Travel

7 Museum Exhibits in Boston to Check Out Before They Disappear

Immersive art exhibits, video game-themed displays, and more museum exhibits to add to your bucket list.

Immersive Frida Kahlo
Immersive Frida Kahlo
Immersive Frida Kahlo

Boston is home to some of the most famous museums in the country-from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. While the establishments themselves draw crowds and plenty of attention, it’s the world-renowned works that bring about art enthusiasts. And if you’re not much of an enthusiast, you can at least appreciate the level of passion along with the history, stories, and detail that went into each piece of work.

With the new season comes a bevy of fun things to do around the city, so make sure to pencil in spending an afternoon checking out one of Boston’s many world-class museums. Curators across art, science, and other disciplines have crafted some truly exceptional exhibits across the city, so plan a date night or round up some friends and head to the coolest museum exhibits in Boston right now-but hurry before it’s too late.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Brought to you by internationally-acclaimed photographer and activist Sir Zanele Muholi, Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance documents the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ in their home country of South Africa and beyond. With more than 50 works on display-from Muholi’s iconic black and white self portraits to recent paintings to a sculptural bronze-the exhibit, which will run until May 8 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, is simply a can’t-miss.
Dates: Now through May 8
How to visit: Museum is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Thursday from 11 am to 9 pm

Immersive Frida Kahlo
Immersive Frida Kahlo
Immersive Frida Kahlo

Immersive Frida Kahlo at Lighthouse ArtSpace at the Castle

If you didn’t have the chance to visit Immersive Van Gogh, you really don’t want to miss out on the Frida Kahlo experience. As an ode to the legendary artist and her “magical realism” paintings, you can find yourself navigating throughout her famous works with the help of large-scale projections, accompanied by a soothing musical score. The venue, the Lighthouse ArtSpace at the Castle, will also simultaneously host Immersive Klimt (until the end of May) for fans of his famous pieces including “The Kiss.”
Dates: Now through May 28
How to visit: Reserve timed tickets via website

Peter E/Flickr
Peter E/Flickr
Peter E/Flickr

Game Changers at MassArt Art Museum

The relatively new MassArt Art Museum is probably one of the most exciting art spaces in the city as it fosters learning and new talent all under one roof-not to mention it’s always free! Throughout the year, you can catch the large-scale installation Valkyrie Mumbet and artist collective Ghost of a Dream’s Yesterday is Here, but before it comes to a close on May 22, be sure to check out Game Changers. For those devout gamers or those that appreciate the art of gaming, this group exhibit displays the cross between contemporary art and video games, showcasing new possibilities for game-related art and pushing aesthetic and technological boundaries.
Dates: Now through May 22
How to visit: The museum is open Wednesday from noon to 6 pm, Thursday from noon to 8 pm, and Friday through Sunday from noon to 6 pm

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Turner’s Modern World at Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Known as one of the first modern artists, J. M. W. Turner’s paintings depicted his life and work during the industrial revolution. And out of his 32,000 pieces, you’ll find more than 100 paintings, watercolors, drawings, and sketchbooks at the MFA, showcasing his interpretation of everything from technological advances to abolition and political reform.
Dates: Now through July 10
How to visit: Reserve timed tickets via website

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Real Photo Postcards: Pictures from a Changing Nation at Museum of Fine Arts Boston

In 1903, the Eastman Kodak Company released the postcard camera, which developed a postcard-sized negative that could print directly onto a blank card. The camera took off without a hitch, documenting the daily lives of those before World War II. Fast forward to 2022, and more than 300 works drawn from the MFA’s Leonard A. Lauder Postcard Archive are on display, taking a look at life in the US in the early 20th century through real photo postcards-capturing tragic, surreal, average, and even funny moments that are an essential part of history.
Dates: Now through July 25
How to visit: The museum is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 10 am to 10 pm.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Conservation in Action: Japanese Buddhist Sculpture in a New Light at Museum of Fine Arts Boston

For the first time in a while, museumgoers can see the MFA’s beloved seven painted and gilded wooden sculptures from the 9th to the 12th centuries in a public conservation studio. The relocation “enables visitors to see the objects in a new setting for the first time in decades,” according to the MFA. The exhibit also displays three sculptures from storage that act as points of comparison to showcase the different sculptural techniques, styles, and states of preservation.
Dates: Now through July 3
How to visit: The museum is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Friday from 10 am to 10 pm.

Peter E/Flickr
Peter E/Flickr
Peter E/Flickr

Each/Other: Marie Watt and Cannupa Hanska Luger at Peabody Essex Museum

With only a few more weeks until the exhibit comes to a close, you can catch Each/Other by leading Indigenous contemporary artists Marie Watt and Cannupa Hanska Luger at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. The exhibit features 26 mixed media sculptures, wall hangings and large-scale installation works by the two artists, along with new monumental artist-guided community artwork. The pieces are meant to emphasize creativity as a means to connect and build a better understanding between individuals, neighbors, and communities.
Dates: Now through May 8
How to visit: The museum is open Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm and Friday from 10 am to 7 pm.Want more Thrillist? Follow us on InstagramTwitterPinterestYouTubeTikTok, and Snapchat.

Jillian Hammell is a contributor for Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Travel

Ditch your Phone for ‘Dome Life’ in this Pastoral Paradise Outside Port Macquarie 

A responsible, sustainable travel choice for escaping big city life for a few days.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

The urge to get as far away as possible from the incessant noise and pressures of ‘big city life’ has witnessed increasingly more of us turn to off-grid adventures for our holidays: Booking.com polled travellers at the start of 2023 and 55% of us wanted to spend our holidays ‘off-grid’.  Achieving total disconnection from the unyielding demands of our digitised lives via some kind of off-grid nature time—soft or adventurous—is positioned not only as a holiday but, indeed, a necessity for our mental health. 

Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, an accommodation collection of geodesic domes dotted across a lush rural property in Greater Port Macquarie (a few hours’ drive from Sydney, NSW), offers a travel experience that is truly ‘off-grid’. In the figurative ‘wellness travel’ sense of the word, and literally, they run on their own independent power supply—bolstered by solar—and rely not on the town grid. 

Ten minutes before you arrive at the gates for a stay at Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, your phone goes into ‘SOS ONLY’. Apple Maps gives up, and you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, driving down unsealed roads in the dark, dodging dozens of dozing cows. Then, you must ditch your car altogether and hoist yourself into an open-air, all-terrain 4WD with gargantuan wheels. It’s great fun being driven through muddy gullies in this buggy; you feel like Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park.  As your buggy pulls in front of your personal Nature Dome, it’s not far off that “Welcome…to Jurassic Park” jaw-dropping moment—your futuristic-looking home is completely engulfed by thriving native bushland; beyond the outdoor campfire lie expansive hills and valleys of green farmland, dotted with sheep and trees. You’re almost waiting to see a roaming brachiosaurus glide past, munching on a towering gum tree…instead, a few inquisitive llamas trot past your Dome to check out their new visitor. 

To fully capture the awe of inhabiting a geodesic dome for a few days, a little history of these futuristic-looking spherical structures helps. Consisting of interlocking triangular skeletal struts supported by (often transparent) light walls, geodesic domes were developed in the 20th century by American engineer and architect R. Buckminster Fuller, and were used for arenas. Smaller incarnations have evolved into a ‘future-proof’ form of modern housing: domes are able to withstand harsh elements due to the stability provided by the durable materials of their construction and their large surface area to volume ratio (which helps minimize wind impact and prevents the structure from collapsing). As housing, they’re also hugely energy efficient – their curved shape helps to conserve heat and reduce energy costs, making them less susceptible to temperature changes outside. The ample light let in by their panels further reduces the need for artificial power. 

Due to their low environmental impact, they’re an ideal sustainable travel choice. Of course, Tom’s Creek Nature Domes’ owner-operators, Cardia and Lee Forsyth, know all this, which is why they have set up their one-of-a-kind Nature Domes experience for the modern traveller. It’s also no surprise to learn that owner Lee is an electrical engineer—experienced in renewable energy—and that he designed the whole set-up. As well as the off-grid power supply, rainwater tanks are used, and the outdoor hot tub is heated by a wood fire—your campfire heats up your tub water via a large metal coil. Like most places in regional Australia, the nights get cold – but rather than blast a heater, the Domes provide you with hot water bottles, warm blankets, lush robes and heavy curtains to ward off the chill.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

You’ll need to be self-sufficient during your stay at the Domes, bringing your own food. Support local businesses and stock up in the town of Wauchope on your drive-in (and grab some pastries and coffee at Baked Culture while you’re at it). There’s a stovetop, fridge (stocked as per a mini bar), BBQs, lanterns and mozzie coils, and you can even order DIY S’More packs for fireside fun. The interiors of the Domes have a cosy, stylish fit-out, with a modern bathroom (and a proper flushing toilet—none of that drop bush toilet stuff). As there’s no mobile reception, pack a good book or make the most of treasures that lie waiting to be discovered at every turn: a bed chest full of board games, a cupboard crammed with retro DVDs, a stargazing telescope (the skies are ablaze come night time). Many of these activities are ideal for couples, but there’s plenty on offer for solo travellers, such as yoga mats, locally-made face masks and bath bombs for hot tub soaks. 

It’s these thoughtful human touches that reinforce the benefit of making a responsible travel choice by booking local and giving your money to a tourism operator in the Greater Port Macquarie Region, such as Tom’s Creek Nature Domes. The owners are still working on the property following the setbacks of COVID-19, and flooding in the region —a new series of Domes designed with families and groups in mind is under construction, along with an open-air, barn-style dining hall and garden stage. Once ready, the venue will be ideal for wedding celebrations, with wedding parties able to book out the property. They’ve already got one couple—who honeymooned at the Domes—ready and waiting. Just need to train up the llamas for ring-bearer duties! 

An abundance of favourite moments come to mind from my two-night stay at Tom’s Creek: sipping champagne and gourmet picnicking at the top of a hill on a giant swing under a tree, with a bird’s eye view of the entire property (the ‘Mountain Top picnic’ is a must-do activity add on during your stay), lying on a deckchair at night wrapped in a blanket gazing up at starry constellations and eating hot melted marshmallows, to revelling in the joys of travellers before me, scrawled on notes in a jar of wishes left by the telescope (you’re encouraged to write your own to add to the jar). But I’ll leave you with a gratitude journal entry I made while staying there. I will preface this by saying that I don’t actually keep a gratitude journal, but Tom’s Creek Nature Domes is just the kind of place that makes you want to start one. And so, waking up on my second morning at Tom’s —lacking any 4G bars to facilitate my bad habit of a morning Instagram scroll—I finally opened up a notebook and made my first journal entry:

‘I am grateful to wake up after a deep sleep and breathe in the biggest breaths of this clean air, purified by nature and scented with eucalyptus and rain. I am grateful for this steaming hot coffee brewed on a fire. I feel accomplished at having made myself. I am grateful for the skittish sheep that made me laugh as I enjoyed a long nature walk at dawn and the animated billy goats and friendly llamas overlooking my shoulder as I write this: agreeable company for any solo traveller. I’m grateful for total peace, absolute stillness.” 

Off-grid holiday status: unlocked.

Where: Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, Port Macquarie, 2001 Toms Creek Rd
Price: $450 per night, book at the Natura Domes website.

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