American Association of Law Libraries
2004 Annual Meeting, July 10-14
Boston, Massachusetts

Arts & Music in Boston and Beyond

Boston and its surroundings have many world class museums and performance centers. The most famous include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Symphony Hall, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. For art and music lovers, these three venerable institutions are just the beginning. A selection of museums, art galleries, and music venues, many within easy reach of the Hynes Convention Center and conference hotels are listed here. Museums are grouped by location, so that you can visit more than one the same day.

Venues marked are within a 15-20 minute walk from the convention center. Click on the train station name to open a new window for T (subway) directions from the convention center.

There are also some fine venues in the surrounding area and beyond the greater Boston area.

NOTE: Massachusetts uses 10 digit dialing. All phone numbers are in the 617 area code unless otherwise stated.

Museums

Institute of Contemporary Art
Address: 955 Boylston St.
Phone: 266-5152
Hours: Thu noon-9pm; Wed & Fri noon-5pm; Sat-Sun 11am-5pm
Admission: $7

The ICA presents provocative programs and exhibits by national and international contemporary artists that explore the issues, issues, and images of our time.

Gibson House Museum
Address: 137 Beacon St. (T: Arlington, Green line)
Phone: 267-6338
Hours: Wed-Sun tours at 1,2, & 3pm
Admission: $5

Four floors of an 1859 Back Bay row house featuring the Victorian textiles, furniture, porcelain, and paintings of three generations of a prominent Boston family.

Museum of Afro American History
Address: 8 Smith Court (T: Park Street, Green line)
Phone: 725-0022
Hours: Mon-Sun 10am-4 pm
Admission: Free

The Museum is dedicated to preserving, conserving, and accurately interpreting the history of African Americans. It offers interactive exhibits and a walking tour of the Black Heritage Trail.

New England Historical Genealogical Society
Address: 101 Newbury St. (T: Arlington, Green line)
Phone: 536-5740
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm

Nichols House Museum
Address: 55 Mt. Vernon St. (T: Arlington, Green line)
Phone: 227-6993
Hours: Tue-Sat noon-4pm
Admission: $5

This four-story row house on Beacon Hill was built in 1804 and offers a unique glimpse into late 19th and early 20th century domestic life. The original Federal design is attributed to Charles Bullfinch and the interiors are decorated with original furnishings of the Nichols family.

Paul Revere House
Address: 19 North Sq. (T: Haymarket, Green line)
Phone: 523-2338
Hours: Daily 9:30am-5:15pm
Admission: $3

The c.1680 wooden Paul Revere House is the oldest building in downtown Boston, and the only surviving building from the original city. It was the home of patriot and silversmith Paul Revere from 1770-1800, and includes displays of Revere's work. On the Freedom Trail.

Harrison Gray Otis House
Address: 141 Cambridge St. (T: Bowdoin, Blue line)
Phone: 227-3956
Hours: Wed-Sun 11am-4:30pm
Admission: $8

Designed by Charles Bullfinch in 1796, the Otis House is furnished to reflect high-style taste in Boston during the Federal era. The Otis House also serves as home to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Address: 280 The Fenway (T: Museum, Green line E train)
Phone: 566-1401, concert information 734-1359
Hours: Tue-Sun 11am-5pm
Admission: Mon-Fri $10; Sat-Sun $11

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was built as Mrs. Gardner's home and modelled on a 15th century Venetian palazzo with a beautiful interior courtyard full of seasonal flowers. The collection includes the many masterpieces collected by Mrs. Gardner during the late 19th and early 20th century, including Titian's Rape of Europa.

Museum of Fine Arts
Address: 465 Huntington Ave. (T: Museum, Green line E train)
Phone: 267-9300
Hours: Mon-Tues 10am-4:45pm; Wed-Fri 10am-9:45pm (only West Wing open after 5pm on Thu-Fri); Sat-Sun 10am-4:45pm
Admission: $15

Wonderful collections covering just about all eras and types of art. It is a good idea to plan your visit before arriving at the MFA--it can be overwhelming. The admission fee is steep, $15 (good for a second visit within 30 days), so make sure you have time to enjoy it.

Harvard University Art Museums
Address: 32 Quincy St. (T: Harvard Square, Red line)
Phone: 495-9400
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 1-5pm
Admission: $6.50

The Harvard University Art Museums include the Fogg Museum with a comprehensive collection of Western art; the Busch-Reisinger with its collections of Germanic art; and the Sackler Museum with its collections of Eastern and Islamic art.

Harvard Museum of Natural History
Address: 26 Oxford St. (T: Harvard Square, Red line)
Phone: 495-3045
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm
Admission: $7.50

Presents the collections and research of Harvard's natural history institutions. Don't miss the world famous glass flowers!

MIT Museum
Address: 265 Massachusetts Ave. (T: Central Square, Red line)
Phone: 253-4444
Hours: Tue-Fri 1-5pm; Sat-Sun noon-5pm

Ongoing and temporary exhibitions showcase the achievements of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Includes exhibits on holography, robots, strobe photography and more.

John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
Address: Columbia Point (T: JFK, Red line, then free shuttle bus)
Phone: 514-1600
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm
Admission: $8

The official memorial to John F. Kennedy has 25 exhibits about the life and legacy of President Kennedy and his times.

Old South Meeting House
Address: 310 Washington St. (T: Downtown Crossing, Red line)
Phone: 482-6439
Hours: Daily 9:30am-5pm
Admission: $5

Galleries

The two major concentrations of art galleries in Boston are along Newbury Street and in the South End. Both are convenient to the Hynes Convention Center. Most galleries are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm or 6pm; some are closed during the summer. Enjoy a walk up Newbury Street watching for galleries' signs—don’t be fooled if the street level windows feature clothes or food, many galleries are on the upper floors. In the South End, stroll along Tremont St. and Harrison Ave. beginning near the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St.

Art galleries can also be found scattered around Cambridge, Somerville, and other neighborhoods of Boston. If you are looking for a particular gallery, come to the Hospitality Booth at AALL and we will be happy to help you find your way there.

Music

Boston is home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Handel & Haydn Society, the Boston Lyric Opera, and many other professional and amateur musical groups. Unfortunately, many do not hold performances in town during July, so you will need to plan another trip to hear the BSO at Symphony Hall or the Handel & Haydn Society’s annual Messiah.

However, there is plenty of music during the summer including concerts at the New England Conservatory of Music, the Berklee College of Music, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Watch for free outdoor concerts at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade along the Charles River (T: Charles/MGH, Red line)

The Club scene is active and doesn’t slow down in the summer. The Central Square/Inman Square areas of Cambridge have one of the heaviest concentrations of clubs, including The Middle East at 472 Massachusetts Ave. and Ryles at 212 Hampshire St. Both are near the Central T stop, on the Red line.

One musician/librarian recommends a favorite place to hear live jazz that is just steps from the Hynes: Wally’s Café at 427 Mass. Ave.

Two classy venues for live jazz are: The Regattabar in The Charles Hotel at 1 Bennett St., Cambridge (T: Harvard Square, Red line) and Scullers in the Double Tree Guest Suites Hotel, 400 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston (not far from the Hynes, but not near a T station).

For current listings check The Phoenix, a free newspaper available in many locations in Boston and the surrounding area or The Boston Globe Calendar, published on Thursdays.

Surrounding Area

If you are ready to go beyond the ends of the subway, there are a number museums in Greater Boston that are well worth the trip.

The Peabody Essex Museum
Address: East India Sq., Salem
Phone: 978-749-5000
Hours: Daily 1-5pm & Thu until 9pm
Admission: $12

Originally founded by merchants in the China trade, this recently renovated museum features collections of Asian art and culture and American maritime history. If you plan a day in Salem, you can include visits to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of Seven Gables and the Salem Witch Museum.

You may reach the Peabody Essex Museum using public transportation. Take the T to North Station on the Green line, where you can take the Commuter Rail to Salem. Check the schedule for Rockport line to plan your trip.

DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
Address: 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln (no public transportation available)
Phone: 781-259-8355
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-5pm
Admission: $6

Interesting exhibits, mostly modern, and wonderful grounds filled with sculpture. You can easily combine a visit to the historic sites of Lexington and Concord with a trip to the DeCordova.

Addison Gallery of Art
Address: 189 Main St., Phillips Academy, Andover
Phone: 978-749-4015
Hours: Tues-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5
Admission: Free

Wonderful collection of American artists including major works by Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and James M. Whistler.

You may reach the Addison Gallery using public transportation, but it is about 1 mile walk from the station to the gallery. Take the T to North Station on the Green line, where you can take the Commuter Rail to Andover. Check the schedule for Haverhill line to plan your trip.

Beyond the Greater Boston Area

In the summer the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, come alive with art and music. You will find the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, at Tanglewood in Lenox, one of the country’s premier dance festivals at Jacob’s Pillow, in Becket, and many museums and historic sites. North Adams is home to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, familiarly known as Mass MoCA. The complex is housed in former mill buildings and features installations of contemporary art. Next door in Williamstown is the Clark Art Museum, home to a world class collection of Impressionist paintings along with the work of other European and American masters. This is just the beginning; the area is filled with attractions for art and music lovers.