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Museum membership guide
Top 50 NARM locations in Massachusetts
byShiry
Live update: Updated July 26, 2021Copy link
Copy link1. Dedham Historical Society and Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
ShiryRecommended this place!
2. Historic Newton: Jackson Homestead
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Jackson Homestead and Museum displays rotating and permanent exhibits about the history of Newton, Massachusetts, and the Underground Railroad. The Homestead is also home to the archives of Historic Newton.
3. Berkshire Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
4. Springfield Museums Corporation
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryLocated in the heart of downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, the Springfield Museums offers access to four world-class museums and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden all under a single admission.
5. Addison Gallery of American Art
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
6. Berkshire County Historical Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryBerkshire County Historical Society at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead is a non-profit corporation dedicated to collecting, preserving, and disseminating the history of Berkshire County in western Massachusetts. In addition, the Berkshire County Historical Society is committed to the preservation and interpretation of Arrowhead, home of author Herman Melville, designated a National Historic Landmark.
7. Bidwell House Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Bidwell House Museum, set in the Berkshire hills of Western Massachusetts, is an elegant Georgian saltbox originally built circa 1760 as a parsonage. Authentically restored, filled with antiques and surrounded by 192 acres of beautiful grounds and hiking trails, the museum tells the story of life in the 18th century Berkshires.The gardens and grounds are open to the public at no charge year-round from dawn until dusk and there are a number of self-guided tours available, maps can be found on the website or at the parking kiosk.
8. Cape Cod Museum of Art
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryFounded by artists in 1981, CCMoA is the home of Cape Cod Art. The Museum preserves the work of the Cape’s finest artists and celebrates the distinctive artistic identity of the Cape, the Islands and the region. It is a major hub of the cultural life of the region. Through its outstanding art collection and diverse programming, CCMoA educates, inspires and excites the imagination while caring for and connecting the Cape’s many communities.
9. Concord Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
10. Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Danforth Art Museum educates the public through its Permanent Collection of American art from the 19th century to the present day, changing exhibitions of contemporary artists. The museum is proud to be the caretaker of the Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller Special Collection.In addition, the Danforth school offers studio art classes and workshops, and a variety of community outreach programs.
11. Fitchburg Art Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
12. Hancock Shaker Village
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
13. Highfield Hall and Gardens
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryHighfield Hall & Gardens, a magnificently restored historic mansion and estate, is now a vibrant center of cultural and community life on Cape Cod. Surrounded by 400 acres of public woodlands and spectacular gardens, Highfield is a hub for public events, music, art, and a beautiful venue for private or corporate functions. Discover seasonal art exhibitions feature works from local and international artists. Free community events include multiple Open House celebrations, Family Nights and a Bluegrass on the Lawn music festival in July. World-class concerts, docent tours, nature walks, garden presentations, and culinary classes are here for you to explore and be inspired.
14. Larz Anderson Auto Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryHome to “America’s Oldest Car Collection” the Larz Anderson Auto Museum is just 5 miles outside of Boston and set in the beautiful 64 acre Larz Anderson Park. The Museum hosts numerous types of events throughout the year, including educational speaker series, musical events and car shows such as Tutto Italiano, the largest Italian Car Festival in the Northeast.
15. Marblehead Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Marblehead Museum’s Collections and Exhibits preserve and interpret the local and national importance of Marblehead — and its inhabitants — through programs and artifacts that span five centuries. Exhibits focus on many aspects of Marblehead’s history, drawing from the MMHS collections as well as outside lenders. Past exhibits include: Off the Wall: Wallpapers from the Lee Mansion and Show Me a Sign, (see archive of Past Exhibits). Exhibits change two to three times a year.
16. McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe McMullen Museum of Art of Boston College organizes and presents innovative, multidisciplinary exhibitions that receive national and international recognition.
17. New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks!
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryNew Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! is dedicated to engaging a diverse audience in relevant exhibitions, exemplary education and creative experiences as a vital innovative center for the arts. The South Coast is rich in culture, history, and diversity. And rich in art! New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! is at the heart of New Bedford’s Seaport Cultural District. Located in the historic downtown, NBAM / ArtWorks! offers engaging exhibitions and outstanding educational programs for members and visitors of all ages.
18. Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery at the Boston Athenæum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
19. Old Sturbridge Village
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryOld Sturbridge Village, the largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast, depicts a rural New England town of the 1830s. Step inside more than 40 original buildings, and explore homes, meetinghouses, a district school, country store, bank, working farm, three water-powered mills, and trade shops – all situated on more than 200 scenic acres. Talk with authentically costumed historians and see heritage breed farm animals. Discover the endless ways to immerse yourself in the Village.
20. Public Health Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Public Health Museum is an independent 501(c)3 organization, housed in the historic Richard Morris building (also known as the Old Administration Building) of Tewksbury Hospital in Massachusetts. The Museum strives to preserve artifacts and records of our nation’s history in public health and serve as a resource to the community to educate and promote public health initiatives that address current health issues.
21. Smith College Museum of Art
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShirySmith College began collecting original works of art in1879, four years after it enrolled its first class. The first iteration of the museum opened in 1919, and today SCMA’s permanent collection includes more than 25,000 artworks created from antiquity to the present day by artists from around the world. Considered one of the finest at an academic museum in the U.S., the collection is comprised of paintings, sculpture, works on paper (prints, drawings and photographs), as well as videos and new media. Galleries are updated, and art works are rotated, on a regular basis to feature longtime favorites as well as new acquisitions. The museum also hosts a robust schedule of changing exhibitions and related programs.
22. The Griffin Museum of Photography
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Griffin Museum of Photography is a nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the art of photography. Through our many exhibitions, programs, and lectures, we strive to encourage a broader understanding and appreciation of the visual, emotional, and social impact of photographic art.
23. The Museum of Printing
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Museum of Printing preserves the rich history of print communication through immersive exhibits, social media, public programs, and an extensive library.
24. Trustees | deCordova
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryEstablished in 1950, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is the largest park of its kind in New England encompassing 30 acres, 20 miles west of Boston.
25. Worcester Art Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
26. Arlington Historical Society Museum & Jason Russell House
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Society operates the historic Jason Russell House, located at 7 Jason Street, as a historic house museum. The House is the site of the most intense fighting on April 19, 1775 as well as a unique example of vernacular craftsmanship of an ordinary farmer’s home. The Smith Museum located at 7R Jason Street was constructed in 1981, and houses both research and museum collections as well as interpretive exhibits. Both the house and Museum are open weekends seasonally, (spring through autumn). For details on hours and other programs, visit our website.
27. Cahoon Musuem of American Art
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Cahoon Museum is a dynamic center for experiencing the visual arts. It is home to a collection of American art with historic breadth from the early 19th century to contemporary art and a special focus on regional art of the Northeast and Cape Cod. The museum celebrates the creative spirit of folk artists Ralph and Martha Cahoon through the preservation of their artwork and the 1782 historic building which served as their home and studio. The museum presents an ambitious schedule of original exhibitions each year. Special events, one-of-a kind programs, artist’s talks and workshops, guest lectures and get-togethers add to your creative experience!
28. Chesterwood, A Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryChesterwood, a National Trust Historic Site, is the country home, studio and gardens of America’s foremost sculptor of public monuments, Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), creator of the Minute Man and Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial. Situated on 122 acres in the idyllic hamlet of Glendale near Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the property and its buildings were donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation by French’s only child, Margaret French Cresson (1889-1973). Inspired by the natural beauty of the Berkshire Hills, French purchased the former Marshall Warner farm in 1896. Each year, during the month of May, he left his permanent home and studio in New York for six months and moved with his family to Chesterwood, where he worked on over 200 public and private commissions. Many of French’s plaster sketches, including models of his Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial, are on view today in his Studio as well as in the permanent exhibit, Daniel Chester French: Sculpting an American Vision, in the Barn Gallery. Visitors to Chesterwood are also invited to explore An Artist’s Landscape, a self-guided tour of the beautiful formal gardens and woodland paths created by French himself.
29. Cultural Center of Cape Cod
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe mission of the Cultural Center of Cape Cod is to serve the entire Cape Cod community and visitors to the area by offering instruction, entertainment, and exhibition in the visual, literary, and performing arts. The Center opened in 2007 after the decrepit yet historically significant Bass River Savings Bank building was renovated to be a multi-purpose performing arts space, art gallery, and community center. Located in the Bass River Historic District, the Cultural Center offers extensive programming and educational opportunities for all abilities, ages, and incomes, as well as through its network of active partners in social services, arts, and education. In response to escalating demand for services, the Cultural Center opened a 9,000-square-foot Education Wing in 2016. Over 200,000 people have taken part in programming to enrich their lives, combat illness and addiction, create new work, develop new skills, and THRIVE.
30. Danvers Historical Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Danvers Historical Society preserves the history of the original Salem Village and the Town of Danvers, and engages the community though programs and partnerships to make an impact for all generations. The Society conducts events and programs at Jeremiah Page House, Tapley Memorial Hall, Glen Magna Farms, and the National Historic Landmark Derby Summer House.
31. Discovery Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryInteractive science exhibits for children of all ages, as well as adults.
32. Fall River Historical Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Fall River Historical Society is housed in a mansion museum constructed in 1843/1870, once a station on the Underground Railroad, featuring magnificent period interiors and the largest concentration of 19th-century polychrome stenciling in southeastern Massachusetts. Collections include: Americana; costumes and accessories; decorative arts; ephemera; Fall River textile mill history; furniture; local history; manuscripts; maritime, featuring the famous Fall River Line steamships; 19th- and 20th-century paintings, drawings, and sculpture; and photographs. The museum houses The Charlton Library of Fall River History, featuring the largest library and archival collection of material pertaining to all aspects of the history of Fall River and its multi-cultural people. The museum is noted worldwide as the central repository for materials pertaining to the infamous 1892 Borden murder case, and the life of Lizzie A. Borden. Among the artifacts on display from this collection are the only extant courtroom exhibits and physical evidence from that trial, including the alleged murder weapon. Our curators are recognized worldwide as the leading experts on Lizzie Borden and the Borden murders.
33. Forbes House Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Forbes House Museum preserves and celebrates the rich Forbes family history. As entrepreneurs, philanthropists and collectors, the family’s aspirations and achievements mirrored America’s development. The house itself is a beautiful Greek Revival style mansion, built in 1833 with a fortune earned in the early American China Trade, while several of its rooms exhibit the Victorian style favored later. It boasts a commanding view of the Boston harbor and city skyline. Inside, visitors will find treasures from the China Trade, items from a humanitarian relief voyage to Ireland in 1847, nautical artifacts, servants’ rooms, and more. There’s even a room dedicated to artifacts and memorabilia from Lincoln and the Civil War and a replica of Lincoln’s log cabin in the backyard.
34. Harvard Art Museums
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
35. Hopkinton Center for the Arts
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe region’s cultural destination serving individuals of all ages, cultures, and artistic abilities across the MetroWest region, HCA develops artistic skills, offers outstanding artistic performances and exhibitions, and enables visitors to experience art in all forms. Under one roof, we celebrate art through classes and events in visual art, theater, music, dance, ceramics, writing, and film.
36. Lexington Arts & Crafts Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
37. Mariposa Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Mariposa Museum in Oak Bluffs explores American history and experience through a diversity lens. Through the creativity of diverse artists, scholars, storytellers, and performers, and in collaboration with all who cherish Oak Bluffs’ historic, welcoming spirit, we present exhibits and programs that encourage a more inclusive understanding of our country’s journey and that inspire a more compassionate and just world.
38. Mead Art Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Mead holds the art collection of Amherst College, celebrated for its American and European paintings, Mexican ceramics, Tibetan scroll paintings, English paneled room, ancient Assyrian carvings, Russian avant-garde art, West African sculpture and Japanese prints. The Mead is situated in the vibrant Five Colleges academic community of western Massachusetts, and serves as a laboratory for interdisciplinary research and innovative teaching involving original works of art. Eight galleries feature regularly changing exhibitions and installations spanning a wide range of historical periods and artistic media.
39. New Bedford Whaling Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryLocation: 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740, United States. For more details: http://www.whalingmuseum.org , 508-997-0046
40. Norman Rockwell Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryLocation: 9 Route 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262, United States. For more details: http://www.nrm.org , 413-298-4100
41. Peabody Essex Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryLocation: 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970, United States. For more details: http://www.pem.org , 866-745-1876
42. Salem Arts Association
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShirySalem Arts Association is a community gallery located in Salem’s Historic Waterfront District located next to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. We feature more than 100 local and regional artists in our historic 18th Century landmark building. Our galleries and shop offer affordable locally created arts, crafts, and more. Our 10 galleries flow through two floors of this historic space. Also featured is the Paul Nathan Gallery and Museum.
ALSO FEATURED IN:Top 31 places in Massachusetts for Art
43. The House of the Seven Gables
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is dedicated to continuing Caroline Emmerton’s work by preserving this National Historic Landmark District and leveraging its power as American icon to engage diverse audiences and provide educational opportunities for the local immigrant community.
44. The Museum of Russian Icons
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
45. Trustees | Fruitlands
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryFruitlands Museum, founded in 1914 by Clara Endicott Sears, takes its name from an experimental utopian community led by Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane which took place on this site in 1843.
46. Trustees | William Cullen Bryant Homestead
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryFrom its iconic red barn to elegant allee of maples leading to the main house, this lovely property is testament to a celebrated poet’s ideal of living mindfully on the land.
47. Berkshire Botanical Garden
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Berkshire Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit, membership-supported educational organization encompassing 15 acres of cultivated land at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Classes, workshops, lectures and special events are offered year-round. Since its inception, the Garden also has offered a broad variety of educational programs to school children from the surrounding area.
48. Beverly Historical Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Beverly Historical Society has been preserving and caring for Beverly’s past since 1891 and the 1781 John Cabot House has been our headquarters since 1892. In addition to a collection of nearly a million objects and documents related to Beverly and the North Shore of Massachusetts, the Society preserves and interprets three historic properties, the Balch House, Hale Farm, and the Cabot House, and engages the community in a variety of programs.
49. Cape Ann Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Cape Ann Museum tells multiple stories, all relating to a single remarkable place. From its earliest days as a fishing and shipping port to its mid-19th century role in the granite industry, to its singular charms of light and sea that have attracted countless artists from the 19th century to the present, Cape Ann boasts a rich and varied culture of nationally significant historical, industrial, and artistic achievement. The Museum’s fine art collection includes the largest grouping of works by native son and renowned marine artist, Fitz Henry Lane, as well as work by other prominent painters and sculptors who lived on, visited or were inspired by Cape Ann. The work of contemporary Cape Ann artists is also collected and exhibited. The permanent collection includes fine and decorative arts, and artifacts from the major industries of the area – the fisheries and granite quarrying.
50. Clark Art Institute
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryLocation: 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, United States. For more details: http://www.clarkart.edu , 413-458-2303
ALSO FEATURED IN:Top 31 places in Massachusetts for Art
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