Museum of Fine Arts – Salem Happenings

The Finer Things in Life

We’ve all heard the old expression, “stop and smell the roses”, but how many people actually take the time to follow through on that advice? I mean, if you stop and think about it, there’s no way around the fact that we live in a really busy world. A world in which school, work, family, unexpected disasters, and a whole list of other similar issues and responsibilities suck up our time faster than an overpowered vacuum cleaner. As a result, it’s often a wonder that anyone has the time to actually sit back, relax, and take in all of the finer things in life. However, it’s still important for everyone, not only for themselves but also for the sanity of the people around them, to find the time to enjoy the little things. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy the finer things in life this weekend, there are several events that are sure to help you relax and put your mind at ease.

First, if you’re an art fan looking for an inexpensive way to see a wide assortment of great artwork, you may want to head on over to the Museum of Fine Arts on Monday. This is because the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is holding an open house on Monday (May 26, 2014) from 10:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. This event will allow you and your family to enjoy the Museum’s artwork, hear music from several different live bands, see live dancers and other performers, try your hand at making your own artwork, watch Technicolor films, and do a whole lot more for free. For more information on the Memorial Day Open House at the Museum of Fine Arts, please visit the Museum of Fine Arts Programs page.

Secondly, if your passion is more geared towards the culinary arts than the art you would typically find in a museum, Watson Adventures may have a scavenger hunt that’s more up your alley. This is because Watson Adventures is hosting the Munch Around Cambridge Scavenger Hunt at 2:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, May 24, 2014.) This adults-only scavenger hunt will allow you and your friends to search the city of Cambridge for some of the best ice cream, hot chocolate, pizza, sandwiches, and other foods around. For more information on the Munch Around Cambridge Scavenger Hunt and/or to reserve your spot, please visit the Watson Adventures website.

Finally, if you’re more interested in spending time with someone rather than something, you may want to grab your significant other and head over to the Boston Public Garden Lagoon. This is because the Lagoon is the home of the Swan Boats, which are a great way for you and your loved one to enjoy some quality time together on a pleasant, romantic ride around the water. For more information on the Swan Boats, which currently operate daily from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., please visit the Official Swan Boats website.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Friday Fun: Fireworks and Mysteries

The fireworks may be over but that doesn’t mean that the fun has to be. In fact, if you missed out on the 4th of July festivities, you may be in luck as there are still some places that are having fireworks tonight and tomorrow. As a result, if you’re looking for something to do now that the 4th of July has come and gone, you may want to look into some of the fireworks displays and other events that are happening this weekend.

First, if your kids love arts and crafts and are really into fireworks, you may want to think about taking them to the Boston Children’s Museum this weekend. The Boston Children’s Museum is holding a special event entitled Kitchen Science: Fireworks in a Glass on Saturday, July 6, 2013 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. This event will allow your children ages 5 and up to use oil, food coloring, and other items found around the kitchen to make colorful firework-like designs in a glass. For more information, please visit the Boston Children’s Museum website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for an activity that you can do without the kids and/or you’ve always been a fan of murder mysteries, the Museum of Fine Arts may have exactly what you’re looking for this weekend. The Museum of Fine Arts and Watson Adventures is hosting a Murder at the Art Museum Scavenger Hunt at 1:00 pm on Saturday, July 6, 2013. This event, which is only open to adults, will feature a series of clues related to the art in the museum that will help you to determine why the museum curator was killed and, most importantly, who killed the curator. To find out more about the event or to register for it, please visit the Watson Adventures website.

Finally, if you were hoping to catch another fireworks display or you missed all of the displays earlier in the week, Falmouth, Hudson, Lowell, and Waltham are all having fireworks displays that begin somewhere between 9:00 and 9:30 pm tonight (July 5, 2013.) If you can’t make it to any of the displays tonight, however, don’t worry. Ayer, Brockton, Hudson, Salisbury, and Wilmington are also having fireworks displays this weekend, but each of these displays will begin somewhere between 9:00 and 10:15 pm tomorrow (July 6, 2013.) For more information, please check your local paper.

Friday Fun: Father’s Day Weekend

A couple of months ago, the United States had some really dry weather, and if you had asked people what they wanted for weather at the time, a lot of people would have said rain. In fact, some areas of the country received two to three inches of rain less than they typically get, and there were a lot of people concerned about the possibility of a serious drought. However, if you were to ask the same question about the weather now, most people would probably tell you that they would really like to see the sun again sometime during their lifetime. For, as you might guess, it has now been raining pretty much nonstop for the last month and, as the old saying goes, “when it rains, it pours.” Fortunately, if you are one of the people who would really like to see the sun again, it may make your day to know that the weather is beginning to look a lot more promising just in time for Father’s Day Weekend. And, if you’re looking for something interesting to do with your father this weekend, there are a number of events in the Boston area that you should definitely check out.

The first event that you may want to check out if you’re looking for something to do with your father this Father’s Day weekend is the Father’s Day Weekend Vintage Baseball Triple Header. The Vintage Baseball Triple Header is the perfect way to celebrate Father’s Day for any father that is a big fan of baseball and/or a big fan of history as it will actually give you the opportunity to watch two teams go head to head in a game of baseball using the actual rules from the 1860’s. This means that you will only see underhand pitches, catches that count as outs even though the ball bounced once, and players that are a lot more hardcore than some of the professional players you may have seen because the players in this game have to catch the ball without a glove. The Vintage Baseball Triple Header will also feature demonstrations that show you how bats and balls are made, activities for kids, food, drinks, and a bunch of different souvenirs. For more information on the Vintage Baseball Triple Header, which takes place at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury, MA, please visit the Vintage Baseball Triple Header’s website or call 978-462-2634.

Another place that you may want to consider if you’re father isn’t a big fan of baseball or you just think your father belongs in a zoo is Zoo New England. This is because both of Zoo New England’s locations, including the Stone Zoo and the Franklin park Zoo, are offering free admission to the zoo for fathers on Father’s Day. In fact, if you and your father can make it to the Franklin Park Zoo around noon on Sunday, there will also be music, games, and prizes courtesy of Magic 106.7. For more information on the Father’s Day events at the zoos, please visit the special events page for The Stone Zoo and/or the Franklin Park Zoo.

Finally, if your father really isn’t into the zoo, you can always take him to a museum. The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and a number of other museums in the Boston area are offering free or discounted admission for fathers on Father’s Day.

Friday Fun: How to Beat the Heat

It may not officially be summertime yet, but the warm weather is definitely here. In fact, if you’re living in the Boston area or you’re planning to go just about anywhere in the Northeast this weekend, you’ll probably see temperatures in the mid 80’s to low 90’s. This means that while the weather may be perfect if you’re planning to spend a few hours outside, it’s going to be pretty hot if you’re planning on doing anything other than sitting or swimming. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to entertain your family without succumbing to the heat, there are some upcoming events that are conveniently located in air-conditioned buildings (or somewhere with a cool ocean breeze.)

The first place that you may want to check out if you’re looking for a way to beat the heat this weekend is the Boston Sailing Center. The Boston Sailing Center is offering free sailing cruises from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1st. Each of these cruises will typically last approximately 20 to 30 minutes and will give you the opportunity to either sit back and relax as you cruise down the waterfront or try your hand at steering the boat. For more information on the Boston Sailing Center’s Free Sailing Open House, please visit the Boston Sailing Center website.

The second place that you may want to check out if you’re looking for a way to escape the heat this weekend is the New England Aquarium. The New England Aquarium is offering free admission to its IMAX theatre at 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 2nd. This means that you and your family will be able to see sharks, turtles, fish, and all of the other creatures that live in and around the coral reefs of the world (12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.) or more penguins than you’ve ever seen before (1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.) on one of the biggest screens you will ever see without paying a dime. For more information, please visit the New England Aquarium’s website.

The third and final place that you may want to check out if your kids are big fans of Harry Potter and you’re looking for somewhere cool to spend the day is the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts and Watson Adventures is holding a Wizard School Scavenger Hunt at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday. This event will allow kids ages 10 and up (even kids that are technically adults, but still kids at heart) to track down centaurs, dragons, giants, owls, unicorns, and other creatures and objects from the world of Harry Potter in the artwork of the museum. To find out more about the event or to register for it, please visit the Watson Adventures website.

Friday Fun: Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is a time to go outside, fire up the grill, and most importantly, honor the memories of all of the brave men and women who have given their lives to protect our way of life. Unfortunately, a lot of the activities that we typically associate with Memorial Day weekend are difficult to perform in poor weather. Let’s face it. Trying to fire up a grill or watch a parade is no easy task when the rain is pouring so hard that you look like a drowned rat as soon as you get out the door. As a result, many people are already trying to figure out what they are going to do if it really does rain all weekend. Fortunately, if you are one of these people and you’re more than a little concerned about the weather, there are a number of events occurring in the Boston area that will allow you to celebrate the holiday without getting too wet.

First, if you’re a big fan of art or just a big fan of Boston, you may want to check out the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts is not only offering free admission and discounts in the museum’s stores this weekend, but is also displaying a series of special exhibits that are designed to honor the City of Boston and show support for all of the people who were affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. In fact, the museum is planning to donate all of the money that it receives from on-site contributions this weekend to the One Fund to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and their families. For more information on the events happening this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, please visit the MFA website.

Secondly, if you’re a big fan of maritime history, you may want to head down to the USS Constitution Museum. The USS Constitution Museum is holding a series of special activities this weekend that are specifically designed to teach children and their parents what it was like to be a Marine or a Sailor aboard the USS Constitution. Some of the activities occurring at the museum this weekend include lessons on how to march, how to make an Officer’s Hat, the tools that Marines and Sailors had to use, and, for an additional fee of $2, how to build a ship. For more information on these events, please visit the USS Constitution website or call (617) 426-1812.

Finally, if a museum just doesn’t seem like a fun way to spend your Memorial Day weekend and music is more your thing, you may want to make your way over to Lexington. The Lexington Symphony is holding a special concert on Memorial Day to honor the 300th anniversary of the Town of Lexington. This concert will actually feature several never-before-heard pieces that explore freedom, the American Revolution, and a number of other patriotic themes. For more information, please visit the Lexington Symphony Website.