April Vacation Week at MFA
| Venue: | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) |
| Dates: | Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - Saturday, April 25, 2026 |
| Hours: | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| Ages: | Infants, Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | $ see below |
| Category: | School Vacation |
All are invited to April Vacation Week for free programs where science and art collide! Explore the natural world, patterns, and design through hands-on art making and interactive programs. Starting Wednesday, April 22, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), offers a variety of drop-in activities for all ages during April Vacation Week.
Inspired by works on view—including the special exhibition Framing Nature: Gardens and Imagination—hands-on art-making and interactive experiences invite visitors to explore the intersection of art and science.
Vacation Week activities and programs are free with general admission—no advance registration is required, and kids ages 6 and under always receive free admission to the Museum.
Event and Activity Highlights:
Drop-In Art Making | Wednesday–Saturday, 10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)
Patterns in Nature
Inspired by the exhibition Framing Nature: Gardens and Imagination, visitors can look for patterns using magnifying glasses and record them using graph paper and drawing materials.
Planting a Garden
In the Shapiro Family Courtyard, visitors can decorate their own flower pot and pick up a seed-starting kit to plant flowers at home.
Physics Meets Art
Visitors can enjoy the work of Alexander Calder on view in galleries 154, 258, and 332, then make their own kinetic artwork while considering balance, shape, and structure.
Sun Catchers: Wings of Color
Inspired by the beautiful colors found in the wings of birds and butterflies, visitors can use cellophane, tissue paper, and mixed media to create patterns that “glow” when held up to light or hung in a window.
Discovery Cart | Wednesday–Saturday, 11 am–4 pm
Visitors can drop by to handle the tools and materials that artists use, discuss techniques with staff, and view demonstration pieces and artwork reproductions that reveal how artists create these kinds of objects.
Story Hour | Wednesday–Saturday, 11 am and 1 pm
An interactive children’s story hour welcomes drop-in participation for one story or the full hour.
Family Tours | Wednesday–Friday, 11:30 am and 1:30 pm
Starting at the Sharf Visitor Center, family-friendly tours are 30 minutes and appropriate for all ages.
Conservators in Action | Wednesday–Friday, 10 am–12 pm and 1–4 pm
Visitors can watch an MFA conservator work on an ancient Etruscan ceramic piece in the Conservation Center.
All ages and abilities are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult.
No registration required. Tickets are included in general admission prices.
Support is provided by the Cogan Family Foundation Vacation Week Adventures Fund.
| COST | ↑ top |
Included in General Admission
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
www.mfa.org/event/special-event/april-vacation-week?event=116491
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA map
Phone: (617) 267-9300
| RELATED LINKS | ↑ top |
- Profiles
- Localities
Info changes frequently. We cannot warrant it. Verify with April Vacation Week at MFA before making the trek. If you find an error, please report it...
