List of museums in Boston Facts for Kids

Boston is a super old and important city in the United States. It's famous for its history, especially during the American Revolution. Because of its rich past and vibrant culture, Boston is home to many amazing museums! These places are like treasure chests filled with cool stuff. They collect and show off objects about art, science, history, and different cultures. Visiting them is a great way to learn new things and have fun. This list will tell you about some of the awesome museums you can explore in Boston.

Awesome Museums to Explore
Defunct museums
See also

Awesome Museums to Explore

Boston has a wide variety of museums. You can find everything from places about history and art to science and unique topics. Here are some of the cool museums you can visit:

History Museums

Boston is packed with history, especially from the time of the American Revolution. Many museums here help you step back in time.

Revolutionary War Sites

Boston National Historical Park: This park connects many important places from the Revolutionary War. You can walk the Freedom Trail and see sites like the Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, and Old North Church.
Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum: Ever heard of the Boston Tea Party? At this museum, you can experience reenactments and interactive exhibits. You can even explore two real-looking ships from that time!
Bunker Hill Monument: This tall monument and its museum tell the story of the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill. It's a key event from the Revolutionary War.
Old North Church: This historic church is famous for the signal "One if by land, and two if by sea" sent in 1775. It warned colonists that the British were coming.
Old South Meeting House: This building was a gathering spot where the Boston Tea Party was planned. It now has a museum about its role in history.
Old State House Museum: This 18th-century building was the first state house for Massachusetts. It's full of history about the early days of America.

Other Historical Places

Museum of African American History: This museum tells the story of Boston's 19th-century African-American community. It includes the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School, which was the first public school for free Black children.
Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company Museum: Located in Faneuil Hall, this military museum has relics, paintings, and special exhibits about military history, including John F. Kennedy and the Medal of Honor.
Commonwealth Museum: This museum focuses on the history of Massachusetts. It's run by the Massachusetts Archives.
Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate: This special museum has a full-size copy of the U.S. Senate Chamber. You can learn all about how the Senate works.
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum: This museum is dedicated to the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy, who was a U.S. President.
Massachusetts Historical Society: This place has exhibits about American history, life, and culture from its huge collections.
The Sports Museum: If you love sports, this museum celebrates Boston's rich sports history. It's located inside TD Garden.
West End Museum: This museum focuses on the history and culture of Boston's West End neighborhood.

Art Museums

Boston has many places where you can see amazing art from all over the world and from different times.

Boston Athenæum: This is both a library and a museum with interesting art collections.
Boston City Hall Galleries: These galleries show art by Boston artists and works from local arts organizations.
Boston University Art Galleries: Boston University has several galleries like Stone, 808, Annex, and Sherman, showing various art.
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston: This museum focuses on modern and contemporary art. It's a great place to see new and exciting works.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: This unique museum looks like a Venetian palace. It has European, Asian, and American art, including paintings, sculptures, and tapestries.
MassArt Art Museum at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design: This museum shows contemporary art.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: This is one of the largest art museums in the United States. It has over 450,000 works of art from ancient times to today.

Science and Technology Museums

If you're curious about how things work or the natural world, these museums are for you.

Boston Children's Museum: Located on Children's Wharf, this museum is designed especially for kids. It has lots of hands-on exhibits where you can play and learn.
Museum of Science, Boston: This huge museum has over 500 interactive exhibits. You can see animals, visit a planetarium, and watch movies in an IMAX theater.
Mary Baker Eddy Library: This library includes the amazing Mapparium, which is a three-story, stained-glass globe you can walk inside! It also has exhibits about Mary Baker Eddy's life.
Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation: This museum explores the history of medicine and healthcare at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Waterworks Museum, Boston: This museum is in a former pumping station from the late 1800s. It shows how Boston got its water supply.

Historic Houses

Boston has many old houses that have been turned into museums. They show what life was like long ago.

Gibson House Museum: This house shows what a townhouse looked like in the 1850s-1870s.
James Blake House: This house from 1661 is the oldest house in Boston! It's operated by the Dorchester Historical Society.
Lemuel Clap House: Another mid-18th-century house operated by the Dorchester Historical Society.
Loring-Greenough House: An 18th-century mansion in Jamaica Plain.
Nichols House Museum: A turn-of-the-century townhouse with rooms set up as they would have been back then.
Otis House Museum: This post-Revolutionary house is owned by Historic New England.
Paul Revere House: This late 17th-century house was the home of Paul Revere, a famous American Revolutionary patriot.
Pierce House: A 17th-century house owned by Historic New England.
Shirley-Eustis House: A restored 18th-century mansion that belonged to Royal Governor William Shirley.
William Clapp House: A 19th-century house that is home to the Dorchester Historical Society.
William Hickling Prescott House: The 19th-century home of author William Hickling Prescott.

Maritime Museums

Given Boston's coastal location, it's no surprise there are museums about ships and the sea.

USS Cassin Young: This is a World War II destroyer that you can explore as a museum ship.
USS Constitution: Nicknamed "Old Ironsides," this is a wooden-hulled, three-masted ship launched in 1797. It's one of the oldest warships still afloat!
USS Constitution Museum: Located near the USS Constitution, this museum tells the story of the famous ship.

Defunct museums

Some museums in Boston have closed over the years. Here are a few:

List of museums in Boston facts for kids

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