Best museums in Boston

Written by:
May 3, 2019
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Best museums in Boston

The United States is home to more than 35,000 museums, according to data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. These cultural strongholds run the gamut of natural history, world wars, art, and even children's books.

While some fancy a trip to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. or the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, others like to cozy up in a corner and read the Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, Mass. How does one define a museum?

Early museums housed private collections curated by individuals, while today's museums—many of them major tourist attractions—are filled with art, history, science, artifacts, fossils, historical documents, and some curious collections. Along with exhibitions of art, history, and science, Stacker unearthed museums filled with bananas, popcorn, and some very odd stuff.

All across the U.S., visitors can find museums to explore any subject that piques the imagination. A trip to Washington D.C. provides an opportunity to visit a number of iconic museums for free. A visit to Boston means getting to enjoy the Museum of Fine Arts or learn about the Boston Tea Party ships. In California, travelers can tour the International Museum of Bananas before popping by the Wyandot Popcorn Museum in Ohio or The Museum of Bad Art in Massachusetts.

Have you ever checked out the museums in your area? To determine the best museums in Boston, Stacker turned to data from Foursquare (data current as of April 19, 2019). All museums were ranked by Foursquare's algorithm, which predicts the "best" museums based on combined factors of the number of check-ins, rating signals, category matches, tips, and photo trends. Click through this gallery to find out which are the best museums Boston has to offer.

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#10. Museum of African American History

- Address: 46 Joy St. (Smith Court)
- Foursquare rating: 8.6
- See more on Museum of African American History
 

#9. Edward M. Kennedy Institute

- Address: 210 William T. Morrissey Blvd.
- Foursquare rating: 8.4
- See more on Edward M. Kennedy Institute
 

#8. The Science Behind Pixar

- Address: Museum Of Science Driveway
- Foursquare rating: 8.5
- See more on The Science Behind Pixar

#7. Institute of Contemporary Art

- Address: 100 Northern Ave. (at Seaport Boulevard)
- Foursquare rating: 8.6
- See more on Institute of Contemporary Art
 

#6. The Battle Of Bunker Hill Museum

- Address: Monument Square, Charlestown
- Foursquare rating: 8.6
- See more on The Battle Of Bunker Hill Museum
 

#5. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

- Address: Columbia Point (1 John F. Kennedy Road)
- Foursquare rating: 9.0
- See more on John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
 

#4. Museum of Fine Arts

- Address: 465 Huntington Ave. (at Museum Road)
- Foursquare rating: 9.5
- See more on Museum of Fine Arts
 

#3. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

- Address: 280 Fenway
- Foursquare rating: 9.1
- See more on Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
 

#2. Museum of Science

- Address: 1 Science Park (at Monsignor O'Brien Highway)
- Foursquare rating: 9.2
- See more on Museum of Science
 

#1. Boston Children's Museum

- Address: 308 Congress St. (at Sleeper Street)
- Foursquare rating: 9.2
- See more on Boston Children's Museum
 

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