Boston Museums
Updated February 5, 2010
Museum of Fine Arts
Currently On View:
Luis Melendez: Master of the Spanish Still Life, now – May 9
Considered one of the greatest and unrivaled still life painters of 18th-century Spain, Luis Melendez rich canvases capture exacting details of everyday objects through color, light and texture. Master of the Spanish Still Life is being hearlded as one of this years' most astonishing and beautiful art exhibitions. The exhibitiion will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts/Boston through May 9th.
Secrets of the Tomb, now - May 16
In 1915, MFA archaeologists spent a hot summer deep in the Egyptian countryside. They were emptying a tomb.
Strewn about the dark, airless room—sometimes smashed and broken, sometimes miraculously intact—were hundreds of objects that captured one man’s hopes about death and the afterlife. Four thousand years before, he had been governor of the province. His name was Djehutynakht.
As he prepared for death, Djehutynakht stocked his tomb with everything the Egyptians believed the dead needed for the next life. The tiny chamber contained a vast collection of tomb goods—arrayed around the extraordinary painted coffins that held the mummified bodies of the governor and his wife.
In 2009, a Belgian team retraced the original excavators’ footsteps in search of further clues. Layer by layer, the site is revealing its secrets.
Harry Callahan: American Photographer Now - July 3, 2010
Harry Callahan was one of the most innovative photographers working in America in the mid-twentieth century. black and white and color Images of his wife, Eleanor; passers-by on the street; cityscapes; landscapes; close-ups from nature; multiple exposures; and darkroom abstractions reveal the elegantly spare formalism and lyricism of his style. Callahan's wide-ranging and experimental approach to photography influenced a generation of American photographers, including students at Chicago's Institute of Design where he taught from 1945-61, and at the Rhode 
Island School of Design where he taught in the 1960s and 1970s.
NOTE: The MFA is expanding its evening offerings on Thursdays and Fridays to give visitors more opportunities to view the entire collection. All Museum galleries will be open from 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. (Previously, just the Museum’s West Wing was open on Thursday and Friday evenings.)
Save some moola! Admission is free on Wednesdays from 4 to 9:45 p.m. And Thursday and Fridays the West Wing admission is discounted $2 from 5 to 9:45 p.m. For information on above listed exhibits and other museum programs, check their Web site.
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
(617) 267-9300
The DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA is situated on rolling hills and is one of the area's prettiest sites. The sculptures that dot the grounds have never looked better. Ten New England artists who work in a variety of media including drawing, photography, sculpture, and printmaking will have their work on display. Regular museum hours are Tuesday - Sunday 10 - 5.
For more information: www.decordova.org.
DeCordova Sculpture Park
The DeCordova Sculpture Park, encompassing 35 acres of rolling woodlands and lawns, is the largest park of its kind in New England (see Park Map)., a constantly changing exhibition of large-scale, outdoor, contemporary American sculpture.The Sculpture Park is open to the public every day of the year from dawn 'til dusk, and contains approximately 75 artworks at any given time (see Park Artists). Admission to the Sculpture Park is charged during Museum Gallery operating hours only (Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm). Outside of these times, access to the Sculpture Park is free. Admission to the DeCordova Campus is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, students, and children ages 6-12; children 5 and under are admitted free. DeCordova Members, Lincoln residents, and Active Duty Military Personnel and their dependents are admitted free.
The Gardner Museum
The Gardner is a jewel of a museum, one block away from the venerable Museum of Fine Arts. This Venetian palace, once the home of Mrs. Jack Gardner, houses some fine art by master painters.The Gardner is one of Boston's artistic jewels with one of the most beautiful courtyards in the city. Fresh flowers greet the visitor to announce the different seasons with exotic displays, and there are guided tours Fridays at 2:30 p.m., limited to the first 20 people. On Sunday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. there are classical concerts in the Music Room overlooking the Courtyard, and one of the city's best-kept secrets is the charming "Gardner Cafe." (See review.)
The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday 11 a. m. - 5 p.m. Admission is $10 ($11 on weekends), seniors $7, children $3, ages 11 and under, free. For more information: www.gardnermuseum.org.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston
(617) 566-1401
The Museum of Bad Art - Masterworks
by Michael Frank, Louise Reilly Sacco
Located in the basement of a theater, the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) is a unique institution dedicated to the celebration of artistic effort, however misguided. The Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks presents a pulsating collection of more than seventy never-before-published pieces of artwork from MOBA’s permanent collection. Comprised largely of canvases found discarded on curbside trash piles or obtained for a pittance at thrift stores, this innovative compilation occupies a niche previously ignored in the international community of art collection, preservation, and interpretation. If the subjectivity of art appreciation were ever in doubt, this astonishing assortment of artistic commentaries will fan the flames of controversy. It is clear that many of these artists suffered for their art; now it’s your turn.
On The House: Four Boston museums offer FREE Admission Times:
- Harvard Museum Of Natural History: Free Sundays 9am to noon, Wednesdays 3 to 5 pm September to May.
- Institute Of Contemporary Art: Free Thursdays 5 to 9 pm.
- MIT Museum: Free on the 3rd Sunday of every month.
- Museum of Fine Arts: Free or by voluntary contribution on Wednesdays 4 to 9:45 pm.
Peabody Essex Museum in Salem
For information on current exhibits at this renowned Salem museum, as well as directions and hours: www.pem.org.
Museum of Science
Newest Exhibits:
Harry Potter: The Exhibition
Through February 21, 2010
Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon, inspiring the imaginations of millions across the globe. Now it's your chance to peer into the wizard's world in a new exhibit featuring more than 200 authentic props and costumes from the Harry Potter films, all displayed in settings inspired by the film sets -- including the Great Hall, Hagrid's hut and the Gryffindor™ common room. View iconic film artifacts such as Harry's glasses, the Marauder's Map, and Hermione's Yule Ball gown, and pause to pull a screeching Mandrake from its pot or try your hand at tossing a "Quaffle."
Showcasing the supreme artistry and craftsmanship that went into the making of the ever popular film series, Harry Potter: The Exhibition is sure to spark curious minds and foster an excitement of discovery among visitors of all ages.
Running the Numbers
Through May 9, 2010
Sociologists tell us that the human mind cannot meaningfully grasp numbers higher than a few thousand. Yet, understanding the consequences of our choices requires us to comprehend the incremental effect of millions or billions of small acts. How can we sensitize ourselves and, in turn, change our choices?
Ongoing:
Catch Bugs
Journey to a world where raindrops fall like cannonballs and danger lurks around every corner. Bugs! brings you down to size to follow the lives of a butterfly and a praying mantis in the lush Borneo rainforest. Think you know some big eaters? Before transforming into a butterfly, our star caterpillar munches through enough citrus leaves in a few weeks to increase its weight 100 times over! A mini-mantis hatched with 200 brothers and sisters quickly becomes a lethal hunter-even as it struggles to evade predators larger than itself. Perspective-bending presentations of Bugs! are now running regularly in the 3-D Digital Cinema.
3-D Digital Cinema
The museum's latest venue is now open in Wright Theater! Thanks to a newly installed digital projection system, the Museum now offers film presentations in 3-D. Using polarized light rather than traditional red/blue lens filters, the high-definition system offers Museum audiences dramatically crisp images and an exciting new presentation format to experience in the Exhibit Halls.
20-minute presentations of the debut film, Bugs!, are now showing regularly on the new high-definition system.
Butterfly Garden
Do you cower when a bee buzzes nearby...cringe at the sight of a beetle...recoil when a housefly lands on the kitchen table? But when a bright yellow butterfly meanders past you in the park, does your face light up with appreciation and wonder? Flitting among flowers like airborne jewels, butterflies have long captivated human beings. Exquisitely patterned, richly colored, and delicately formed, they are yours to enjoy at an exciting new exhibit at the museum.
Also at the Science Museum:
The Computing Revolution
How do new technologies affect our world? Can we predict their impact? Featuring artifacts, interactive exhibits, and compelling human stories, this new permanent exhibit re-creates milestones of computing, using past examples to ask questions that are relevant today.
The Charles Hayden Planetarium is featuring the high-tech, celestial adventure "Skyfire: Wonder of the Atmosphere," a multi media presentation of tornadoes, lightning, thunder and more. It's a wonderful tour of weather featuring all the elements. Shown at various times during the day through mid-April.
"Human Body Connection"
This popular exhibit is now on the second floor of the Green Wing and contains exhibits on anatomy, physiology and health. There are a variety of activities including building models, using a microscope, and conducting small experiments. There is also a chick hatchery, where live chicks hatch from actual eggs. It's no coincidence that the hatchery is located across from the exhibit on birth.
Natural Mysteries Exhibit:
Making use of some 6000 artifacts from the Museum's extensive natural history collections, this exhibit draws you into a series of unique environments filled with physical clues. Venture into a desert, a historic schoolhouse or a tropical beach. You'll find that scientific classification skills are the key to solving some intriguing puzzles.
The Virtual Fish Tank, which has been installed near the Wave Tank now at the Science Museum. This new exhibit immerses visitors in a1700 square-foot virtual undersea world where they create and interact with their own virtual fish to discover new insights into how complex living systems work.
"The Light House: Beaming, Bouncing and Bending Light"
This most recent permanent exhibit sheds light on optics, color and the nature of light. A shimmering light house greets the visitor as he explores a series of fascinating mirror effects. There are 18 hands-on activities, including optical pin ball, prisms, and how color is made.
"Messages" lets you discover why communication is central to everyday life. There are a number of interactive exhibits, including "Meaning with Music," where you can select a music soundtrack to go with silent video footage. In "Language To Go," visitors pretend to take food orders from people around the U.S. representing different kinds of regional speech. For example, is a hoagie the same as a sub or a hero sandwich?
"Science in The Park" puts a new twist on playing in the park by offering interactive science experiences. Activities on a seesaw and swing prompt us to wonder what forces are at work while we play. Children at all levels will enjoy the different ways to explore the pushes and pulls that set things in motion. It's fun and of course educational at the same time. Mom and Dad will enjoy getting involved as well.
The museum is also the home of the Charles Hayden Planetarium, a high-tech celestial adventure and the most technologically advanced planetarium in New England. Now through mid -April: "Skyfire: Wonders of the Atmosphere." There are also laser shows at various times, so check the schedule on their Web site.
Museum of Science, Boston
(617) 723-2500
Museum of Science Omni Theatre
Now showing:
-
Adrenaline Rush
This film takes audiences on a breathtaking journey from extraordinary heights, featuring spectacular footage of extreme skydiving while delving into both the biology of risktaking and the physics that make human flight possible.Skydiving teams bring audiences along on a secure yet death-defying ride, initiating their jumps from speeding aircraft miles above the immensity of Florida's Keys and California's Mojave Desert. The film also introduces audiences to the awesome sport of BASE jumping, with teams of jumpers leaping off spectacular cliffs and mountains, culminating in 4500-foot dives off the magnificent Fjords of Norway.
More than a thrilling visual experience, the film educates audiences on the psychological and physiological forces that are at play in extreme risktaking and on the physics involved in skydiving, BASE jumping, parachuting, and their related activities.
Also Playing:
- The Greatest Places
- Antarctica
- Coral Reef Adventure
Museum of Science
(617) 723-2500
Harvard College Museums
World-famous Harvard just across the Charles River in Cambridge has three art museums, the Fogg, the Sackler, and the Busch-Reisinger. All three offer FREE admission on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - noon. All other times, one admission gets you into all three.
- The Fogg Museum, 32 Quincy St.
- The Sackler, at 585 Broadway
- The Busch-Reisinger in Werner Otto Hall - enter through the Fogg.
The Children's Museum
The newly-renovated Children's Museum is now open!
One of Boston's most pupular museums is this h
ighly-acclaimed children's oasis with four floors of interactive exhibits for all ages. One of their newest interactive exhibits is "Boston Black...A City Connects," an interactive exhibit about the diversity of Boston. Here you can get involved in Boston's vibrant communities by decorating a float at the Carnival Garage, share in a celebration of Caribbean culture, shopat the Colmado Store, style hair at African Queen Beauty salon, and dance at a Cape Verdean cafe.
Children's Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays, except school vacation days and holidays. Special admission prices on Fridays 5 -9 p.m.-- all visitors $1. Other times, tickets are: $6 kids and seniors, others, $7. For the latest on the many varied activities available, check out their Web site or call the "What's Up Line" at (617) 426-8855.
For those traveling to and from Logan Airport in Boston, check out the museum's airport satellite in the C terminal at Logan Airport. The Kidport Exhibit has climbing structures related to airport themes and will wile away the waiting time between planes.
The Children's Museum
300 Congress Street
(617) 426-6500
New England Aquarium
Children and adults alike will enjoy the penguins at the Aquarium! The exhibit 3 different species of penguins, with over 60 of the charming creatures in a 150,000-gallon tank. Visit the Penguin Pages on their Web site for lots of great information about penguins, both at the Aquarium and around the world, and find out how you too can learn to walk like a penguin!
The Aquarium is one of the city's most popular attractions, and the bustling Boston Waterfront location is a treat for young and old. The Aquarium is open Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is $12, Juniors 3-11 $6, Children under 3, free, and Seniors $10.
Aquarium's IMAX Theatre
The giant screen - 65 feet high by 85 feet wide - is taller than a six story building! The slight curvature of the screen extends to the edge of your peripheral vision.
Now Playing:
Dolphins and Whales 3D: Tribes of the Ocean
Dive into a new immersive and highly emotional adventure with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D, which will take you from the dazzling coral reefs of the Bahamas to the warm depths of the waters of the exotic Kingdom of Tonga for a close encounter with the surviving tribes of the ocean. Stunning images captured for the very first time in 3D will allow you to discover their lives and habitats as never-before-seen. An unforgettable voyage with these graceful, majestic yet endangered sea creatures, narrated by Daryl Hannah.
Also Playing:
- Under the Sea 3D
For complete information on the Aquarium exhibits, visit their Web site.
New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
(617) 973-5200
Sports Museum of New England
They seem to have finally found a permanent home for sports fans who crave the various bits of memorabilia collected through the halcyon days of the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox. Videos and interactive exhibits will keep the rabid fan busy for hours. The museum is now located on the upper levels of the Fleet Center in Boston. Hours are Tues.- Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. Noon - 5. Admission: $6, seniors and children, $4.
Sports Museum of New England
(617) 787-7678
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
Frederick Law Olmsted is currently CLOSED to visitors in order to carry out a construction project involving park buildings, grounds and collections. The park anticipates reopening in 2010. For more information, call or visit their Web site.
Olmsted National Historic Site
99 Warren St, Brookline
(617) 566-1689