List of museums in Massachusetts facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This list helps you discover awesome museums in Massachusetts! Museums are special places where cool objects from history, art, science, or different cultures are kept safe and shown to everyone. You can see amazing things, learn new facts, and explore different worlds. This list includes museums, art galleries, and university galleries that are open to the public.

Awesome Museums in Massachusetts
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Awesome Museums in Massachusetts

Children's Museums: Play and Learn!

Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum (Springfield): Step into the colorful world of Dr. Seuss and his famous characters! This museum opened in 2017 and is super fun for all ages.
Amelia Park Children's Museum (Westfield): A great spot for kids to explore and learn through play.
Attic Children's Museum (Uxbridge): Operated by Uxbridge Public Schools, this museum offers engaging activities for young visitors.
Cape Cod Children's Museum (Mashpee): Lots of hands-on exhibits designed to spark curiosity.
Children's Museum at Holyoke (Holyoke): Another fantastic place where kids can learn by doing.
Children's Museum in Easton (Easton): Interactive exhibits make learning exciting and memorable.
Discovery Museums (Acton): Actually two museums in one! There's a Children's Discovery Museum and a Science Discovery Museum, offering double the fun.
Indian House Children’s Museum (Deerfield): Focuses on history in a way that's interesting for kids.
Imagine: A Center for Community & the Arts (Cambridge): This spot is a children's museum, an indoor playground, and an art gallery all rolled into one!

Science and Nature: Discover Our World

Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center (Milton): Learn about weather and science at this historic observatory.
Blue Hills Trailside Museum (Milton): See live animals and learn about the nature of the Blue Hills Reservation.
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (Brewster): Explore bird and wildlife displays, aquariums, and marsh trails.
EcoTarium (Worcester): A fantastic place for natural history, science, and live animals.
Harvard Museum of Natural History (Cambridge): Part of Harvard University, this museum has amazing collections, including dinosaur fossils and minerals.
MIT Museum (Cambridge): Explore science and technology, including cool exhibits on holography, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon (Canton): A unique museum and nature center with art and photography inspired by nature.
Nash Dinosaur Track Site and Rock Shop (South Hadley): See real dinosaur tracks and fossils!
Springfield Science Museum (Springfield): Features natural history dioramas, dinosaurs, and exciting science exhibits.
Waterworks Museum (Chestnut Hill): Discover the history of water technology, local history, and public health in a cool old pumping station.

History and Adventure: Step Back in Time

Adams National Historical Park (Quincy): Visit the homes of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.
American Heritage Museum (Stow): See a huge collection of tanks and other military artifacts from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Aptucxet Trading Post Museum (Bourne): Explore a replica 17th-century trading post, a historic railroad station, and a wooden windmill.
Battleship Cove (Fall River): Climb aboard real World War II ships, including the battleship USS Massachusetts and a submarine!
Concord Museum (Concord): Discover artifacts from famous authors like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
Fort Warren (Milton): Explore a 19th-century fort on Georges Island.
French Cable Station Museum (Orleans): Learn about the history of undersea telegraphic cables.
House of the Seven Gables (Salem): Visit this famous colonial mansion, which also includes the Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace.
Hull Lifesaving Museum (Hull): Learn about the brave history of maritime rescues in Boston Harbor.
Jenney Grist Mill (Plymouth): See a working grist mill in action.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Boston): Learn about the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy.
Lowell National Historical Park (Lowell): Explore the history of textile mills and the American Industrial Revolution.
Minute Man National Historical Park (Lexington): Visit historic sites from the American Revolutionary War.
Museum of World War II (Natick): Discover the history of World War II through photos, documents, and artifacts.
New England Pirate Museum (Salem): Learn about famous pirates who sailed in New England waters.
New Bedford Whaling Museum (New Bedford): Explore the history of the whaling industry and maritime life.
Old Sturbridge Village (Sturbridge): Step into a recreated New England village from the 1790s to 1830s.
Pilgrim Hall Museum (Plymouth): Learn about the early history of Plymouth.
Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (Provincetown): Climb a tall monument and explore the town's history.
Pioneer Village (Salem): Experience what a 1630s settlement in Salem looked like.
Plimoth Patuxet (Plymouth): This living history museum reconstructs the original 17th-century settlement of the Plymouth Colony.
Samuel Slater Experience (Webster): Enjoy interactive and immersive exhibits about industrial history.
Saugus Iron Works (Saugus): See a reconstructed 17th-century ironworks, including a blast furnace and forge.
Springfield Armory National Historic Site (Springfield): Learn about the history of firearms manufacturing.
Titanic Museum (Springfield): Discover artifacts and the story of the famous ship Titanic.
United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum (Quincy): Visit the USS Salem (CA-139), the world's only preserved heavy cruiser.
Whydah Pirate Museum (Provincetown): See real treasures and artifacts from the excavated pirate ship Whydah Gally.

Art and Creativity: See Amazing Works

Addison Gallery of American Art (Andover): Features American art, photography, and decorative arts.
Animagic (Lee): A museum dedicated to animation, special effects, and art.
Art Complex Museum (Duxbury): Collections include American painting, prints, and Asian art.
Attleboro Arts Museum (Attleboro): Showcases contemporary visual and performing arts.
Clark Art Institute (Williamstown): Also known as Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, with a wide range of art.
Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum (Arlington): See many works by the sculptor Cyrus Edwin Dallin.
Danforth Art (Framingham): Features American art and changing exhibits by contemporary artists.
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park (Lincoln): Explore modern and contemporary art, plus a large outdoor sculpture park.
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Amherst): Celebrates the art found in picture books and children's books, including works by Eric Carle.
Fitchburg Art Museum (Fitchburg): Collections include American and European paintings, prints, and ancient artifacts.
Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton): Focuses on contemporary crafts like furniture, glass, and textiles.
George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum (Springfield): Unique collections including Japanese Samurai armor and Middle Eastern rugs.
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (North Adams): Often called MASS MoCA, it's a huge space for contemporary visual and performing arts.
Museum of Bad Art (Dedham & Somerville): This museum collects "art too bad to be ignored." (Note: The Dedham location is currently closed.)
Norman Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge): See the largest collection of art by Norman Rockwell and visit his studio.
Provincetown Art Association and Museum (Provincetown): Showcases art by local artists.
Turn Park Art Space (West Stockbridge): An outdoor sculpture park and gallery.
Whistler House Museum of Art (Lowell): The birthplace of artist James McNeill Whistler.
Worcester Art Museum (Worcester): Collections include American, European, and Asian art, plus ancient sculptures.

Sports and Cool Collections: Unique Hobbies

Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield): Celebrate the legends of basketball!
Beer Can Museum (East Taunton): A quirky museum dedicated entirely to beer cans.
Massachusetts Golf Museum (Norton): Learn about the history of golf in Massachusetts.
Museum of Printing (North Andover): Explore the history of printing technologies and practices.
Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History (Weston): Discover the fascinating world of stamps and postal history.
Toad Hall Classic Sports Car Museum (Hyannis Port): A private collection of over 50 classic sports cars.
Top Fun Aviation Toy Museum (Fitchburg): A museum filled with aviation-related toys.
Volleyball Hall of Fame (Holyoke): Honor the greatest players and coaches in volleyball history.
Willard House and Clock Museum (North Grafton): A unique museum dedicated to clocks and timekeeping.

Historic Homes and Villages: Life in the Past

Abigail Adams Birthplace (Weymouth): Visit the birthplace of Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams.
Alden House Historic Site (Duxbury): Includes the 1659 John Alden House, a National Historic Landmark.
Arrowhead (Pittsfield): The historic home of author Herman Melville.
Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House (Gloucester): An early 20th-century house with many rooms decorated in different historical themes.
Chesterwood Estate & Museum (Stockbridge): The home of sculptor Daniel Chester French.
Clara Barton Birthplace Museum (North Oxford): The 19th-century home of Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross.
Codman House (Lincoln): A beautiful estate with furnishings from many different time periods.
Emily Dickinson Museum (Amherst): Visit the birthplace and home of the famous poet Emily Dickinson.
Fairbanks House (Dedham): Built around 1637, it's the oldest wood-frame house in America!
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (Brookline): The Victorian home of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
Gore Place (Waltham): An early 19th-century estate with a small farm and animals.
Gropius House (Lincoln): A famous Modernist house designed by architect Walter Gropius.
Hancock Shaker Village (Hancock): An open-air village with 20 historic buildings showing how the Shakers lived.
House of the Seven Gables (Salem): A colonial mansion with a fascinating history.
Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (Cambridge): Home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and former headquarters of George Washington.
The Mount (Lenox): The early 20th-century mansion and gardens of author Edith Wharton.
Naumkeag (Stockbridge): A beautiful turn-of-the-century mansion and gardens.
Norman Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge): See the largest collection of art by Norman Rockwell and visit his studio.
Orchard House (Concord): The 19th-century home of the Louisa May Alcott family.
Paper House (Rockport): A unique house made entirely of paper!
Rebecca Nurse Homestead (Danvers): A 17th-century home with ties to the Salem witch trials.
The Witch House (Salem): The only remaining building in Salem with direct ties to the Salem witch trials of 1692.
Wistariahurst Museum (Holyoke): A late 19th-century house showing local history, art, and culture.

Defunct Museums: History of Museums

Some museums have closed over the years, but their stories and collections often live on!

American Textile History Museum in Lowell closed in June 2016.
Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester closed in 2014, and its amazing collection of armor was moved to the Worcester Art Museum.
The Indian Motorcycle Museum in Springfield closed, but you can still see Indian motorcycles at the Museum of Springfield History.
The Kendall Whaling Museum in Sharon closed as a public museum in 2001, and its collections are now at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.