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Boston offers a rich assortment of museums and historic sites. Be sure to make time to explore our cultural institutions and significant historical places. There is something for everyone from the Freedom Trail to the Museum of Arts and from the Science Museum to the Institute of Contemporary Art. In addition to all that Boston has to offer, you are only an hour away from Lexington, Concord, Lowell and Salem to the north, Plymouth and New Bedford to the south, and Sturbridge to the west.
Boston
Boston National Historic Park <http://www.nps.gov/bost/> Downtown Visitor Center, 15 State St. 617 242-5642 • Hours: Open daily 9-5.
Freedom Trail
<http://www.thefreedomtrail.org> • Sixteen key historic sites in Boston. See map on back cover and individual listings for sites open to the public. Burying Grounds open during daylight hours.
Boston Public Library
<http://www.bpl.org> • Copley Square, 617-536-5400 • Hours: Mon-Thu, 9-9, Fri & Sat, 9-5, Sun 1-5 • “Faces & Places” - Maps from the Norman B. Leventhal collection.
Bunker Hill Monument—Freedom Trail
<http://www.charlestown.ma.us/monument.html> • 617-242-5641 • Hours: Visitor Lodge and Exhibits, 9-5 • Monument open to climb 9-4:30 daily • Free.
The Children’s Museum
<http://www.BostonKids.org> • 300 Congress St. • 617-426-8855 • Hours: Daily 10-5, Fridays until 9 p.m.
The Commonwealth Museum
<http://www.state.ma.us/sec/mus/musidex.htm> • 220 Morrissey Blvd. • 617-727-9268 • Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-3 • In March: “Big Dig’ Archeology of the Central Artery Project.”
Faneuil Hall—Freedom Trail
<http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com> • North and Congress Streets • 617-242-5675 • National Parks Service tours, daily 9-5 • free • Museum of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Co. 4th floor. Hours: Mon-Fri 9-4:30.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
<http://www.gardnermuseum.org> • 280 The Fenway • 617-566-1401 • Hours: Tues-Sun 11-5.
Gibson House Museum
<http://www.thegibsonhouse.org> • 137 Beacon St. 617-267-6338 • Hours: Wed-Sun tours in the afternoon at 1, 2, and 3.
Institute of Contemporary Art
<http://www.icaboston.org> • 617-266-5152
955 Boylston St. • Thurs 12-9; Wed & Fri noon-5; Sat & Sun 11-5 • In March: “Made in Mexico/Hecho en México.”
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
<http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary> • 617-514-1600 • Columbia Point • Daily 9-5.
Museum of Afroamerican History—Black Heritage Trail
<http://www.afroammuseum.org> • 617-725-0022 • 46 Joy St. and 8 Smith Court • Mon-Sat 10-4 Free • Ongoing exhibits: “The Times We Had,” “Separate Schools, Unequal Education.” • In March: “What’s in Your Attic?”
Museum of Fine Arts
<http://www.mfa.org> • 617-267-9300 • 465 Huntington Ave. • Sat-Tues 10-4:45; Wed-Fri 10-9:45 (Thurs and Fri after 5 only West Wing is open.) • In March: Chinese Jades and Court Costume; “Gauguin’s Tahiti.”
Museum of Science
<http://www.mos.org> • 617-723-2500 • Science Park • Sat-Thur 9-5; Fri 9-9 • In March: Einstein exhibit.
New England Aquarium
<http://www.neaq.org> • 617-973-5200 • Central Wharf • Winter hours: Mon-Fri 9-5, weekends & holidays 9-6.
New England Sports Museum
<http://www.sportsmuseum.org> • 617-624-1234 • Fleet Center • Mon-Thurs 11-5.
Nichols House Museum
<http://www.lit-trail.org/html/nichols.html> • 617-227-6993 • 55 Mount Vernon St. • Feb-April, tours Thurs-Sat, 12-4 • In March: “Gardens of Rose Standish Nichols.”
Old North Church—Freedom Trail
<http://www.oldnorth.com> • 193 Salem St. 617 523-6676 • Hours: Daily, 9-5 Free.
Old South Meeting House
Freedom Trail
<http://www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org> • 617-482-6439 • 310 Washington St. • Nov-Mar daily 10-4.
Old State House Museum
Freedom Trail
<http://www.bostonhistory.org> • 617-720-1713 • State and Washington streets. Daily 9-5 • In March: “Adapting to America: Six Synagogues and Their Stories” and “Where in the World Does Boston Come From?”
Harrison Gray Otis House
<http://spnea.org/visit/homes/harrison.htm> • 617-227-3956 • 141 Cambridge St. • Sat-Sun 11-4:30.
Paul Revere House—Freedom Trail
<http://www.paulreverehouse.org> • 617-523-2338 • 19 North Square. • Nov 1-April 14, 9:30-4:15 daily; Closed Mondays.
USS Constitution-Freedom Trail
<http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil>
Nov 1-Apr 1 open 10-3:50 Thursday-Sunday
USS Constitution Museum-Freedom Trail
<http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org> • 617-426-1812 • Charlestown Navy Yard • Daily 10-5 • Ongoing;”The Barbary War: Piracy, Politics and Power.”
Cambridge
Harvard University Art Museums
<http://www.artmuseums.harv- ard.edu> • 617-495-9400 • 32 Quincy St. Mon-Sat 10-5, • Sun 1-5.
Harvard Museum of Natural History
<http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu> • 617-495-3045 • 26 Oxford St. Open daily.
Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology
<http://www.peabody.harvard.edu> • 617-496-1027 • 11 Divinity Ave. • Daily 9-5.
MIT Museum
<http://web.mit.edu/musuem> • 617-253-4444 • 265 Massachusetts Ave. • Tues-Fri 10-5; Sat-Sun noon-5.
Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow House
<http://www.nps.gov/long> • 617-876-4491 • Longfellow National Historic Site, 105 Brattle St. • Wed-Sun 10-4:30.
Lexington and Concord
Lexington Historical Society
<http://www.lexingtonhistory.org> • 781-862-1703 • 1 Bedford St, Lexington • The Buckman Tavern, The Munroe Tavern and the Hancock-Clarke House available for a special tour by request.
Concord Museum
<http://www.concordmuseum.org> • 978-369-9763 • Cambridge Turnpike at Lexington Rd, Concord • Jan-Mar, Mon-Sat 11-4, Sun 1-4.
Minuteman National Historic Park
<http://www.nps.gov/mima/> • Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington • Minuteman Visitor Center: April-October daily 9-5, November-March daily 9-4 • North Bridge Visitor Center: Nov-March daily 9-4.
National Heritage Museum
<http://www.monh.org> • 781-861-6559 ext. 100 • 33 Marrett Rd, Lexington • Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 • “Lexington Alarm’d,” the Museum’s permanent exhibition on the American • Revolution. In March: “Artist to Icon - Elvis, Dylan, and the Beatles” and “Lunch Box Memoirs.”
Orchard House, The Alcotts’ Home
<http://www.louisamayalcott.org> • 978-369-4118 • 399 Lexington Road, Concord Nov-Mar: Mon-Fri 11-3, Sat 10-4:30, Sun 1-4:30.
North Shore
House of Seven Gables
<http://www.7gables.org> • 978-744-0991 54 Turner St, Salem • Open daily 10-5.
Peabody Essex Museum
<http://www.pem.org> • 800-745-4054 • East India Sq, Salem • Mon-Sat 10-5; Sun 12-5.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
<http://www.nps.gov/sama/> • Orientation Center • 978-740-1660 • 193 Derby Street, Salem • Daily 9-5.
Regional Visitor Center
<http://www.essexheritage.org> • 2 New Liberty Street, Salem • 978-740-1650 • Daily 9-5.
Lowell National Historic Park
<http://www.nps.gov/lowe/> • 67 Kirk Street, Lowell • 978-970-5000 • Visitor Center open year round.
South Shore
New Bedford Whaling Museum
<http://www.whalingmuseum.org> • 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford • 781-784-5642 • Tues-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5.
Western Massachusetts
Old Sturbridge Village
<http://www.osv.org> • 800-733-1830 • Rte 20 West, near exit 9 off Mass. Pike and exit 2 off I-84, Sturbridge • Jan 5-Mar 31, Wed-Sun, 9:30-4.
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