Museums, Providence

Adams National Historical Park, Quincy, MA, is comprised of the birthplace homes of Presidents John and John Quincy Adams; the Old House, home to four generations of the Adams family; and the Stone Library. Many park programs and special events are offered to give kids of all ages an opportunity to Picture Themselves in the Past and see themselves in their nation's future. Contact the park for dates and details. https://www.bostonusa.com/listings/adams-national-historical-park/11557/

After Isabella Stewart Gardner's husband died in 1898, the art enthusiast bought land in Boston's Fenway area to open a museum to display her impressive collection of Italian art. The museum, which was fashioned after the Palazzo Barbaro in Venice, was completed in 1902, at which point Gardner moved in to the fourth floor and began installing her collection. https://travel.usnews.com/Boston_MA/Things_To_Do/Isabella_Stewart_Gardner_Museum_52775/

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is one of the world's great art museums with masterpieces from around the world and across the ages, including more Monets than any museum outside of Paris, an unrivaled Japanese art collection, treasures from Egypt and the ancient world, and American art from colonial to modern times. At every turn, travel to a time and a place that will inform, enlighten, and inspire. Now open is the spectacular Art of the Americas Wing. Paintings, sculpture, furniture, works on paper, textiles, and decorative arts tell the story of the art of the Americas from the prehistoric times to the present day. More than 5000 glorious examples of art produced in North, Central, and South America are displayed—some for the first time. https://www.bostonusa.com/listings/museum-of-fine-arts-boston/11545/

The famous Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick trail through Boston’s historic neighborhoods that tells the story of the American Revolution. From the Old North Church to Faneuil Hall, and through resonant burying grounds, visit the temples and landmarks of the Revolutionary Era. https://www.bostonusa.com/things-to-do/sightseeing-tours-trails/freedom-trail/

The mission of the Museum is to preserve and display fire fighting memorabilia from the Greater Boston area, educate and inform the general public on fire safety, maintain our home in the historic Congress Street Fire Station, and to support the fire service in general. The Boston Fire Museum has occupied the old firehouse at 344 Congress St in Boston’s seaport district since 1983. The Museum Committee, which oversees the operation of the Museum, is an all-volunteer group dedicated to informing friends and visitors about the history of fire fighting. Since the Boston Fire Department is one of the oldest in the nation, there is a rich tradition to salute. The home of our parent group, the Boston Sparks Association, is on the second floor. Our museum collection comprises fire alarm displays and artefacts, firefighting equipment, antique fire apparatus, and photographs. http://www.bostonfiremuseum.com/index.html

At the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, you can be a part of the famous event that forever changed the course of American history through a multi-sensory experience that includes live actors, interactive exhibits, and full-scale replica 18th-century sailing vessels! Enter the Meeting House and step back in time to rebellious 1773 Boston and meet Samuel Adams and your 18th century host! Discover what role you will play in the “single most important event leading up to the American Revolution” – the Boston Tea Party – as you take part in the colonial town meeting. Experience life at sea aboard an 18th-century sailing vessel as you join a Son of Liberty and take part in the “Destruction of the Tea”! Throw tea into the very same body of water where the Boston Tea Party took place over 240 years ago. https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/

For 100 years, Boston Children's Museum has been a leader in Boston and within the museum community worldwide. The Museum is a private, non-profit, educational institution that is recognized internationally as a research and development center and pacesetter for children's exhibitions, educational programs and curriculum. Designed for children and families, our exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts. In addition to extensive child-centered exhibits, Museum educators develop programs and activities that address literacy, performing arts, science and math, visual arts, cultures, and health and wellness. The Museum is also one of the few children's museums in the world to maintain a collection, with more than 50,000 items. http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/visit

The Museum of African American History is New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. In Boston and Nantucket, the Museum has preserved four historic sites and two Black Heritage Trails® that tell the story of organized black communities from the Colonial Period through the 19th century. http://maah.org/about.htm

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. On January 13, 2015, the Trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art reaffirmed this statement of purpose and supplemented it with the following statement of mission: The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas. https://www.metmuseum.org

The AKC Museum of the Dog has returned to New York City where it began over 35 years ago. The museum, with one of the finest collections of canine-related art, will occupy new purpose-built galleries in midtown Manhattan, just steps from Grand Central Station. Combining fine arts with cutting edge technology and interpretation, the Museum of the Dog provides unique and engaging experiences for visitors of all ages. The permanent collection of the museum is one of the finest and largest collections of canine-related fine art and artifacts in the world. It comprises paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, ceramics and bronzes. Additionally, objects such as trophies, collars and other dog-related works are included in the collection. Representations of dogs in ceramic goes back centuries, and the collection reflects that rich history. One can encounter works from Staffordshire spill vases to modern day productions of many breeds from factories such as Meissen, Rosenthal, and Royal Doulton. The core experience in the museum is the touch screen interactive table that allows you to explore AKC registered breeds. Follow the breeds as they move across the screen; find your favorite and pull it down to your dog house. There you can learn about each breed’s unique physical features, personality traits, purpose/common jobs and history, and find the breeds depicted in artworks in the collection. http://www.museumofthedog.org/

A working maritime museum located along the historic Tuckerton Creek, Tuckerton Seaport is only 25-minutes from Atlantic City. The museum celebrates life on the Jersey Shore with many events and activities for all ages and interests. Watch history come alive as docents build boats, carve decoys, discuss clam digging, and more. Open 7-days a week. https://www.atlanticcitynj.com/explore/attractions/details.aspx?id=296

The view from New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse is just what you’d expect: breathtaking. It’s perhaps the only fitting reward for climbing the 228 stairs it will take you to get to the top. The Absecon Lighthouse was the brainchild of Dr. Jonathan Pitney, who many refer to as “the father of Atlantic City.” Pitney first proposed the lighthouse in 1830; the government was late in responding to the request and concluded more than a decade later that a lighthouse was unnecessary. Pitney wrote letters and gathered petition signatures for several years before the lighthouse was finally approved and completed in 1857. The 171-foot lighthouse (the third-tallest in the U.S.) shone with a kerosene flame through a French-made first-order Fresnel lens, though the kerosene light was eventually replaced with an electric one. Today the lighthouse is a landmark tourism attraction, drawing visitors from around New Jersey and the country. http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/atlantic-city-stories/details.aspx?story=The-Absecon-Lighthouse

The repository of the largest collection of works by Auguste Rodin outside of Paris features treasures such as The Gates of Hell and a bronze caste of The Thinker. All told, you’ll find more than 120 of the French master’s sculptures here, as well as a fascinating collection of drawings, paintings and studies. The variety of works on hand offers the perfect opportunity to contrast and compare the ways in which Rodin used and re-used the same stances, and even body parts, throughout his work. http://www.rodinmuseum.org/

Founded in 1876, the Philadelphia Museum of Art showcases more than 2,000 years of human creativity, the collections and special exhibitions present masterpieces of painting, sculpture, decorative arts and architectural settings from Europe, Asia and the Americas. https://www.philamuseum.org/

Lucy the Elephant was built by real estate developer, James Lafferty, in 1881, as a gimmick to attract potential buyers to his land holdings along the coast of South Atlantic City (now Margate). Eventually, a popular hotel business was built around Lucy. Presidents and royalty came from around the world to stay at the neighboring Elephant Hotel and climb the stairs to Lucy's howdah. During her history, Lucy has survived hurricanes, ocean floods, and even a fire accidentally started by some inebriated party-goers when she served as a tavern. However, by the 1960's it became apparent there was one disaster Lucy could not overcome - neglect. By that time, the once proud jewel of the South Jersey coast had become an almost hopeless, wretched wreck. Then in 1970, a developer purchased Lucy's land and intended to build a condominium building on the site. The beach and the ocean could stay - but the elephant had to go! To the rescue came the Save Lucy Committee. Within weeks, this small concerned group of ordinary citizens had raised enough money to move the entire decaying structure two blocks away to a new site owned by the city. Thirty years and over 1.5 million dollars later, Lucy was completely restored to her original splendor, inside and out. In 1976, Lucy was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States government as the oldest surviving example of a unique form of "zoomorphic" architecture, and the oldest "roadside" attraction in America. Today, she stands as the most popular non-gaming attraction in the greater Atlantic City region. She has brought fame to Margate City and is known all over the globe as "The World's Largest Elephant." https://www.atlanticcitynj.com/partnerinformation/membership-directory-search-details.aspx?id=15227

Visit 26 restored historic buildings on 30 shaded acres where interpreters in period clothing bring the 1800s to life. Enjoy demonstrations of blacksmithing, basket weaving, book binding and more! Farm animals, carriage rides, and family activities from June-September. Special weekend events. Country Store, Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant. Education and distance learning programs from October-May. https://www.atlanticcitynj.com/explore/attractions/details.aspx?id=16331

Travel back in time to experience the life of Montréal's first inhabitants and settlers at Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex. The birthplace of Montréal and a National Historic and Archaeological Site, Pointe-à-Callière presents centuries of history, from Indigenous settlements to the present day. The experience begins with an avant-garde multimedia show on the city’s history. Projected onto an incredible, immersive set space created especially for the show, Generations MTL will dazzle you with its technological wizardry and artistic sensibility. From seats overlooking impressive archaeological remains, get wrapped up in this captivating narrative and learn how, over the centuries, borrowings and exchanges helped forge the city’s identity, making it a true hub at the crossroads of Europe and North America. In addition to the permanent exhibitions where history comes to life through the innovative use of multimedia technologies, the museum presents temporary exhibits on the world's great civilizations, near and far, and a full calendar of cultural activities for the whole family. When it’s time to take a break, L’Arrivage Bistro on the second floor of the main building offers a delicious menu with an exceptional view of the Old Port. https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do/museums-and-culture/pointe-calliere

At over a hundred years old and still going strong, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is more avant-garde and relevant than ever before. Driven by a daring and innovative approach, it has developed into a venerable museum complex revered by lovers of art, music and cinema from here and abroad. Founded in 1860, it was one of the first museums in North America to establish an encyclopedic collection. Today, it comprises over 43 000 works from Antiquity to modern day. Its five pavilions, each with a distinct vocation and architectural style, meld beautifully into the city’s urban fabric. The oldest of them all, the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion, dates back to 1912. Its majestic marble staircase takes you to the Museum’s temporary exhibitions. https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do/museums-and-culture/montreal-museum-fine-arts

Walk in the steps of important historical figures the likes of Benjamin Franklin and cross the threshold of the Château Ramezay, a prestigious residence from the 18th century that recounts over 500 years of history through numerous exhibits and extensive multimedia circuits. A portal to Montréal’s past and the first building in Québec classified as an historic monument, the Château Ramezay offers insight into the events of the pre-contact Amerindian era to the 20th century and demonstrates how our history was shaped by the Native People, the French, the British, and the Americans. A permanent collection of over 30,000 objects and an array of temporary exhibitions, intermingled with multimedia portrayals of historical figures telling fabulous tales about this centuries-old manor, bring 18th century New France to life for a modern audience. https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do/museums-and-culture/chateau-ramezay-museum

Rising majestically above the cityscape is Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal. It is the largest sanctuary dedicated to Saint Joseph and one of the world’s most visited pilgrimage sites with over 2 million visitors per year. In 1904, Brother André, a simple porter renowned for his miracle cures (which he attributed to Saint Joseph), set out to construct a small wooden chapel, which would ultimately become one of the city’s most impressive religious buildings. It wasn’t until 1967, thirty years after his death, that the immense sanctuary was completed. The shrine includes a majestic basilica for close to 2,000 worshippers, with a dome that reaches a soaring 97 metres, the original chapel, a votive chapel, and a crypt. Here lies Brother André, canonized in 2010 as Saint André of Montréal by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. The Museum of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, primarily dedicated to sacred art, houses an exceptional collection of crèches, a must-see during the holidays. https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do/heritage-and-architecture/saint-joseph-s-oratory-mount-royal

The museum first opened in November 1998 and was renovated in 2016. Its permanent exhibition, located in the lower level of the Co-Cathedral of Saint-Antoine, houses nine separate sections highlighting our rich historical and religious heritage. Certain objects on display date back to the earliest days of the Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue Parish, which was founded in 1698. The museum’s 1998 inauguration was the culmination of a nearly three-year effort to seek funding, inventory objects, conduct research, produce a catalogue, and organize the opening. In 2016, committed to make the Co-Cathedral known to future generations, the fabrique decided to renovate the museum and the crypt. Museologists and the Longueuil Historical Society combined their talents and skills to ensure the successful completion of the project. https://www.cocathedrale.ca/museum/

In 1967, Sandy MacLachlan created the Woodworking Museum as a Centennial Project. To house the collection, he dismantled an 1855 log house, originally built by the White family in Lanark County, and moved it to Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario. There it operated as a privately‐owned museum for over a decade. In the early eighties, it was bought by the former Pittsburgh Township and once again, the log house was moved to its present location at Grass Creek Park. With the amalgamation of the City of Kingston in 1998, the museum became the responsibility of the Culture and Recreation Division in the Corporation of the City of Kingston and then the Cultural Services Department when it was established in 2008. The MacLachlan Woodworking Museum holds one of the most extensive collections of woodworking tools in Canada. https://www.woodworkingmuseum.ca/

If you haven’t been to the Military Communications and Electronics Museum, you might be surprised at how large it is. Its huge collection includes military jeeps, tanks, equipment for laying cable, radar built so well that it served the Air Force for over 50 years and displays telling the story of the incredibly difficult conditions that soldiers worked under. In the Passchendaele display, you learn about the soldiers who manned the wireless sets under heavy fire, seeing their aerial shot down on average twenty times a day. In another section of the museum, you peer into the back of a truck, built in Windsor, but radically transformed to meet the needs of the Communications and Electronics (C & E) Branch of the Canadian Military to operate its mobile telephone exchange. https://www.visitkingston.ca/kingston-members/military-communications-electronics-museum-2/

Step back in time and experience 19th-Century military life at Fort Henry. As one of Ontario’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Fort Henry is a hotbed of historic activity. Take a guided tour, fire a rifle, sit in on a class in a Victorian schoolroom, watch a parade of traditional marching music, and stick around in the evening for a dramatic reenactment during the Sunset Ceremony. Visit Fort Henry throughout the year as it plays host to a number of Kingston’s favourite events like the YGK Craft Beer Fest, Cannonball Crush, and Fort Fright. Fort Henry is a can’t-miss stop during your time in Kingston. https://www.visitkingston.ca/see-do/fort-henry-kingston-national-historic-site/

Built in 1846, Murney Tower is one of the finest Martello Towers in North America and served as military housing for more than 40 years after its completion. A museum since 1925, it has an extensive collection of military and domestic artefacts of 19th-century Kingston. https://www.visitkingston.ca/kingston-members/murney-tower-national-historic-site/

Agnes Etherington Art Centre is a research‐intensive art museum located on the historic campus of Queen’s University. It illuminates the great artistic traditions of the past and the innovations of the present through year-round programs of exhibitions and outreach activities staged across eight beautiful galleries, the Biéler Studio, and assorted public spaces including the gracious period rooms of the historic Etherington House. As a space of display, innovation and exchange, the Agnes is an experiential learning space for diverse disciplines at Queen’s, and the public gallery for Kingston region. Its superb collections—numbering over 17,000 works―include cutting edge contemporary art and fine examples of Canadian historical art, Indigenous art and artifacts, and material culture including an unusual collection of Canadian Historical Dress and the Lang Collection of African Art. The Bader Collection, focusing on Rembrandt and his school, centres on more than 200 paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, including one portrait and three beautiful character studies by Rembrandt. https://agnes.queensu.ca/about/profile/

As a Father of Confederation and Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald has had a direct impact on how Canada has grown from a small colony into a world leading democratic country. Tour the gardens of historic Bellevue House knowing that seeds were planted there for the birth of a country. Sir John A. Macdonald, and his family made Bellevue House their home from 1848 to 1849. Wander through the family’s preserved kitchen garden to help the costumed gardeners, watch them wielding scythes to cut the lawn in the method of the 1840s and bite into an apple in the heirloom orchard. Be escorted on a journey back in time, following a maid on an Estate Tour to hear tales about the past at Bellevue House and its most famous residents. Explore the juicy deets of Canadian history through an interactive discussion led by an interpreter, while jumping on an Alternative Facts Tour or simply sip a cup of tea relaxing on the grounds and enjoying the view. https://www.visitkingston.ca/kingston-members/bellevue-house-national-historic-site-of-canada/

he Musée POP boasts an impressive collection of ethnological objects. Over 200 donors have contributed to the collection, with the result that it now includes more than 60,000 items. The collection's diversity, representing many aspects of daily life, is eloquent testimony to the richness of Québec culture. Donations fall under the main categories of traditional occupations, agricultural implements, household objects, clothing, textiles and folk art. The Museum is associated with the Old Prison of Trois-Rivières, a part of Québec's historic building heritage. The prison was classified a historic monument in 1978 because of its exceptional architectural qualities. It is currently the site of the visit-experience GO TO JAIL! https://museepop.ca/en/collection

National Great Blacks In Wax Museum is American first wax museum of African American history and culture features more than 150 life-size and lifelike wax figures. http://www.greatblacksinwax.org/index.html

The all-new Canada Science and Technology Museum provides a highly digital experience for the whole family – igniting visitors with a passion for science and inspiring the next generation of Canadian innovators. After undergoing an $80.5-million renewal of its entire building, the museum features over 7,400 m2 (80,000 sq. ft.) of redesigned exhibition space, including an 850 m2 (9,200 sq. ft.) temporary exhibition hall to accommodate travelling exhibitions from around the world. Eleven new exhibitions – including the ZOOOM Children’s Innovation Zone, Artifact Alley and the Exploratek maker studio – as well as long-time visitor favourites, like locomotives and the Crazy Kitchen, delight visitors young and old. Museum highlights: A modern, spacious facility featuring 11 brand-new exhibitions including Artifact Alley, the ZOOOM Children’s Innovation Zone, the Exploratek maker studio, and three new apps. Long-time visitor favourites – the Crazy Kitchen and locomotives – will also make a comeback to the delight of visitors. A Demo Stage offers exciting, participatory science demonstrations. In addition, the museum has the capacity to showcase international travelling exhibitions from around the world. https://www.ottawatourism.ca/member/canada-science-and-technology-museum/

The Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower has been a Baltimore landmark since its construction in 1911. The Baltimore Office of Promotions & The Arts has transformed the Tower into a space for visual and literary artists. https://baltimore.org/listings/art-museums-galleries/bromo-tower-arts-entertainment-district

Located two blocks from Camden Yards, this National Historic Site is Babe Ruth's birthplace and features rare artifacts, photos, videos and more. George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Baltimore's native son who became America's first sports celebrity and an international icon. https://baberuthmuseum.org/

This fascinating, fun place for kids, families and lovers of history features the most important railroad collection in America, and features seasonal train rides and free parking. https://baltimore.org/listings/attractions/bo-railroad-museum