Blue Hills Trailside Museum
Blue Hills Trailside Museum
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Operated in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Blue Hills Trailside Museum is the interpretive center for the state-owned Blue Hills Reservation and features a natural history museum and outdoor exhibits of native wildlife. The animals on display—including a River Otter and Red Foxes—are non-releasable wildlife and would not survive in the wild.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
38 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
14
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Amanda L
Boston, MA8 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
Loved this place before Corona and loved it now that it's reopened. Extemely safe. There's a pre-registration system and they have limited hours on the weekend so be sure to reserve ahead of time. My 2 yr old son has loved this place since he could walk. Post-Corona, it has a one way path through the outdoor exhibits, the little musuem is closed and masks are required. The duck feeder station is no longer available, so be sure to bring your own healthy duck feed! It only takes about 15 minutes to leisurely stroll through the exhibits, but you can take advantage of the nearby hiking trails before or after (it gets pretty busy by the late morning though).
Written 4 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
misty1
Marlton, NJ443 contributions
Mar 2012
I grew up in Milton. As a kid, I loved the museum. When I had kids, I brought them here. They also loved it. Now my grand kids are visiting. They also love it. It is a great place for all ages.
Written 18 March 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris3761
Rockland, MA10 contributions
Nov 2015 • Family
My grandchildren, 6 and 2 loved the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. It brought back fond memories of going as a child then later bringing my children. It was a great learning experience and just nice to be out of the house instead of in front of the tv or with ipad in hand! Promised my grandson we'll return as I was unable to take him hiking up to the tower with a 2 year old (diaper bag etc) in tow..
Also, very inexpensive activity. The baby is not quite 2 so she was free. Adults $5 and children $3. Well worth the cost and good to support such a local gem.
Also, very inexpensive activity. The baby is not quite 2 so she was free. Adults $5 and children $3. Well worth the cost and good to support such a local gem.
Written 12 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gwardbeeler
Boston, MA789 contributions
Aug 2011
This is definitely a place that you can go to and spend an afternoon, especially if you like to hike. The museum is small, but gives a good overview of local wild life. Occasionally, there are live animal exhibits. Outside, are a number of animals in habitats. these are animals that have been injured and can't return to the wild. The Otter is especially fun and engaging. You can also take a short or long hike. The highlight is climbing the Blue Hills and getting a view of Boston and the surrounding areas. There are wide trails and more rocky ones. Also trails that can go for several miles into the woods. I've also had a tour of the Weather Station which is really interesting. I recommend, going on a nice day, bringing a picnic lunch and spending several hours between the animals, museum and hiking. There is a fee to the museum, but free for Mass Audubon members. Hiking and viewing the animals is free. This is a great place for families with young children. There is plenty of parking too.
Written 19 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
linda m
Milton, MA21 contributions
Dec 2016 • Friends
A sweet little museum with nature exhibits focused on native plants and animals (and people too- a fascinating diorama shows how the indigenous tribes once used the area). Lots of buttons for little kids to push (5 cricket sounds - know them all?) Small admission fee goes to maintain the animals and museum - Mass Audubon members enter free; outdoor animal exhibits and gift shop are free. (Lots of cool items in gift shop). And the red-dot hiking trail to Big Blue summit starts a few feet away.
Written 7 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stuart Armstrong
Milton, Massachusetts19 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
The Trailside and Mass Audubon do such great work educating us on nature, birds, and outdoors. It's so nice to have it so close.
Written 14 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DevorahLeah
Quincy, MA140 contributions
Jul 2015 • Friends
This is a local gem: you can hike the trails, see wild-life (including various species of birds), go inside and look at some of the exhibits, or stay outside and appreciate the beautifully maintained grounds. You can learn about, and see, the animals the museum has rescued (including owls and otters) and also see the various types of flowers and plants along the trails. There are educational activities for kids as well. I heartily recommend the Trailside Museum-- it's a great experience for people of all ages.
Written 19 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luv2TravelNEGirl
Quincy, MA433 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
We live close by and always enjoy hiking blue hills. Have also done their skiing which is great for kids. The museum is cute and has some animals. The lookout tower at the top offers some nice views of Boston.
Written 22 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yankeedancer
Norton, MA72 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
Been visiting the Blue Hills Trailside Museum since I was a kid...It has never disappointed. Otters Eagles, Deer, Snowy Owls, Flora and Fawna outside for free at the base of Blue Hills. There's a nice little museum and gift shop to visit for a small donation. and you can hike the trail to the top of the hill to the observatory for great views of Boston and the surround towns.
Written 7 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelgirl3781
Boston, MA121 contributions
Oct 2010
If you want to spend an afternoon with an outdoor experience, get exercise, fresh air, a scenic view and see animals all for FREE, then hike one of the Blue Hills trails to the top. Pack a lunch and walk up the look out tower at the top. You can see the Boston sky line from there. a short walk from there you can visit the weather observatory. There is a gift shop there and a bathroom! In the fall they open the ski lift. For a couple of bucks you can take the ski lift down. The kids love it. At the base of the mountain there are animals; The river otters are a favorite, there are also owls, deer, a fox, turtles, hawks and turkeys. Inside there is a great and inexpensive museum to visit. .If the family isn't exhausted after, a few minutes away there is a playground and Hobart' s pond for swimming in the summer... A great day trip!!
Written 4 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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