Museums and Zoos
Editor’s Note: While all attempts have been made to make these lists as accurate as possible, times and program availability may be subject to change. Please check information in advance to avoid disappointment.

Ongoing (by alphabetical order)

Aqua Kids Family Day, Fridays, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston. Enjoy stories, games, art projects and live animal demonstrations in the Curious George Discovery Center. Free with aquarium admission 617-973-5200; neaq.org.

Animal Happenings, 10:30-11:15am, Thursdays, Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., North Easton. Each week, kids can touch something furry, feathery, scaly or slippery and learn about the animal’s behaviors. 508-230-3789; childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Books With Bill, Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30am, Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., North Easton. Join Grandpa Bill for an informal story time featuring seasonal and nature-based stories. Free with museum admission. 508-230-3789; childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Daily Messy Sensory Activities, 10am-3:30pm, Saturday – Thursday; 10am-7pm, Fridays, PlaySpace, Boston Children’s Museum, 300 Congress St., Boston. Free with museum admission. 617-426-6500; bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

First Sunday Drop-into Art, 2-4pm, first Sunday of the month, Danforth Museum of Art, 123 Union Ave., Framingham. Children’s art activities and family tours by teen and adult docents. Free museum admission for drop-into art participants. 508-620-0050; danforthmuseum.org.

Free Admission on Your Birthday at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway, Boston. 617-566-1401; gardnermuseum.org.

From the Deep: The Sperm Whale, Bone by Bone, New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford. View the skeleton of a 45-ton Sperm Whale, found off Great Point, Nantucket. 508-997-0046; whalingmuseum.org.

Gabrielle Healy Carroll Storytime Program, 10:30am, Tuesdays and Fridays; 2pm, Saturday and Sundays, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. Free with museum admission. 413-658-1105; picturebookart.org.

Guided Exhibit Tours, 8:30am and 4pm, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston. Educators give personalized view of exhibits, including stories, research and conservation. Tours must be booked two weeks in advance and can be arranged for groups of 4-30 people. Tickets: $5 plus aquarium admission. 617-973-5200; neaq.org.

Historic Stagecoach Rides, Monday – Sunday, Old Sturbridge Village, Route 20, Sturbridge. Take a ride in an old-fashioned stagecoach around the Village Common. $5 with village admission. 800-SEE-1830, osv.org.

Kids Chess Club, 4pm, Thursdays, Hull Life Saving Museum, 1117 Nantasket Ave., Hull. Learn how to play chess! 781-925-5433; lifesavingmuseum.org.

Lasting Impressions, Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary Gallery, 293 Moose Hill St., Sharon. View the photography of Fred Martins, whose work focuses on reconfiguring objects found as well as discarded in nature. 781-784-5691.

Music & Movement, 11am, Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, PlaySpace, Boston Children’s Museum, 300 Congress St., Boston. Join the circle of toddlers and grownups for music and dancing. Free with museum admission. 617-426-6500; bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Re-View, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, Cambridge. This survey features Western art from antiquity to the turn of the last century, Islamic and Asian art, and European and American art since 1900. Artmuseums.harvard.edu.

Silly Stretches, 1:30-2pm, Thursdays, PlaySpace, Boston Children’s Museum, 300 Congress St., Boston. Warm up and stretch out your body with simple yoga and dance movements. 617-426-6500; bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Tales for Village Tots, 10am, Wednesdays, Old Sturbridge Village, Route 20, Sturbridge. Enjoy story-telling and related arts and crafts about life in early New England. Fee: $6, can be used toward village admission. 800-SEE-1830, osv.org.

Tasty Tuesdays, 11:15am-12:15pm, Tuesdays, PlaySpace, Boston Children’s Museum, 300 Congress St., Boston. Make a yummy, healthy snack, that toddlers and adults will both enjoy. 617-426-6500; bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Terrific Tuesdays, Tuesdays, 10:30-11:15am, Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., North Easton. Enjoy science activities, crafts and games. Free with museum admission. 508-230-3789; childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Toe Jam Puppet Band, 10:30am and 12:30 pm, Mondays, Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn St., New Bedford. $5 with zoo admission. 508-991-6178; bpzoo.org.

Trucks on Tuesdays,, 10:30-11am, Tuesdays, The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., North Easton. Stop by and see a different truck each week. Free with museum admission. 508-230-3789; childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Temporary Exhibits (by end date)

I See Trees, Boston Children’s Museum, 300 Congress St., Boston. View artwork made from trees or inspired by trees, from sculpture to mosaics and watercolors. Free with museum admission. Runs through Nov. 1. 617-426-6500; bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

SmartArt; Exploring Science and Art, EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester. See what happens when art and science collide. Use sound to make a robot dance, feed a plant with your breath, turn music into shapes and much more. Discover the changes taking place all around you. Through Nov. 1. 508-929-2700; ecotarium.org.

Drawings from the Heart: Tomie dePaola turns 75, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. View work from the author’s most popular books as well as examples of his non-picture book art. Through Nov. 1. 412-658-1105; carlemuseum.org.

Master Pieces; Haberdashery Textiles in Antique Quilts, The New England Quilt Museum, 18 Shattuck St., Lowell. View quilts made from recycled men’s fashions, including suits, socks, neckties, military uniforms and more. Runs through Nov. 15. 978-452-4207, ext. 15; nequiltmuseum.org.

Botanica: Scanography by Marty Klein, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Boston. View photographsof plants and other natural objects taken with a flatbed scanner. Runs through Nov. 19. Call for exhibit availability. 617-384-5209; arboretum.harvard.edu.

Forever Young: The Amazing Grace of Folk Music History in Harvard Square, windows throughout Harvard Square, Cambridge. View photographs throughout Harvard Square and enjoy historical tours and special events. Through Nov. 30. Visit harvardsquare.com for a full schedule.

Vistas del Pueblo: Images of Community from Nicaraguan Villages, Springstep Gallery, 98 George P. Hassett Drive, Medford. View artwork portraying positive images of community by Nicaraguan students and artists. Runs through Dec. 18. 781-395-0402; springstep.org. 

Tales from the Land of Gullah, Boston Children’s Museum, 300 Congress St., Boston. Explore the Gullah culture through interactive exhibits, crafts, musical traditions and storytelling. Runs through Dec. 31. 617-426-6500; bostonchildrensmuseum.org. 

The Painful Price of Beauty, Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. The Worcester Art Museum investigates the psychological and physiological effects that the corset has had on women. Through Jan. 10, 2010. 508-799-4406; worcesterart.org. 

Whirligigs & Whimmydiddles: Celebrating American Folk Toys, Wenham Museum, 132 Main St., Wenham. View an array of handmade historic folk toys, including hobby horses, wooden trains, rare dolls and more. Runs through Jan. 17, 2010. 978-468-2377; wenhammuseum.org. 

Damian Ortega: Do It Yourself, The Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave., Boston. Everyday objects such as entire cars, chairs and building bricks are pulled apart, suspended or rearranged into dynamic configurations. Runs through Jan. 18, 2010. 617-478-3100; icaboston.org.

Mechanical Menagerie, The Providence Children's Museum, 100 South St., Providence. View animal sculptures fashioned from recycled electronics by Providence artist Ann P. Smith. Runs through Jan. 31, 2010. 402-273-KIDS; childrensmuseum.org. 

Harry Potter: The Exhibition, Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston. Step into the magical world of the famous boy wizard with more than 200 authentic movie artifacts displayed in settings inspired by the Hogswarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Runs through Feb. 21, 2010. Adults, $26; children ages 3-11, $23. 617-723-2500 or visit mos.org.

Masters: Art Quilts: 40 Contemporary Art Quilters, New England Quilt Museum,18 Shattuck St., Lowell. View the work of 40 contemporary master quilters and explore the of quilting from around the world. Open Nov. 19 and runs through Feb. 25, 2010. 978-452-4207; nequiltmuseum.org.

The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC, The Museum of Fine Arts, Avenue of the Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. View never-before-seen artifacts recovered from the tomb of the Djehutynakhts and explore concepts of the afterlife in the Middle Kingdom. Runs through May 16, 2010. 617-267-9300; mfa.org.

Cool Moves – The Artistry of Motion, EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester. Dance to create light and sound, zoom three-wheeled racers, play with crazy pendulums, touch a mini tornado and more. Runs through June 20, 2010. 508-929-2700; ecotarium.org.