Boston's Best Museum Tours

Boston is home to more than 40 museums of art, culture, history, nature and more. The following list of five museums includes both new and old for both adults and children. Each of these museums have great tours, making them great for tourists and Boston residents with intellectual curiosities.

Boston Tea Party Ship Museum
306 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 338-1773
www.bostonteapartyship.com

This floating museum, which was rehabbed and reopened in 2012, is educational fun for the whole family. The "multi-sensory" character of the museum makes visiting more than just a regular tour. Visitors are instantly transported to colonial Boston and get to experience a meeting house event with fellow patriots. The rallying speeches get everyone inspired to dump British tea off the ship into Boston Harbor – which they actually get to do (without polluting the harbor of course).

Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 267-9300
www.mfa.org

Boston's Museum of Fine Arts is world renowned for its incredible collection of different types of art from around the globe. Tours with experts are available for all visitors. Or, for people who prefer to explore on their own, the MFA offers an audio tour for a small fee. This allows tourists to go at their own pace and skip to the pieces that most interest them. In addition to the traveling exhibits, the MFA has wonderful tours of its permanent collection – one of which is the famous Ancient Egyptian mummy exhibit.

JFK Library Museum
Columbia Point
Boston, MA 02125
(617) 514-1600
www.jfklibrary.org

Over in Columbia Point in South Boston, tourists can visit the John F. Kennedy Library, which includes a wonderful history museum as well as space for traveling historical exhibits. Like the MFA, the JFK Library offers both guided tours, audio tours and even virtual tours for those who want to explore on their computers at home. This summer is the perfect time to take the kids to the JFK Library because, until September 1, 2014, there is a great comic exhibit on Superman's Mission for President Kennedy. Adults, on the other hand, will enjoy exploring the newly released recordings from Jaqueline Kennedy that were sealed for 47 years.
Related: Boston's Weirdest Museums

Harvard Natural History Museum
26 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-3045
www.hmnh.harvard.edu

Though this museum isn't in downtown Boston, it is truly a must-see. Visitors have the option to tour parts of the museum with Harvard's experts while learning about nature, wildlife, geology and conservation. To go deeper than a typical museum tour, check out the Harvard Natural History Museum event calendar which features weekly (if not more) lectures with authors and scientists. Many of these lectures are free and some are kid friendly, making a trip to the museum the perfect educational family trip.

E Inc. Museum
114 16th St.
Boston, MA 02129
(617) 242-4700
www.e-action.us

Boston is always changing, evolving and improving. One way Boston will become more culturally enriched over the next couple of years is with the opening of the E Inc. Museum. The new environmental museum for children in the Charlestown Navy Yard will allow parents and kids to explore the impacts of climate change and learn what they can do to take action. Though the museum is not yet open, preliminary tours of the space are being offered, so keep an eye on the event calendar to get a sneak peak at Boston's newest and most innovative attraction.
Related: Boston's Best Museums for Dates