has been called the gem of rural New England. It includes 12 houses dating to the 18th and 19th centuries and three exhibition galleries at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life. Guided and self-guided tours are offered. A full calendar of programs, special events, and village walking tours are offered throughout the year. The Museum Store and Bookshop feature gifts, museum reproductions and books about early America and the decorative arts.
Hours: Open Daily, year round; hours vary by season. Call ahead or consult website.
Admission: Adults, $12; youth age 6-17, $5.
Cape Cod Museum of Art

60 Hope Lane Dennis, MA, 02638 Phone: 508-385-4477

Paintings, graphics, and sculpture by Cape Cod artists. Sculpture garden.
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults. $9; seniors age 62 and older, $8; youth age 13-18, $5.
Heritage Museums and Gardens - Sandwich, MA - Photo Credit MOTT
Heritage Museums & Gardens

67 Grove Street Sandwich, MA, 02563 Phone: 508-888-3300

Heritage Museums & Gardens celebrates American culture amid gorgeous gardens of spectacular rhododendron and azalea bushes. Three gallery buildings house beautifully restored automobiles, a notable collection of American folk art, historical artifacts, a colorful vintage carousel that has been delighting children (and adults) for years, and a wide variety of special exhibitions. Hidden Hollow, an interactive family-friendly area, allows for exploration of the natural world and learning about the environment. Open late April through mid October.
Wenham Museum

132 Main Street Wenham, MA, 01984 Phone: 978-468-2377

Museum of social history from 175h century to present. Claflin-Richard House (c. 1690); world-renowned doll collection, dollhouse, costumers, model trains, toys. Conant photography collection, family discovery, and changing exhibits.
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays ; Admission: Adults,$8; children ages 1- 18, $6.
Fitchburg Art Museum Indoor Fitchburg MA
Fitchburg Art Museum

185 Elm Street Fitchburg, MA, 01420 Phone: 978-345-4207

Discover the world’s art treasures right nearby

With over 20,000 square feet of exhibitions, the Fitchburg Art Museum features works from historical collections and loaned exhibitions on regional contemporary art. The permanent exhibitions include 19th-century American art, American photography, African, Greek, and Roman art, and one of the best exhibits on ancient Egypt in New England. Founded in 1925 through the bequest of artist, collector and Fitchburg native Eleanor Norcross, the museum is a showcase of her vision as a pioneer in American social history. Discover masterpieces in 12 beautifully designed galleries. And on the first Thursday of the month from November to March, shop the Fitchburg Farmers’ Market on site.
Commonwealth Museum - Boston, MA
Commonwealth Museum

220 Morrissey Boulevard - Columbia Point Boston, MA, 02125 Phone: 617-727-9268

The entire state of Massachusetts is on display: Places around the state, famous people who were born or have resided in the state, in addition to its politics and special role in America's history.
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. Closed on major holidays.; Admission: Free.
Essex Shipbuilding Museum

66 Main Street Essex, MA Phone: 978-768-7541

The Essex Shipbuilding Museum tells the story of a New England village that built more two-masted wooden fishing schooners than any other place in the world. Visitors to the museum will see shipbuilding tools, photographs, exhibits about the shipbuilding industry, and the schooner Evelina M. Goulart. Guided and self-guided tours are offered. A gift shop offers ship plans, maritime books, T-shirts, toys, CDs, and maritime memorabilia.
Hours: Summer: June-October, Wednesdays- Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; after mid-October, open weekends, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Guided Tour, $5-$10, depending on age; self-guided tour with Shipyard Map, $7.
Bartlett Museum - Amesbury, MA
Bartlett Museum

270 Main Street Amesbury, MA, 01913 Phone: 978-388-4528

Museum features collections of horse-drawn carriages and Native American artifacts.
Hours: Open Friday-Sunday, 1-4pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day; other times by appointment. Admission is free.
Storrowton Village Museum

1305 Memorial Avenue West Springfield, MA, 01089 Phone: 413-205-5051

A restored New England village, featuring blacksmith shop, homes, schoolhouse, and a meetinghouse. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.

Lenox Station - Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum - Lenox, MA
Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum

10 Willow Creek Road Lenox, MA, 01240 Phone: 413-637-2210

Restored 1902 depot with railroading exhibits and model train displays; Berkshire Cottages exhibit in vintage railroad coach. On summer weekends and holidays the museum offers two 90-minute round trip excursions from Lenox Station to Stockbridge and a 45-minute round trip excursion from Lenox Station to Lee narrated by a uniformed conductor.
Orleans Historical Society and Museum

3 River Road Orleans, MA, 02653 Phone: 508-240-1329

This Greek Revival structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is used for special exhibits and cultural programs. The Society has a collection covering genealogical information, diaries, deeds, 19th- and 20th-century photos, artwork by local artists, about Orleans families and people, ships' logs, Native American artifacts, and other items relating to the history of Orleans. Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-noon or by appointment. Admission free, suggested donation.
Salem Wax Museum and Salem Witch Village - Salem, MA
Salem Wax Museum and Salem Witch Village

288 Derby Street Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-740-2929

This gallery-type museum has 50 wax figures in scenes that show Salem's history from its founding in 1626 through to the witch trials 1692 and into it period of global commerce in the 18th century. In the Interactive area, you can learn to tie knots like a sailor, create a gravestone rubbing, or feel what it’s like to be locked up in a life-size re-created jail cell. In October the entire street near the museum is transformed into The Haunted Neighborhood, featuring Frankenstein's Castle, Witching Hour spellcasting and ghostly tours!
Children's Museum in Easton

The Old Fire Station, 9 Sullivan Avenue North Easton, MA, 02356 Phone: 508-230-3789

Located in the historic Old Fire Station in North Easton, the Children's Museum of Easton offers hands-on experience to stimulate curiosity and motivate learning. Three floors of interactive exhibits and over 100 programs allow kids to explore the world around them. Primarily for children age 1 to 8.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; closed most Mondays; call ahead for holidays or school vacation hours
Admission: $7.50 per person; children under 1 admitted for free.
Nantucket Whaling Museum

13 Broad Street Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-1894

The museum features a 46-foot sperm whale skeleton, a restored 1847 spermaceti candle factory, exhibition space, and an observation deck. The candle factory, built following Nantucket’s Great Fire in 1846, still has its original whale-oil beam press. Visitors can learn about the whale hunt and see the whale skeleton, a rigged whaleboat, a collection of whaling tools, and portraits of whaling captains. Other galleries include scrimshaw, lightship baskets, an 1850 Fresnel lens, and the 1881 town clock. Children’s activities allow lots of hands-on exploration and fun. Concerts of traditional music take place all summer.
Hours: April 30–October 8, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; October 9–December 23, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Adult, $17; seniors (over age 64), $15; students, $15; youth (age 6-17), $8.
Davis Museum at Wellesley College - Wellesley, MA
Davis Museum at Wellesley College

106 Central Street Wellesley, MA, 02481 Phone: 781-283-2051

The beautiful Rafael Moneo-designed Davis Museum offers innovative temporary exhibitions and spacious galleries for the museum’s permanent collection of nearly 10,000 works of art that spans the 3,000 years of art history. The permanent collection features American Art. This hidden gem on the Wellesley College campus is free and open to all.
Hours: Tuesday–Friday 11am - 5pm, Weekends, Noon – 4pm. Admission is free for all.
Boston Childrens Museum - Boston, MA
Boston Children's Museum

308 Congress Street Boston, MA, 02210 Phone: 617-426-8855

The museum’s interactive exhibits focus on early childhood development and have three themes: arts, culture, and science. Exhibits that encourage children to have fun while they learn are extensive, including the New Balance Climb, a climbing maze made up of brightly painted towers and tubes; Science Playground, a series of sensational physical science exhibits; Hall of Toys, filled with intricate dollhouses, and much more.
Hours: Open to the public Weds-Sun 9am - Noon and 1:30-4:30pm. Online reservations required. Closed on certain holidays - please check website.
Harvard Peabody Museum of Natural History Cambridge MA Crdit Alex Jaffe- Crimson
Harvard Museum of Natural History

26 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-495-3045

One of the four Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, this museum displays some 11,000 specimens drawn from Harvard’s vast collections, including the Blaschka Glass Flowers, Sea Creatures in Glass, huge whale skeletons, hundreds of mammals, birds, and the world’s only mounted skeleton of the 42 foot-long Kronosaurus. Explore a timeline of Earth’s history, and see 3,000 rare minerals and gemstones. New and changing multi-media exhibitions showcase cutting-edge research. The museum is an easy 8-minute walk across Harvard’s historic campus from Harvard Square’s popular shops, restaurants and MBTA station. The museum is connected to Harvard’s Peabody Museum, and one admission fee covers both museums.
Martha’s Vineyard Museum

151 Lagoon Pond Road Vineyard Haven, MA Phone:

The museum includes 30,000 items like tools, archaeological material, paintings, prints and sculpture, baskets, coins, costumes, decoys, hunting and fishing and shell fishing tools, guns and swords, furniture and household equipment, medical and scientific tools and equipment, musical instruments, fossils, maritime tools, scrimshaw, ship models, Wampanoag tools, woodworking tools, toys, a whaleboat, wagon, sleigh, fire engine and an 1854 Fresnel Lens used in the Gay Head Aquinnah lighthouse.
Hours: Tuesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed major holidays. Last admission tickets are sold one half hour before scheduled closing time.
Admission: Adults, $12; age 17 and younger, free.
Mead Art Museum

Amherst College Amherst, MA, 01002 Phone: 413-542-2335

More than 16,000 works; collections range from antiquity to present; portraits by Gilbert Stuart, Italian Renaissance paintings, Japanese woodblock prints, Mediterranean antiquities, and pre-Columbian ceramics.
Hours: Academic year hours, Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, 9 a.m.– midnight; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Mondays. Summer hours, Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Mondays. ; Admission: Free.
Hadley Farm Museum

208 Middle Street Hadley, MA, 01035 Phone: 413-586-1160

Early New England farm equipment in restored 1782 barn: blacksmith tools, ox cart, stage coach, plows, early domestic appliances.
Hours: May-October, Saturday and Sunday, 2-4 p.m. or by appointment.
Admission: Adults, $5; students and seniors, $3; children under 12, $1.
New Bedford Fire Museum

868 Pleasant Street - New Bedford New Bedford, MA, 02740 Phone: 508-991-6124

Restored fire trucks and interactive exhibits highlight this museum of firefighting, firefighters and their tools. Hours: Call ahead for visiting hours.
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology Encounters Cambridge MA
Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

At Harvard University - 11 Divinity Avenue Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-496-1027

Explore towering Native American totem poles, large Maya sculptures, and artifacts of the ancient world at Harvard’s anthropology museum. Ambient sound, motion, and historic and contemporary Plains art animate nineteenth century Lakota drawings from a warrior’s ledger collected at the Little Bighorn battlefield. Discover the native cultures of Latin America before and after 1492, when the first voyage of Christopher Columbus initiated dramatic worldwide changes. Explore the enduring importance of rivers and canoes in Penobscot tribal life and on relationships between the tribe and non-Indians. See how students lived at colonial Harvard, and the role of the 17th-century Indian College in Harvard’s early years. Trace the history of early anthropology through the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and more in the museum’s 150th anniversary exhibition. Admission to the connected Harvard Museum of Natural History and its famed Glass Flowers is included. Open daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM.
Smith College Museum of Art

Elm Street at Bedford Terace Northampton, MA, 01063 Phone: 413-585-2760

More than 25,000 art objects from a variety of cultures from 2500 B.C. to present. Special exhibitions. Internationally known for collection of 19th- and 20th- century European and American art.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Second Fridays, 10 a.m.– 8 p.m. (4-8 p.m., free admission.
Admission: Adults, $5; seniors 65 and older, $4; students 13 and older, $3; youth age 6–12, $2.
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History - Brewster, MA
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

869 Main Street (Route 6A) Brewster, MA, 02631 Phone: 508-896-3867

Eighty-acre site abutted by 300 acres of conservation land; nature trails, exhibits, films, guided walks, lectures, and family activities. This museum features exhibits on the local flora and fauna, and nature trails. Events, classes and walks are scheduled throughout the year. Lots of opportunities for visitors of all ages to observe and learn about nature, including a Butterfly House & Pollinator Path, KidSummer Day Program, and Sunday Guided Family Field Walks. The museum building sits next to 400 acres of museum-owned land, including Wing's Island, the salt marsh, and the beach along Cape Cod Bay between Quivett and Paine's Creeks. This is land that the museum protects and uses as an our outdoor classroom and teaching tool.
Hours: Late April to May 31, Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; June 1 to August 31, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission:Age 13 and older, $10; age 3-12, $5.
Williams College Museum of Art

15 Lawrence Hall Drive, Suite 2 Williamstown, MA, 01267 Phone: 413-597-2429

Modern and contemporary art, American art from the late 18th century to the present, and the art of world cultures. Maurice and Charles Prendergast gallery.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. ; Admission: Free.
Woven Power Install 500x250 - Cantor Art Gallery - Worcester, MA
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery

College of the Holy Cross - 1 College Street Worcester, MA, 01610 Phone: 508-793-3356

The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery promotes the intellectual and cultural life of the College of the Holy Cross and greater community by exploring the fundamental intellectual, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic issues encountered through the visual arts.
Throughout the academic year the gallery presents a series of exhibitions, which vary from historically significant themes to works by contemporary artists. Serving as a center for social activity, the gallery sponsors a lively schedule of receptions, guest lectures, readings, and students’ presentations. The Cantor Gallery is Free and open to the public. Current exhibition information and hours of operation can be found on the gallery’s website.
Aptucxet Trading Post Museum

24 Aptucxet Road Bourne, MA, 02532 Phone: 508-759-9487

This museum is set in a replica of a 17th century trading post. Exhibits feature a windmill, gardens and artifacts from the period. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.This museum is set in a replica of a 17th century trading post. Exhibits feature a windmill, gardens and artifacts from the period. Open seasonally. There is an admission fee.

New England Quilt Museum - Lowell, MA
New England Quilt Museum

18 Shattuck Street Lowell, MA, 01852 Phone: 978-452-4207

The New England Quilt Museum presents, interprets, and celebrates American quilting past and present.
Hours & Admission: Tuesday thru Saturday 10am - 4pm. General Admission is $9, Free under 12.
Museum of African American History - Boston, MA - Photo Credit MAAH
Museum of African American History, Boston campus

46 Joy Street, Beacon Hill Boston, MA, 02114 Phone: 617-725-0022

The African Meeting House and Abiel Smith School on Beacon Hill, both built in the early 1800s, are in what once was the heart of Boston's 19th-century African American community. The buildings remain a showcase of black community organization and black craftsmanship. Once a church, a school, and a meeting place, the African Meeting House is open to the public. The Abiel Smith School, the nation's first public school for African American children, houses a first-class exhibit space and the museum store.
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am - 4pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
French Cable Station Museum

41 South Orleans Road Orleans, MA, 02653 Phone: 508-240-1735

One of the most significant developments of the 19th century was the transatlantic cable connecting North America to Europe by telephone. This museum houses the original equipment used to lay that cable.
Hours: July and August, Thursday through Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; June and September, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1-4 p.m. ; Admission: Free; donations welcome.
Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy

180 Main Street Andover, MA, 01810 Phone: 508-759-4015

Paintings, prints, sculpture, decorative arts, and photography by American artists from Colonial times to the present. Works by John Singleton Copley, Paul Revere, James Whistler, Edward Hopper, Frank Stella, and Alexander Calder displayed on a rotating basis.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m.; closed August 1 through Labor Day. Admission is free.
Springfield Museums & Dr. Seuss Nat'l Memorial Sculpture Garden - Springfield, MA
Springfield Museums & Dr Seuss Nat’l Memorial Sculpture Garden

21 Edwards Street Springfield, MA, 01103 Phone: 413-263-6800

The Springfield Museums consists of five institutions at one location: the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, the Smith Art Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum and the Museum of Springfield History. In addition, the property includes the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, with life-size statues of Springfield native Dr. Seuss and his favorite characters including Horton, the Grinch and the Lorax.
IN the five art, science and historical museums, guests can find Samurai armor and weaponry; an internationally-acclaimed collection of Oriental bronze, jade and porcelain; intricate Middle Eastern rugs; fine American and European paintings and sculpture; a savannah of animals in the R.E. Phelon African Hall; Dinosaur Hall with its towering Tyrannosaurus Rex; Astronomy Hall complete with a planetarium; and exhibits about Connecticut River Valley history. Curriculum-based tours and programs are available.
Childrens Museum of Holyoke - Holyoke, MA
Children's Museum at Holyoke

444 Dwight Street Holyoke, MA, 01040 Phone: 413-536-7048

Hands-on science exhibits and activities for children.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9am - 4pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday Noon - 4pm.
Admission: Children & Adults $8, Seniors $5, Ages 1 and under Free.
Norman Rockwell Museum

9 Glendale Road (Route 183) Stockbridge, MA, 01262 Phone: 413-298-4100

Largest collection of original work by Norman Rockwell, the quintessential American illustrator famous for his "Saturday Evening Post" covers. Artist's studio; exhibitions of Rockwell's work, his contemporaries, and modern illustrators.
Hours: May-November 11 and holidays, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. in July and August; November 12-May, weekdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; weekends and holidays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $16; seniors 65 and older, $14.50; college students, $10; youth ages 6-18, $5.
Longyear Museum - Chestnut Hill, MA
Longyear Museum and Historical Society

1125 Boylston Street (Route 9) Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 Phone: 617-278-9000

Exhibits focus on the life of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Church.
Hours: Mon/Thurs/Fri/Sat 10am - 4pm. Closed holidays.
Peabody Essex Museum - Salem, MA
Peabody Essex Museum

East India Square - 161 Essex Street Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-745-9500

The Peabody Essex Museum collection presents works from the 1700s to today: paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, textiles, architecture and decorative objects, include African, American, Asian, maritime, Native American and Oceanic art. Many interesting changing exhibits. Wonderful gift shop. A large, light-filled atrium is a place to sit, eat lunch, watch a performance.
John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum

397 Main Street Hyannis, MA, 02601 Phone: 508-790-3077

This museum focuses on Kennedy's life and activities during the times he vacationed in Hyannis.
Hours: Mid-April through Memorial Day, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; Memorial Day through October 31, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; November, Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.; closed December and January; mid-February through March 31, Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults age 18 and older, $8; children age 10-17, $3; seniors over age 65, $4.
Highland House Museum - North Truro, MA - Photo Credit Luca Raggi
Highland House Museum

6 Highland Light Road Truro, MA, 02666 Phone: 508-487-3397

The Highland House Museum is located in the former Highland House, a hotel built on the Highlands in 1907. Also near the Highland Lighthouse in North Truro, it is a classic example of a turn-of-the-century summer resort hotel. The museum displays artifacts and information about early European settlers and the Native Americans that preceded them.
Dates & Hours: June 1 to September 30, Monday-Saturday 10am - 4:30pm.
Arthur M. Sackler Museum

485 Broadway Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-495-9400

Ancient, Asian, Islamic, and Later Indian art: Chinese jades, bronzes, and cave temple sculpture; Korean ceramics; Japanese wood block prints; and Greek and Roman sculptures, vases, and ancient coins.
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. ; Admission: Adults, $9; seniors 65 and older, $7; college students, $6; children under age 18, free.
Cahoon Museum
Cahoon Museum of American Art

4676 Falmouth Road Cotuit, MA, 02635 Phone: 508-428-7581

Located in the beautiful seaside village of Cotuit, Cape Cod, the Cahoon Museum of Art welcomes visitors of all ages to learn about art and history, to enjoy fun, family friendly activities, and to experience dynamic contemporary art exhibitions of local and regional art. The Cahoon Museum showcases its collection of American art from the 18th century to the present in a historic home with a modern gallery addition. Open March through December.
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: General, $10; seniors and students, $8; children under age 12, free.
Exhibit - Harvard Semitic Museum - Cambridge, MA
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East

6 Divinity Avenue Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-495-4631

Founded in 1889, the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East explores the rich history of cultures connected by the family of Semitic languages. Its more than 40,000 artifacts, including pottery, sculpture, coins and cuneiform tablets, come primarily from Harvard-sponsored excavations in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Tunisia. Exhibits range from a full-scale replica of an ancient Israelite home to a full-scale reproduction of an Egyptian throne from 2550 BC and a resin cast of the Dream Stela, found between the paws of the Great Sphinx. Lecture topics at the free museum, one of the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, include photographing King Tut and old and new discoveries about the Nubian kings and queens of Kush.
Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation - Waltham, MA
Charles River Museum of Industry

154 Moody Street Waltham, MA, 02453 Phone: 617-893-5410

Located in America's first factory, the history 1814 Boston Manufacturing Company textile mill, on the National Register of Historic Places. Exhibits include the American Industrial Revolution, steam power, Waltham Watch Company, plus the bicycle and automobile manufacturing industries along the Charles River. Explore the inventions that powered America into the modern age and the geniuses who perfected them.
Cape Cod Childrens Museum - Mashpee, MA
Cape Cod Children's Museum

577 Great Neck Road South Mashpee, MA, 02659 Phone: 508-539-8788

Children will find much to learn and do here. Hands-on exhibits, pirate ship, indoor planetarium; puppet theater, toddler play area, and daily programs.
Hours: During the summer Monday to Friday 9am – 3pm, Saturday 10am – 5pm ; During the winter Tuesday to Friday 9am - 1pm, Saturday 10am – 3pm.
Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University - Waltham, MA
Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University

415 South Street Waltham, MA, 02453 Phone: 781-736-3432

The Rose Art Museum specializes in modern and contemporary art. It has top-shelf works by, among others, Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Morris Louis, Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein, and Ad Reinhardt. When you enter campus through the main entrance, take a left. You will pass the admissions building and the round Spingold Theatre building, both on your left. The Rose Art Museum will be on your left.
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Admission is always Free.
Lowell Heritage State Park - Lowell, MA
Lowell Heritage State Park

160 Pawtucket Boulevard Lowell, MA, 01854 Phone: 978-458-8750

This state historical park describes the life and history of Lowell’s 19th-centry textile mills and the generations of immigrant workers that passed through their doors. The site includes a network of canals that furnished power to the textile mills along the water and a 2-mile esplanade along the Merrimack River.
Witch Dungeon Museum

16 Lynde Street Salem, MA, 01970 Phone: 978-741-3570

This museum features a tour of the dungeon where those accused of witchcraft were held. Reenactment of the trial is also part of the exhibits.
Hours: April-November, daily; last performance starts at 5 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $8; children age 4-13, $6; seniors over age 64, $7.
Crane Museum of Papermaking

30 South Street Dalton, MA, 01226 Phone: 413-664-2538 Toll-Free: 800-268-2281

Situated in Crane's historic 1845 old stone mill. Exhibits and displays of nearly 200 years of papermaking in Dalton.
Hours: June through mid-October, Monday through Friday, 1-5 p.m.. To schedule a group tour, call 413-684-7780.
Admission: Free.
Harbor View - Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum - Provincetown, MA
Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum

1 High Pole Hill Road Provincetown, MA Phone: 508-487-1310

The Pilgrim Monument, a granite obelisk dedicated in 1910, is adjacent to the Provincetown Museum on a hill above the town. The Provincetown Museum describes the arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims, the town’s maritime history, the early days of American theater in Provincetown. See a reproduction of a sea captain’s home and his quarters at sea. Last Monument climb is 30 minutes before closing.
African Meeting House - Nantucket, MA
African Meeting House in Nantucket

29 York Street Nantucket, MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-4058

The Museum of Afro-American History on Nantucket features two historic sites, the African Meeting House and the Florence Higginbotham House. These buildings were at the center of a thriving nineteenth-century African American community on the island. The Museum presents cultural programs and interpretive exhibits on the history of African Americans on Nantucket.
Hours: January to May: Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 2pm, or by appointment. Tickets available on the website.
scrimshaw at New Bedford-Whaling Museum-credit-shutterstock
New Bedford Whaling Museum

18 Johnny Cake Hill New Bedford, MA, 02740 Phone: 508-997-0046

The New Bedford Whaling Museum houses the world's most comprehensive collection of whaling and maritime artifacts. Climb aboard the world's largest ship model, the 89-foot bark Lagoda, and view the 66-foot skeleton of a rare blue whale.
Hours: October-April, Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; May-September, daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; open holiday Mondays; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Admission: General, $14; seniors, $12; students, $9; children, $6.
Institute of Contemporary Art - Boston, MA
Institute of Contemporary Art

100 Northern Avenue Boston, MA, 02210 Phone: 617-478-3101

The Institute of Contemporary Art unveiled its new home on Fan Pier on Boston's waterfront in December 2006. The building's dramatic cantilevered design integrates the city's HarborWalk into the museum and offers shifting views of the harbor. The design weaves together interior and exterior space, producing shifting perspectives of the waterfront throughout the museum's galleries and public spaces.
Hours: Tues/Weds/Sat/Sunday 10am - 5pm, Thurs & Fri 10am - 9pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays.
Admission: Adults $15, Seniors 60+ $13, Students $10, Members and Under 18 Free. Group rates available - please call.
National Heritage Museum

33 Marrett Road, Route 2A Lexington, MA, 02421 Phone: 781-861-6559

American history exhibits; films, shows, and concerts; permanent exhibit on freemasonry and the American Revolution. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ; Admission: free.
Willard House and Clock Museum

11 Willard Street Grafton, MA, 01536 Phone: 508-839-3500

Over 90 Willard clocks displayed in 1718 Willard homestead and 1766 clock shop; 18th century pewter and furniture; 19th century Oriental rugs and children's toys; Willard family furnishings and portraits; 18th and 19th century firearms; Nipmuc Indian artifacts; and horological research library. Reservations requested for groups of eight and larger.
Hours: April-December, Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; Winter Hours, January-March, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $7; seniors, $6; students ages 13 and older, $6; children ages 6-12, $3.
Fogg Art Museum

32 Quincy Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617- 495-9400

Collections illustrate the history of Western art from Middle Ages to the present with major focus on Italian early Renaissance, British pre-Raphaelite, and 19th-century French art. Major collection of Impressionist and post-impressionist work and works by Picasso. Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission: Adults, $9; seniors age 6 and older, $7; college students, $6.
Chatham Railroad Museum

Depot Road Chatham, MA, 02633 Phone:

Paradise for railroad enthusiasts features thousands of train models, restored train depots, railroad artifacts and a 1910 caboose.
Hours: Second and fourth Sundays of the month, 2-4 p.m., except holidays. ; Admission: Free.
Provincetown Art Association and Museum of Art

460 Commercial Street Provincetown, MA, 02657 Phone: 508-487-1750

Since 1914, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum has served as a collecting museum and a professional artists association. PAAM houses five galleries, two sculpture gardens, more than 2,000 works by more than 500 artists, and a museum school run by professional artists. Year-round programs include a concert series, a film series, auctions, galas, readings, lectures, and Friday night exhibition openings.
Hours: October-May, Thursday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Memorial Day-September, Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: Over age 12, $7; free Friday evenings.
Larz Anderson Auto Museum - Brookline, MA
Larz Anderson Auto Museum

15 Newton Street Brookline, MA, 02445 Phone: 617-522-6547

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum is home to America’s oldest car collection. For over 75 years the Larz Anderson Auto Museum has been supporting the community through a variety of educational programs, exhibits, and lectures. Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m
Admission: Adults, $10; military people, seniors, students, and children age 6-12, $5.
Hammond Castle Museum

80 Hesperus Avenue Gloucester, MA, 01930 Phone: 978-283-2080

John Hays Hammond, Jr. built his medieval-style castle between the years 1926 and 1929 to serve both as his home and as a backdrop for his collection of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance artifacts. Visitors to Hammond Castle Museum may explore the castle on a self-guided tour of eight rooms including the great hall, indoor courtyard, Renaissance dining room, two guest bedrooms, the inventions exhibit room, and the tower galleries. Visitors may also enjoy the beauty of the castle grounds and a view of the Atlantic shore line.
Hours: Open April-October; call ahead for hours.
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors over age 64, $9; children age 6-12, $8.
Whistler House Museum of Art

243 Worthen Street Lowell, MA, 01852 Phone: 978-452-7641

The birthplace of James Abbott McNeil Whistler. Exhibits of Whistler's and others' artwork.
Hours: Wednesday-Saturrfday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: $5; seniors and students, $4.
Hull Lifesaving Museum

1117 Nantasket Avenue Hull, MA, 02045 Phone: 617-925-5433

Nineteenth-century Life Saving Station facing Boston Light; working rescue apparatus; exhibits, shipwreck lore, and kid's loft.
Hours: Year-round, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; July-October, also open weekends, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ; Additional hours and guided tours available by appointment
Admission: Adults, $5; seniors, $3; children 18 and younger, free.
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute  "The Clark" -  Williamstown, MA
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute "The Clark"

225 South Street Williamstown, MA, 01267 Phone: 413-458-2302

The marvelous Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute – commonly known as “the Clark,” in Williamstown harbors a rich collection of French Impressionist and Academic paintings, British oil sketches, drawings, and silver, and the work of American artists Winslow Homer, George Inness, and John Singer Sargent. The imposing 1950s building was enlarged in a 2014 expansion, designed by the prize-winning architect Tadao Ando. This beloved museum hosts many public events involving art, music, and theater, especially in the summer.
Custom House Maritime Museum

25 Water Street Newburyport, MA, 01950 Phone: 978-462-8681

Follow the history of maritime Massachusetts through the exhibits at this museum.
Hours: May 15 to December 21, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday & holiday Mondays, noon to 4 p.m.; January 1 to May 15, Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $7; seniors and students, $5
Busch-Reisinger Museum

32 Quincy Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 Phone: 617-495-9400

Collections of art from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and related cultures. Major holdings of Austrian Secession art, German expressionism, 1920s abstraction, and Bauhaus archives. Post-war and contemporary art from German-speaking Europe including work by Joseph Beuys. Of particular interest is the lovely sculpture garden.
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Admission: Admission: Adults, $9; seniors 65 and older, $7; college students, $6; children under age 18, free.
Mount Holyoke College Art Museum

Lower Lake Road South Hadley, MA, 01075 Phone: 413-538-2245

Beautifully exhibited and critically acclaimed broad-based permanent collection. Comprehensive scope ranges from ancient to contemporary art and represents diverse cultures. Imaginative special exhibitions; scavenger hunts for kids. Docent-led tours available with advance notice. Collections focus on Asian art; 19th- and 20th-century European and American paintings and sculpture; Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art; Medieval sculpture; and early Italian Renaissance paintings. 6-8 exceptional special exhibitions annually. Visit the college's botanical gardens next door too.
Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1–5 p.m., closed Mondays and certain college holidays. Call ahead for seasonal changes. ; Admission: Free