MFA Open House | Juneteenth

The Museum of fine Arts Boston hosts an open house with free admission for Juneteenth!

In partnership with Citizens, admission to the MFA—including access to “Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence”—is free for all Massachusetts residents on June 19 in honor of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally observed commemoration of the ending of slavery in the US. Join us for performances, participate in art-making activities, catch a talk, and see “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina,” a new exhibition honoring the work and legacy of the enslaved men, women, and children who crafted stoneware storage vessels in Old Edgefield for roughly 50 years before emancipation.

Events and Activities

Drop-In Art Making: Pottery | 10 am–4 pm | Huntington Avenue Lawn

Create a decorative pot or bowl inspired by “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina” using air-dry clay.

Resource Fair |10 am–4 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

Drop by to meet representatives from Big Sister Boston, the MFA, and more to learn about the resources and programs they offer.

Just Joy: Story Time and Installation | 11 am–4pm (every 15 minutes) | Riley Seminar Room, 156

Meet the owner of Lit for Black Kids, an online bookstore and literary advocacy organization, and participate in literary experiences all day! See the Just Joy installation, view prerecorded virtual story time from everyday authors, enjoy in-person story time every 15 minutes, and get there early for limited-quantity Lit swag!

Welcome Remarks | 1:15 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

Hear from Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director; Lisa Murray, Massachusetts president, Citizens Bank; and Ellice Patterson, Executive Director, Abilities Dance Boston

Abilities Dance | 1:30 and 2:30 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

See repertory work by performers of Abilities Dance, a local dance company that promotes intersectional disability rights in the greater Boston area and beyond, featuring music by Andrew Choe.

REPRISE | 2:15 and 3:30 pm | Edward H. Linde Gallery (Gallery 168)

Join poet and artist Golden for REPRISE, a call-and-response performance that maps Black un-American lineage. Explore what’s possible through the individual act of naming oneself and one’s people here in the US, as a way forward against anti-Black allegiance. Responding to “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina,” Golden uses work by enslaved potters and poets, conversations with family in Maryland and Virginia, and their own photographic self-portraits as portals to consider Black life.

The City Talks: The Legacy and Future of Juneteenth | 2:30–3:30 pm | Edward H. Linde Gallery (Gallery 168)

Join Boston-based students, thinkers, and program leaders for a youth-focused discussion centered on the legacy and future activism of Juneteenth. Participants include moderator Corey DePina, Program Director of Zumix and Teaching Artist , and panelists Luz Juliana Marquez, ZUMIX participant; Akilah Villers-Jean, MFA Teen Arts Council member; and Nia Nolan, Artist for Humanity Teen Artist.

Collective Resistance, Memory, and Freedom | 3:30 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

Composer and producer Walter Robinson shares live concert excerpts from his prize-winning gospel folk opera Look What a Wonder, about the life of Denmark Vesey, who was born into slavery in the 18th century and became a community leader and activist. And see a music video of the Boston Children’s Choir performing the song “Harriet Tubman” from Robinson’s hip-hop musical Moses in Harlem.

When: 
Monday, June 19, 2023 10am-5pm
Prices: 
FREE Open House
Phone: 
617.267.9300

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!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Haunted Happenings Marketplace

The Haunted Happenings Marketplace runs Thursdays-Sundays during October in Salem Massachusetts
The Haunted Happenings Merchant Marketplace is coming this October! Get ready for a one-of-a-kind shopping extravaganza throughout Historic (and some say haunted) Downtown Salem!
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a...
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Saturday, October 18

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.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

The Lady of Salem: Maritime Art

Learn about the history of Salem Massachusetts through this unique public art installation self-guided tour!
Discover Salem’s Golden Age of Sail as you uncover clues! Celebrate America’s Maritime History! The Ladies of Salem will have you looking up at whimsical and beautifully designed figureheads gracing lampposts downtown. “What is a figurehead ?” you may ask? It’s a large carved wooden decorative...
8:00 am to 10:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Haverhill Farmers' Market

Haverhill Farmers Market, North Shore Farmers Market, Cape Ann Farmers Marke
The vibrant, colorful Haverhill Farmers Market is where local farmers and food producers meet to sell directly to the community. Established in 1978, the Haverhill Farmers Market mission is to provide access to farm-fresh products and promote local agriculture, as well as serve as a social...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Marblehead Farmers' Market

Find fresh local produce and other foods at the Marblehead Farmer's Market!
The Marblehead Farmer's Market boasts 15+ local farms, and booths with an educational spin nutrition, vendors and farms selling homemade prepared goods and craft vendors that are switched up in a rotation basis week to week. Additionally there are entertainers and exhibits by environmentally...
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Andover Farmers' Market

Find Fresh Local Produce at the Andover Massachusetts Farmers Market North of Boston
The Andover Farmers Market is a vibrant hub connecting local farmers, artisans and the community through the joy of local food. Whether you come for carrots or conversation, it is a place to nourish the body, mind and spirit.
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Marini Farm Corn Maze

The 2025 Marini Farm Corn Maze in Ipswich Massachusetts is themed for The Wizard of Oz
Come to Marini Farm for a fun journey through our corn maze! The Maze Park, corn maze, farm stand, bakery and other attractions provide a great destination for kids birthday parties, school trips, corporate team building, scout outings, and family activities. Marini Farm is located in beautiful...
10:00 am to 10:00 pm