Massachusetts Museums

Massachusetts museums offer a look at the state’s history and culture, and along with such activities as historical tours, fishing, and whale watching along the coast, visiting them is one of the most popular things to do during a visit to this part of New England.

If you’re visiting Cape Cod during your Massachusetts vacation, it’s worth stopping at the Heritage Museums and Gardens, which has outstanding examples of plant and flower species along with an extensive collection of military memorabilia. In addition, the Sandwich Glass Museum, located in the oldest town on Cape Cod, offers a look into the history of Sandwich and the local glass industry. If you’re interested in visual arts, particularly glassmaking, this museum is worth visiting.

There are numerous museums in Boston to consider visiting, including the American Textile History Museum, the Lynn Museum and Historical Society, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. If you’re traveling with children and are looking for educational opportunities in the city, you might visit the New England Aquarium, Museum of Science, Museum of Fine Arts, or one of the local zoos. These promise entertainment for visitors of all ages.

Colonial history is a popular topic in New England, and several museums in Boston provide a glimpse at the architecture and mode of living during the seventeenth century. These include the Paul Revere House and the Nichols House Museum, established around 1804. The Old South Meeting House, which dates to about 1729, was the location from which the Boston Tea Party originated. Massachusetts Museums focusing on military history include the USS Constitution Museum, and Battleship Cove that is home to five National Historic Landmarks.

Literary points of interest in Boston include Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, where she wrote Little Women, and the Old Manse, which was built in 1770 and has been home to writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

In the Amherst area, the Eric Carle Museum honors the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and strives to educate of children—and adults—through illustrations and picture book art. The museum hosts three galleries with rotating exhibits of picture book art collected from around the world. Visitors can try their hand at creating their own work of art in the Art Studio or learn about the art form through lectures and films in the Auditorium.

The Eric Carle Museum provides a café for light meals and refreshments and the Museum Shop with selections of picture books and gift items. The Eric Carle Museum is open year-round from 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 12 to 5 pm on Sunday. The museum is closed on all major holidays.

The Emily Dickinson Museum, also located in Amherst, is a fine tribute to the poet. Situated on three acres, her homestead and her brother's home, the Evergreens, were purchased by Amherst College. Both homes are open for tours and serve as an educational venue for the preservation of Dickinson's creative work.

Located in historic Plymouth, not far from Plimoth Plantation, the Pilgrim Hall Museum has an impressive collection of both permanent and rotating exhibits, as well as artifacts from the seventeenth century. The Pilgrim Hall Museum, built in 1824, is nation's oldest public museum in continuous operation. The collections include authentic furniture, portraits, household items, and paintings up until the end of Plymouth Colony in 1692. The Pilgrim Hall Museum is open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, seven days a week, from February through December; it’s closed in the month of January.