Things to do in Massachusetts, United States: The Best Natural History Museums

Sea Space has moved to Whaler's Wharf in downtown Provincetown! Experience the natural wonders of Cape Cod under the expert guidance of our dedicated educators. Family friendly exhibits and hands-on activities offered daily. Admission is free (donations welcome), but we do charge a nominal fee for special activities. Programs include: "Get to the Bottom of It" for kids age 6-12: Become a junior marine biologist, collecting and exploring the tiny marine animals in Provincetown Harbor. NEW! Junior Marine Animal Entanglement Responder (MAER) Program Kids learn what tremendous work it takes to free an entangled whale or turtle. They’ll see the tools used by our MAER team, photos and videos of actual disentanglement operations, try their hand at “rescuing” a “whale”, and brainstorm new ideas to prevent marine animal entanglement. We also offer seal walks, kayak tours and lectures. Full schedule here: https://bit.ly/2z4e4U7 ***DON'T MISS WHALE WEEK 2018, JULY 29 - AUGUST 4!***

At the Harvard Museum of Natural History, just steps away from the historic Harvard Yard, you can witness the amazing artistry of the celebrated Blaschka glass flowers & sea creature collections, roar with the Siberian tiger, buzz with honeybees, find your birthstone gem, and go back in time in Romer Hall, home of the famous 42-foot Kronosaurus. The Harvard Museum of Natural History is the most-visited attraction at Harvard—for its incomparable collections based on the research of scientists across the University, and its ongoing exhibitions like Climate Change, The Rockefeller Beetles, Birds of the World, Marine Life, and more. The Harvard Museum of Natural History’s mission is to enhance public understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the human place in it, sparking curiosity and a spirit of discovery in people of all ages.

Originally called the "Museum of Vegetable Products" when it was founded in 1858, today this museum focuses on the study of useful plants and economic botany.

The Springfield Museums, located in the heart of downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, is comprised of four world-class museums covering art, history, and science, plus the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden.

The mission of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is to inspire appreciation, understanding and stewardship of our natural environment through discovery and learning. The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History integrates the three strands of its organizational identity - as museum of natural history, nature education center, and steward of conservation land. As a small museum of natural history, we will preserve, exhibit, and interpret our own collections of natural history artifacts and display relevant traveling and loan exhibits. We may also collaborate with local and regional organizations on co-sponsored exhibits. As a nature education center, we will engage children and adults in high-quality programs, classes, lectures, panel discussions, workshops, films, walks, field trips, traditions and interactive exhibits that reveal the many facets of the natural world and the reciprocal impacts that humans and nature exert on each other. As befits a nature education center, we will explore our potential as a center for citizen scientists and amateur naturalists, and as a forum for informed discussion of important issues related to the natural world, especially on Cape Cod. As a steward of 400-plus acres of museum-owned land in Stony Brook Valley and Brewster conservation land adjacent to the museum, including Wing's Island, the salt marsh, and the beach along Cape Cod Bay between Quivett and Paine's Creeks, we will monitor and protect the land and focus our programming on its varied habitats - our outdoor classroom and teaching tool. Programs may also take place elsewhere on Cape Cod and in New England when appropriate.

The National Marine Life Center is a marine animal hospital and science and education center. We rehabilitate and release stranded marine mammals and sea turtles in order to advance science and education in marine wildlife health and conservation. The discovery center and gift shop is open from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, 10-5 daily, then weekends through Columbus Day.