Boston Museums, Aquarium and Duck Tours

October 20, 2026

Boston’s big paid attractions are close together and most are reachable by subway. This page covers the Duck Tours, the Tea Party Ships, the two major art museums, the aquarium, the Museum of Science and the CityPASS bundle, with the prices and closing days that matter when you plan.

Boston Duck Tours

The amphibious tour lasts about 80 minutes, roughly 60 on land and 20 on the water. Adult tickets are $57, seniors and active military $48, children 3 to 11 $42, and infants 2 and under need a ticket at $11. A 5 percent Convention Center fee applies, plus $2 per ticket online ($3.50 by phone). Tours leave from the Prudential Center (53 Huntington Ave), the Museum of Science (1 Science Park) and the New England Aquarium (Central Wharf). Tickets go on sale 30 days ahead, and weekends and summer days often sell out by noon. The tours run in the warmer part of the year, so check the rates page for the current season.

Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

The museum is at 306 Congress St. In season it opens 10 to 5 daily with the last tour at 5, and general admission starts at about $36. Winter hours are not published, so check before you go. The ticket covers the Meeting House scene, the ships Beaver and Eleanor, Griffin’s Wharf, a 3D reenactment, the Robinson Tea Chest and the film Let It Begin Here. Abigail’s Tea Room and the gift shop can be used without a museum ticket. See bostonteapartyship.com .

Museum of Fine Arts

The MFA is at 465 Huntington Ave. Adults pay $30 and youth 7 to 17 pay $14. Children 0 to 6 are free but still need a ticket. It is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 10 to 5 and Thursday and Friday 10 to 10. It is closed on Tuesday, and the last entry is 30 minutes before closing. It also closes on New Year’s Day, Patriots’ Day, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Details are on mfa.org .

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Gardner is at 25 Evans Way and uses timed entry, so buy ahead. Adults pay $25, seniors 65 and over $22 and students $15, and visitors 17 and under are free. Hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11 to 5, Thursday 11 to 9 and Saturday and Sunday 10 to 5. It is closed Tuesday. The museum is known for the March 1990 theft of 13 works, and empty frames still hang in the galleries according to its own account. Anyone named Isabella can get in free by phoning the box office on 617 278 5156 at least 24 hours ahead and showing ID. See gardnermuseum.org .

New England Aquarium

On Central Wharf, admission is $39.95 for adults, $30.95 for children 3 to 11 and $37.95 for seniors 60 and over, with children 2 and under free. Adding the Simons Theatre film costs $44.95, $35.95 and $42.95. Hours are 9 to 5 on weekdays and 9 to 6 on weekends, and weekends and holidays sell out. Exhibits include the Penguin Colony, the 200,000 gallon Giant Ocean Tank, home to Myrtle the green sea turtle since 1970, and the Shark and Ray Touch Tank. The harbor seals are currently off exhibit, so do not plan around the outdoor seal viewing. Prices are on neaq.org .

Museum of Science

At Science Park, exhibit halls cost $33 for adults, $28 for children 3 to 11 and $29 for seniors 60 and over, with under-3s free. It opens daily 9 to 5 and closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Planetarium, Mugar Omni Theater and 4-D shows are $6 each on top of an exhibit ticket. The Theater of Electricity is billed as home to the world’s largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator, so check the daily schedule for show times. See mos.org .

Boston CityPASS

The pass costs $84 for ages 12 and up and $72 for children 3 to 11, and is valid for 9 days from first use. It covers four attractions in all, including the aquarium and the Museum of Science, plus a choice from the other options on the pass, such as a harbor cruise, the View Boston observation deck, Franklin Park Zoo, the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the MFA. Reservations are required at the aquarium and the cruise. Add up the single prices above before buying. See citypass.com/boston .

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