THE BH&PS BOSTON MUSEUMS SPRING BUS TOUR
THE BH&PS BOSTON MUSEUMS AND THE ART OF COLLECTION BUS TOUR
Join us in May as we take our “Cabinet of Curiosities” exhibit theme on the road with a bus tour that explores two of Boston’s unique museums and the art of collecting.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2026
BH&PS BUS TOUR TO BOSTON MUSEUMS
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.
LUNCH ON THE CHARLES RIVER!
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.
DISCOVER THE MAGIC AT THE GARDNER
After our boat docks when we finish our Charles River tour, we’ll visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
to learn more about how Gardner approached the art of collecting.
Our comfortable motorcoach will then return us to Bristol.
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Tickets cost $135 for BH&PS members and early birds (before MAY 1, 2026) and $145.00 for non-members and last minute adventurers.
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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, and admission to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston
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 6-6:30 PM (subject to traffic).