Three Unique Museums in Central
Massachusetts
Museums and galleries are a living historical display. Visiting a
Central Massachusetts museum and/or gallery is an inexpensive way
to experience our past, and view the culture of local and world
renowned artists. Museums and galleries are scattered throughout
the Central Mass region, which translates into a short drive no
matter your locale. Take the opportunity to probe our history by
visiting a museum – the following three can easily be done in
a half day and are all only a short distance from Boston. They are
marketed collectively as
3
Museums
The
Museum of Russian
Icons in Clinton was founded as a nonprofit educational
institution by successful industrialist, Gordon B. Lankton. The
ever-expanding collection includes more than 400 Russian icons, the
largest collection of its kind in North America, and one of the
largest private collections outside Russia. The collection spans
six centuries, and includes significant historical icons dating
from the earliest periods of icon painting (or writing, as
it’s known) to the present. Exhibitions, special events and
classes are available.

Located on 132 bucolic acres in Boylston and less than an hour from
Boston,
Tower Hill Botanic
Garden is a world-class botanic garden. Visitors are awestruck
by spectacular panoramic views of Mt. Wachusett, which provides an
atmospheric backdrop for more than eight innovative display
gardens. Tower Hill offers both stunning beauty and a rich
educational opportunity. It is the headquarters of the Worcester
County Horticultural Society, a pioneering institution founded in
1842 to advance the science and encourage and improve the practice
of horticulture. Now open is Tower Hill’s new Limonaia, a
greenhouse lined with fragrant lemon trees and other flowering and
foliage plants, part of a recently completed $8 million expansion
project that also includes an outdoor winter garden. The resounding
success of Tower Hill’s Orangerie brought on expansion plans
for this new feature.
At the
Fruitlands Museum,
you will discover the unique heritage of America at three renowned
galleries of Native American, Shaker, and American art. Visit the
original site of the Transcendentalist utopian experiment led by
Bronson Alcott – father of famous writer Louisa May Alcott.
Stroll nature trails and enjoy Fruitlands Museum’s
spectacular views of the central Massachusetts landscape. Browse
the Museum Store, have a delicious lunch at Alcott’s
Restaurant & Tea Room, and participate in a diverse schedule of
special events, outdoor concerts, and lectures.