About this Event
Join the BH&PS as we take our current “Cabinet of Curiosities” exhibit theme on the road with a bus tour that explores Boston’s Museums and the Art of Collecting. We’ll start our day by traveling on a chartered motorcoach to Harvard University’s Museum of Natural History to visit the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass models of plants, a unique assembly commissioned by George Lincoln Goodale, the first director of Harvard’s Botanical Museum, and financed by Mary Lee Ware and her mother, Elizabeth C. Ware. These “plants” might fool you into thinking they are real, but they are actually made out of glass! A docent will share insights into this amazing collection. We’ll also peek in on the collection of David Rockefeller’s beetles, which is located just down the hall. Over a span of 90 years, banker and philanthropist David Rockefeller collected beetles from around the world, eventually building a personal collection of more than 150,000 specimens.
Then, we’ll join the Charles River Boat Company for a 70-minute sightseeing tour on the river, enjoying fabulous views of Boston and Cambridge while listening to an engaging narrated commentary. A box lunch of Turkey/Swiss or Vegetarian sandwich with chips and a cookie will be included as part of the tour, and a full cash bar is available on board so you can purchase your beverage of choice.
After our boat docks, we’ll visit the Kunstkammer Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, which is the MFA’s very own Cabinet of Curiosity. You’ll be amazed by the treasures it contains, which range from small-scale sculptures to miniature Renaissance portraits. The German word “Kunstkammer” (translated as “art room”) refers to the cabinets, or small rooms, which came into fashion across Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. A number of special displays in the gallery highlight objects such as ostrich eggs, nautilus shells, and Chinese porcelain. The “Arts of Fire” display showcases works in bronze, glass, ceramics and enamels. Don’t miss the covered cup (Globuspokal) from 1580 and the Diana and Stag Automaton from 1620!
Our comfortable motorcoach will then return us to Bristol. Boston traffic? No worries. Our professional driver will do all the work!
The Bus will depart from the BH&PS Headquarters, 48 Court Street, Bristol at 8:am. Parking is readily available in the lot across the street. The bus will return to the BH&PS Headquarters at 6-6:30pm (subject to traffic). Included in ticket price: motorcoach transportation to Boston, admission and tour of the Harvard Museum of Natural History, boxed lunch and boat cruise along the Charles River, admission to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, 48 Court Street, Bristol, United States
USD 135.23 to USD 145.90
