Location: Boston
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What to do and see in Boston, Massachusetts (MA): The Best Educational sites
Walk the Freedom Trail the first time you visit Boston and you'll quickly get a sense of this coastal city's revolutionary spirit and history. But make sure you also explore some of Boston's fine museums (try the Isabella Stewart Gardner, featuring masterpieces displayed in their collector's mansion) and old neighborhoods (like the North End, Boston's Little Italy). You can't claim to have experienced real Boston culture, though, until you've watched a Red Sox game from the bleachers.
Restaurants in Boston
1. Berklee College of Music
2. Emerson College
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9 reviews
3. Metropolitan Waterworks Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Opened in 2011, the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum uses its architecturally magnificent building, mammoth steam pumping engines, and the adjacent historic Chestnut Hill Reservoir to interpret unique stories of one of the country’s earliest metropolitan water systems. Through educational programs and exhibits focused on engineering, architecture, urbanism, public health, and social history, the Museum connects these stories to current issues and future challenges. Dubbed “The Cathedral of Steam Technology,” the facility served originally as the high service pumping station that delivered clean, safe drinking water into the heart of 19th century Boston. Built in response to the Great Fire of 1872, the Waterworks was the nexus of a complex supply and delivery system that included reservoirs, aqueducts, water towers, and other facilities that eventually became part of the Metropolitan Water Resources Authority. Today, the museum preserves the three original, coal-fired, steam engines that pumped millions of gallons of water each day into Boston. The historic building, designed in the Romanesque style of H.H. Richardson, was built by Boston City Architects Arthur H. Vinal in 1888, and enlarged by Edmund March Wheelwright in 1897. The structure was constructed near the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, part of the pastoral park and carriageway influenced by the Olmstead brothers’ landscape style. Turn of the century engineer and microbiologist George C. Whipple, later co-founder of the Harvard School of Public Health, and chemist Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a pioneer of water quality testing, are among the notable contributors to the Waterworks legacy. Today, the museum serves as a community hub for audiences interested in the rich history of the Waterworks system. Thousands of visitors are welcomed each year for lectures, tours, and exhibits free of charge. Our education department partners with students and teachers for enhanced, curriculum-connected programming focused on water science, engineering, and sustainability. A dedicated group of volunteer docents, many retired engineers, historians, and scientists, guide visitors through the building and collections spaces. The Waterworks building is ADA accessible and stroller friendly. The museum is served by the T via Green Line “C” (Cleveland Circle stop) and “D” (Reservoir stop) trains, and is reachable by Buses #51 and #86. Limited parking is available onsite.
Reviewed By susanbT9024UB
On Father's Day, I took my dad, the engineer, to the Waterworks Museum. Must have driven by the building thousands of times and always noted its majesty. To truly understand the mindset of Boston in the mid 1800s to early 1900s, this museum is a must. The building was actually designed by a Boston city architect, Arthur Vinal whose portrait and that of his wife are carved in the edifice. The machines rise from the floor and fill the room. A one-of-a-kind pump designed to fit the space has incredible detailing including a masterful casing which serves as insulation. Even the ceiling is a triumph. You will have to visit to see what I mean. This pump house served the city until the late 1970s. This building embodies civic pride from its exterior magnificence to its interior detail and technical prowess. We had a knowledgable engaging tour guide (though all features of this exhibit can be covered alone), Tommy, who explained the history and use of each of the three pumps. You could spend 15 minutes here (we spent about 45 minutes) and then walk around the reservoir across the street or or visit Boston College. or have lunch at a restaurant in Cleveland Circle.
4. Bead + Fiber
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 3 reviews
Bead + Fiber, located at 460 Harrison Ave, in the SOWA district of Boston's South End, features unique bead and fiber materials, exciting day and evening classes as well the creations of our artist teachers. Two hour free parking. Parties and repairs. Advance class registration on our website or by calling us.
5. New England Conservatory of Music
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
6. Phillips School
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 1 reviews
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