Museum of Science

Founded in 1830 as the Boston Society of Natural History, the Museum of Science evolved from a natural history museum in Back Bay into a major science institution spanning the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge. Renamed in 1939 under Henry Bradford Washburn Jr., it moved after World War II to its present site, opening in 1951. The museum became known for broad, hands-on science education, from its Theater of Electricity and Charles Hayden Planetarium to interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, films, and an indoor animal collection. Later growth included absorbing The Computer Museum’s displays, major renovations in the 2010s, and new expansion projects in the 2020s.

Cambridge, Massachusetts · United States