Boston Attractions and Guided Tours

October 20, 2026

Several of Boston’s best-known ticketed attractions sit within a few subway stops of each other. Use the quick facts below to decide which ones are worth the entry fee and to avoid arriving on a closed day.

Closed on Tuesdays

The two big art museums share a weekly closing day. Both the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are shut on Tuesday, so schedule the rest of the week around them.

Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave: adults $30, youth 7 to 17 $14, under-7s free with a ticket. Open 10 to 5 on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and 10 to 10 on Thursday and Friday. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Holiday closures include New Year’s Day, Patriots’ Day, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas. See mfa.org .
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way: adults $25, seniors $22, students $15, 17 and under free. Entry is by timed ticket, so book ahead. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11 to 5, Thursday 11 to 9, Saturday and Sunday 10 to 5. Thirteen works were stolen in March 1990, and the museum displays empty frames where they hung. A phone call at least 24 hours ahead gets visitors named Isabella in free. See gardnermuseum.org .

On the water

New England Aquarium on Central Wharf: adults $39.95, seniors 60 and over $37.95, children 3 to 11 $30.95, under-3s free. A ticket with the Simons Theatre film is $44.95 for adults. Weekday hours are 9 to 5 and weekends 9 to 6, and weekends and holidays sell out. Look for the penguin colony, the Giant Ocean Tank (200,000 gallons, home to a green sea turtle named Myrtle since 1970) and the Shark and Ray Touch Tank. The harbor seals are off exhibit at the moment. See neaq.org .
Boston Duck Tours: a road and river sightseeing ride of about 80 minutes. Adults pay $57, seniors and active military $48 and children 3 to 11 $42. Infants need an $11 ticket. A 5 percent Convention Center fee and a $2 per ticket online fee are added. Buses leave from the Prudential Center, the Museum of Science and the aquarium, and tickets go on sale 30 days ahead. Summer weekends often sell out by noon. See bostonducktours.com .
Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, 306 Congress St: general admission starts at about $36. In season it opens 10 to 5 daily. The visit includes the ships Beaver and Eleanor and the Robinson Tea Chest. Hours outside the main season are not posted, so check bostonteapartyship.com .

Science

The Museum of Science at Science Park charges $33 for adults, $29 for seniors and $28 for children 3 to 11 on its exhibit halls ticket. It opens daily 9 to 5. Planetarium, Omni Theater and 4-D shows cost $6 each when added. The Theater of Electricity is billed as the home of the world’s largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator, so check the daily schedule. Prices and hours are on mos.org .

Bundling tickets

The Boston CityPASS costs $84 for adults and $72 for children 3 to 11, valid for 9 days from first use. It includes the aquarium and the Museum of Science plus a choice of other attractions, such as a harbor cruise, an observation deck, Franklin Park Zoo or the MFA. The aquarium and the cruise need a reservation. Add up what you plan to visit first, as the pass only pays off if you use most of it. See citypass.com/boston .

If you prefer to compare guided options, try GetYourGuide .