When you think of a fine arts museum you may imagine boring halls filled with old portraits, security shushing people, and bored children trailing behind their parents. This is not the case at the Boston Fine Arts Museum. Not only do they have hundreds of famous paintings, they also have mummies, statues, jewelry, and weapons that will capture anyone’s attention. The Boston Museum of Fine Art, with more than 450,000 works of art, is difficult to see in one day, but with a little planning, you can see it all. The museum is separated into different wings such as Art of Ancient World, Art of Asia, Oceania and Africa, And Contemporary Art. Let me take you around to see our favorite areas of the museum:
Your experience of the MFA begins before you even walk inside. The museum has some really unique pieces of art right outside. These doll heads are my daughters’ favorites!
I personally love Indian Hunter (Paul Manship, 2002) as the hunter and Pronghorn Antelope (and Paul Manship, 2002) as his prey.
As you walk in to the museum, the first thing you’ll notice is this stunning staircase.
Our favorite section is the Egyptian wing. This is always our first stop because mummies have been an obsession for my kids since they first saw Scooby Doo. The rooms are dimly lit, creating an eeriness to the displays.
Art of Europe is another favorite wing. The girls love seeing famous paintings that are done by painters they learned about in art classes. They can’t believe they are actually standing next to these historic paintings, and I must admit that I still get a bit star-struck when I see a Picasso or Renoir.
Picasso, Standing Figure, 1908 
Picasso, Portrait of a Woman, 1910
In fact, the MFA boasts one of the largest collections of Monet outside of France. They have an entire gallery devoted to him. I love seeing Water Lilies (1907)
But my favorite painting by Monet is La Japonaise (1876), which is a portrait of his wife Camille in a lavishly embroidered kimono.
There is always a special traveling exhibit that you should make sure to check out. I saw Toulouse-Lautrec and the Stars of Paris. The paintings were so colorful and vibrant!
I felt like I was transported back into old-world Paris!
There is also a fantastic massive mural by Jackson Pollock that is on display until the end of February.
There are so many amazing pieces that your mind will spin!
Burial Urn 
Burial Urn
Warrior with Weapon 
Seated Male Figure 
Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists
Want a guide?
Rent a MFA audio guide. There are several audio tour options that families can use including a kid version and a teen guide. It is well worth the cost: Adults $6 and kids under 17 $4
There are several options for food at the museum.
465 Bar and Restaurant (The fanciest option)
New American Café (A glass-enclosed courtyard)
Taste (Café and wine bar)
Garden Cafeteria (A great family option)
MFA Sidewalk Café (A seasonal pop-up café)
I had a great lunch at the New American Café. A fabulous mushroom mista pizza, roasted cremini, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms; fontina cheese; truffle oil; Parmesan cheese, and a glass of wine.
Tips for a perfect day at the MFA:
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Hours: Monday & Tuesday 10:00-4:45
Wednesday-Friday 10:00-9:45
Saturday & Sunday 10:00-4:45
Admission: Adults $25, Seniors $23, Kids $10, Kids 7-17
Kids 7-17 are free weekdays after 3:00, weekends, and Boston public school holidays.
Make sure you grab a map when you get there. The rooms are all well labeled and there are large maps throughout the halls that tell you where you are currently located.
There is a bookstore with lots of kid books, toys, and crafts.
There is a coatroom.
Thank you Boston Museum of Fine Arts for having me as a guest of your museum. It’s the perfect place to explore while visiting Boston. As always, all experiences and opinions are 100% of MyTravelingKids.com.