April Vacation Week at MFA - Boston

April Vacation Week at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Massachusetts

All are invited to April Vacation Week for free activities exploring connections between the people, places, and art made in Massachusetts. All ages and abilities are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. See Visiting with Kids and Family for more information.

Events and Activities

Drop-In Art Making

Miniature Baskets | Gallery LG36
Wednesday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)

  • Baskets are functional objects that can also be elevated to an art form made with skill, imagery, and surprising material choices. Learn how to weave a small basket while discovering some of the techniques and materials New England–based artists have used.

Cross-Stitch Samplers | Galleries 137 and 138
Wednesday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)

  • Join Museum educators in the meditative practice of cross-stitch! Stop by the galleries to pick up an art kit and learn to stitch your own sampler using a template or a design of your own.

Jewelry Inspired by Massachusetts Artists | Shapiro Family Courtyard
Wednesday–Friday, 10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)

  • Design your own jewelry inspired by the Museum’s rich collection of local treasures. Use charms, pendants, jewels, and inscriptions to craft something that reflects your identity.

Candles in Massachusetts: Then and Now | Druker Family Pavilion, Room 159
Wednesday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)

  • Candles have been providing light, warmth, celebration, ceremony, and comfort for more than 5,000 years. Join us in creating and decorating candles inspired by candle makers from the Massachusetts region.

Scrimshaw | Druker Family Pavilion, Room 160 | Ages 12 and up
Wednesday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)

  • Scrimshaw is the art of engraving whale bone with intricate, often nautically themed, designs. People in Massachusetts have been making scrimshaw for hundreds of years. Stop by to try your hand at “scrimshandering” using a synthetic material to carve your own locally inspired design!

Story Hour | Riley Seminar Room
Wednesday–Saturday, 11:30 am and 1 pm

  • Drop by for an interactive children’s story program. Stay for one story or for the whole hour.

Family Tours | Meet at Sharf Visitor Center
Wednesday–Saturday, 11:30 am and 1:30 pm

  • Join us on a family-friendly tour that takes a closer look at the art of John Wilson and other innovative Massachusetts-based artists. Tours are 30 minutes and fun for all ages!
When: 
Wednesday–Saturday, April 23-26, 2025 10am-4pm
Location: 
Museum of Fine Arts
Phone: 
617.267.9300
Link(s): 
April Vacation Week at MFA
April Vacation Week
Museum
Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point
Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
Where: Halibut Point State Park
7:00 am to 6:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
7:00 am to 7:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk
Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
Where: Maudslay State Park
7:00 am to 7:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden
Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
Where: Boston Common and Boston Public Garden
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Sing & Dance with the Music Man
Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
Where: Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham
10:00 am to 10:45 am
♦ Read More →

Swampscott Farmer's Market
The Swampscott Farmers Market happens every Sunday through October.
Rain or shine, the Swampscott Farmers’ Market features a wide variety of produce, meats, fish, breads, flowers and crafts from farmers, food producers, and artisans from around Massachusetts and nearby New England states. Anchoring the market, Swampscott will have Clark Farm providing a large...
Where: Swampscott Town Hall
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
♦ Read More →

CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes
Walk through the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts with the Trustees under the full moon.
There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading...
Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate
7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
♦ Read More →

Tuesday, June 10

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
7:00 am to 7:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk
Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
Where: Maudslay State Park
7:00 am to 7:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point
Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
Where: Halibut Point State Park
7:00 am to 6:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden
Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
Where: Boston Common and Boston Public Garden
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead
Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® of Salem classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45...
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead
10:00 am to 10:45 am
♦ Read More →

Gloucester Gratis Days at Hammond Castle
Bring your kids to the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts during April Vacation
In keeping with John Hays Hammond, Jr's original vision for his seaside castle-home to serve as a museum offering the Gloucester community access to ancient works of architectural art, Hammond Castle Museum will offer Gloucester residents free, self-guided tours each Tuesday throughout the regular...
Where: Hammond Castle Museum
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms
Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...
Where: Appleton Farms
10:30 am to 11:30 am
♦ Read More →

Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!
Find out the story behind the history of granite quarrying at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts!
Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.
Where: Halibut Point State Park
11:00 am to 12:30 pm
♦ Read More →

CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes
Walk through the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts with the Trustees under the full moon.
There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading...
Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate
7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
♦ Read More →

Full Moon Hike at Ward Reservation
Join the Trustees on a journey up Holt Hill under the light of the full moon at Ward Reservation in Andover!
Join the Trustees for an evening journey up Holt Hill under the light of the full moon. Together, we will trek up the trail as night falls, and gather at the top beneath the moon & stars. Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and unique tastes of evening in the magic of Ward Reservation. We will...
Where: Ward Reservation
7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
♦ Read More →