Whether you love art or history, the museums along the Framingham/Worcester Line should not be missed. Book your museum tickets, get your $10 weekend train pass, and come visit some of the incredible museums that will inspire and educate you.
Must-See Museums on the Framingham/Worcester Line
55 Salisbury St, Worcester, MA 01609
The Worcester Art Museum houses over 38,000 works of art from time periods and cultures all over the world. The collection includes Roman mosaics, European and American art, and a major collection of Japanese prints. There are both temporary and exhibitions on view meaning you’ll always discover new works but also get to view your favorites.
11 Willard St, North Grafton, MA 01536
A renowned American clockmaker, Simon Willard is best known for inventing the eight-day patent timepiece that came to be known as the gallery or banjo clock. Step back in time and witness a unique and important part of America’s history with the Willard House and Clock Museum. Guided tours of the Willard Family home are available by appointment only at 10:30 am and 2 pm Thursday through Saturday.
106 Central St, Wellesley, MA 02481
The Davis Museum is an art museum located on the Wellesley College campus with a permanent collection of about 11,000 pieces from paintings to sculptures. Come see artworks from different cultures, centuries, and artists such as Andy Worhol, Jackson Pollock, John Singleton Copley, and Hiroshige. Best of all, this museum is free and open to the public.
286 Waverley Ave, Newton, MA 02458
Once an early 18th century farmhouse, the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds is a family-friendly museum with period rooms, interactive games and puzzles. Here you’ll discover stories about colonial life, the Revolutionary War, slavery, abolitionism, the birth of American horticulture, and the historic preservation movement. Open Saturdays but closed Sundays, and it’s free for everyone on the first weekend of each month. You can also get a combined ticket to the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds and Jackson Homestead and Museum, which are valid for one year for one visit to each site.
527 Washington St, Newton, MA 02458
Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the Jackson Homestead and Museum displays rotating and permanent exhibits for children and adults. You’ll see exhibitions about the history of food, farming, and family life; slavery and anti-slavery; and notable people and events in Newton. It too is open Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
One of Boston’s most iconic museums and the 20th-largest art museum in the world, the Museum of Fine Arts is an art-lover’s dream. Inside are more than 8,000 paintings and 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive art collections in the United States. See Egyptian artifacts, colonial-era portraits, and more as you explore the expansive museum.
25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum not only famous for its collection of paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts from throughout Europe, Asia, and America, but for the art heist that to this day remains unsolved. You can even see the empty frames hanging in the Dutch Room gallery as placeholders for the missing works. Visitors are strongly encouraged to reserve their tickets in advance as limited tickets may be available at the door.