Museums Specialized
Massachusetts

Browse Museums

American Textile History Museum
Lowell, Massachusetts

Art, Children's, Culture, General, History, Science, Specialized

isit the new main exhibition, Textile Revolution: An Exploration through Space and Time, to spin, weave, recycle, and design your way through textile history. Simulate parachuting from a real single-engine plane, throw the shuttle on an authentic hand loom, and design your own clothing line on a computer. See how textiles are changing your world, from protective clothing for firefighters and soldiers to revolutionary “shark skin” suits for our gold-medal Olympic swimmers - and so much more. You’ll never look at the fascinating world of textiles the same way again.

Azorean Maritime Heritage Society
Dartmouth, Massachusetts

Culture, General, History, Historic House, Historical Society, Specialized

The Society has constructed two Azorean whaleboats, the Fayal and the Pico, displaying and sailing them throughout the region. These sleek and colorful craft function as distinctive cultural ambassadors, raising awareness and pride within the Azorean community on both sides of the Atlantic. Founded in New Bedford in 1997, the Society works in partnership with the New Bedford Whaling Museum to preserve the contributions of the Azoreans to American whaling in the Whaling Museum’s Azorean Whaleman Gallery. Membership in six categories is open to all.

Boston Athenæum
Boston, Massachusetts

Archaeology, Art, Children's, Culture, General, History, Library, Natural History, Science, Specialized

Just as a museum is a place for the muses who inspire art, so an athenæum is a place for Athena, the goddess of wisdom who inspires intellectual pursuits.

Boston Fire Museum
Boston, Massachusetts

Specialized

Cape Ann Museum
Gloucester, Massachusetts

Art, Culture, History, Historic House, Library, Specialized

The Cape Ann Museum tells multiple stories, a relating to this remarkable place. The Museum collects and exhibits the art produced here, interprets the history that shaped it, and narrates the economic and social forces that define it.

Charles River Museum
Waltham, Massachusetts

Culture, History, Specialized

A curated selection of informative videos, articles, and looks at topics and artifacts central to industrial history and our mission—plus some fun stuff as well!

Custom House Maritime Museum
Newburyport, Massachusetts

Specialized

Fall River Firefighters Memorial Museum
Fall River, Massachusetts

History, Specialized

General Israel Putnam Chapter of the DAR
Danvers, Massachusetts

History, Historic House, Library, Specialized

"The General Israel Putnam Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, has enjoyed a distinguished and esteemed one hundred year history. It was organized and has been run by a long line of dedicated, committed women, who descended from many different founders and leaders of our great nation. On April 19, 1895 twenty charter members formed the chapter in honor of General Israel Putnam, a Revolutionary War soldier, born in Danvers, Massachusetts, January 7, 1718.

Harvard Semitic Museum
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Archaeology, Culture, Specialized, University

This museum has been renamed as the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East. You can find it by browsing museums in Cambridge or using this link: http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/24410

Amesbury Carriage Museum
Amesbury, Massachusetts

Specialized

Berlin Farms
Berlin, Massachusetts

General, History, Historic House, Nature Centers, Park, Specialized

Berlin Farms, a quintessential New England farmstead circa 1867 that is protected under deeded conservation, specializes in the care and breeding of endangered barnyard animals. These heritage breeds, some indigenous and some brought to North American by the Early Settlers, are now struggling due to the commercialization of farming and overall reduction in number of farming households. Berlin Farms is working to conserve historic breeds and genetic diversity in livestock, helping to bring breeds off the endangered list to the recovering list through grass-roots efforts.

Boston Atheneaum
Boston, Massachusetts

Art, Culture, General, History, Library, Specialized

The mission of the Boston Athenæum is to engage all who seek knowledge by making accessible our library’s collections and spaces, thereby inspiring reflection, discourse, creative expression, and joy.

Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum at Forbes Library
Northampton, Massachusetts

History, Library, Specialized

Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum
Weston, Massachusetts

Specialized

Chatham Railroad Museum
Chatham, Massachusetts

Specialized

Essex Shipbuilding Museum
Essex, Massachusetts

Specialized

Forbes House Museum
Milton, Massachusetts

Children's, Culture, History, Historic House, Specialized

Preserve and care for the historic property at 215 Adams Street - its collections, buildings, and grounds. Provide educational and cultural opportunities to a growing and diverse community through its programs, events and use of open space. Foster an understanding and appreciation of the 19th and early 20th centuries through the focus of the Forbes family’s interests, activities, and their contributions to the global economy and the American China Trade.

Hadley Farm Museum
Hadley, Massachusetts

Culture, General, History, Historic House, Specialized

The Hadley Farm Museum houses an incredible collection of vehicles and equipment used on New England farms and farmhouses from the late 1700s to the early 20th century. Located in a 1782 barn, the museum showcases many items just as they would have been found on the farm.

Heritage Museums & Gardens
Sandwich, Massachusetts

Arboretum, Art, Botanical Garden, Culture, General, History, Specialized

Heritage Museums and Gardens is comprised of three galleries and expansive gardens located in historic Sandwich, Massachusetts. It includes galleries for American Folk Art, a vintage carousel, automobiles and traveling exhibitions.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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