Museums near Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, Boston, MA
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Being one of the largest museums in America, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (also known as MFA Boston) is listed among the top 100 most visited art museums in the world in 2021.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City contains over 2 million pieces of work. And similar to The Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts has over 400,000 pieces of artwork from all over the world. Besides the significant paintings from America and Europe, the MFA also has a huge collection of antiques. Not to mention the Egyptian jewellery and sculptures, and a big collection of Asian art as well.
Address:
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Distance from Quincy Market: 4.3 miles (about 11 minutes drive)
Opening hours:
Mon: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tue: Closed
Wed: Closed
Thur: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Fri: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sat: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Do check the MFA official website for the latest exhibits, opening hours and timed tickets information.
Museum of Science
The Museum of Science Boston (MoS) is located in the Science Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The museum was originally known as the Boston Society of Natural History in the 1800s. It is for anyone who is interested in discussing and sharing any science topics. In the 19th century, the name Boston Museum of Natural History was used to refer to the society in the literature. Finally, in 1939, it was renamed the Museum of Science.
The development of the museum continues.
In 2013, the Hall of Human Life was opened to the public in November. It is now one of the major exhibitions in the MoS.
The exhibit halls are distributed among three wings. The Blue Wing, the Green Wing and the Red Wing.
Besides the interactive exhibits, the fun-filled MoS also housed various animals and insects. The Garden Walk & Insect Zoo is a conservatory that showcases fun insects and exotic plants like the carnivorous plant. The Live Animal Care Center lets you have a behind-the-scenes view of how the staff looks after the animals there. It is great for families with kids.
If you are getting tired, why not sit down and watch an Omni film, Planetarium show or 4-D film? There are so many films showing each day there’s bound to be something suitable for everyone.
As the museum is really big, there is a cafeteria and a few other coffee shops too. Do allow for a whole day as there are so many things to see.
Parking is available at a small fee, and if you want to save time, do reserve in advance. Otherwise, on-street meter parking is available too.
Address:
1 Science Park
Boston, MS 02114
Distance from Quincy Market: 1.6 – 2.4 miles (about 6 minutes drive)
Opening hours:
Mon: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tue: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wed: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thur: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Fri: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sat: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Do check out on the official site for the latest opening hours and special exhibitions.
Harvard Museum of Natural History
The Harvard Museum of Natural History is located at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. This prestigious museum housed many impressive specimens of both wildlife and the famous Glass Flowers.
The Glass Flowers exhibition is right near the entrance so it is difficult to miss. From 1886-to 1936, the Blaschkas (father and son) Czech glass artists made over 4,300 glass models of flowers that depict over 800 plant species. They are originally made for teaching purposes in the university. The life-size models are made with high anatomical accuracy with the flower parts being enlarged and are internationally acclaimed.
Other sections include earth and planetary sciences, evolution, arthropods, Cenozoic mammals fossils, vertebrate palaeontology, sea creatures in glass, marine life, birds and New England forests.
Address:
26 Oxford Street,
Cambridge, MA 02138
Distance from Quincy Market: 4.4 miles (about 15 minutes drive)
Opening hours:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily
(Closed on Thanksgiving Day, 24th Dec, 25th Dec and New Year Day)
New England Aquarium
See thousands of sea animals in this magnificent aquarium. Besides watching the animals at a distance, there are hands-on areas where you can touch them. There are shows and presentations to explain to you more about each animal. And if it’s still not enough, you may join their “Behind the scene” to learn more about how they care for the animals. A must-see for animal lovers and families with children.
Address:
1 Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
Distance from Quincy Market: 0.4 miles (about 2 minutes drive)
Opening hours:
Mon: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tue: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wed: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Thur: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Fri: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sat: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sun: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.