The Harvard Art Museums may be more well-known than most of the others on this list. But the institution—housed in a beautiful building with a memorable atrium across from Harvard Yard—has enough secrets to justify its inclusion. One of those is the Forbes Pigments, a collection of over 2,700 color samples that the conservation staff continues to use in their restorations. One of the most extensive collections of pigments in the entire world, it includes extremely rare samples.

A member-supported library, museum, and social club that has been at the heart of Beacon Hill for more than two centuries, the Athenaeum is a storied institution. Giants of American history and literature such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and John F. Kennedy have all been members. Today, though, the institution has shed its closed-off reputation without sacrificing its intellectual vibe. Day passes are available— access to the first floor only costs significantly less.

In the neighborhood of Roxbury, this museum stands as a testament to the long history of Black artists in Boston despite the obstacles put in their way. It features a permanent collection as well as rotating exhibitions of both historical and contemporary Black artists. You’ll also see one exhibition featuring a Nubian king’s burial chamber—from a culture whose legacy influenced Black leaders in the 1960s. The culture also serves as the namesake for nearby Nubian Square.

When the Institute of Contemporary Art moved into its Seaport building in 2006, it was on the forefront of revitalizing the district. Since then, a lesser-known annex space called the Watershed—which is open only during the summer and features pop-up, large-scale exhibitions—opened across the harbor in East Boston. The ferry ride from the main ICA is included in your ticket, but you can also take public transportation to the Watershed and enter for free.

This small museum in the Longwood medical district brings visitors through some unusual and uncomfortable aspects of the human body. The highlight of the collection may be the skull of Phineas Gage. A railway worker in the 1800s who suffered a horrific accident that forced a metal bar through his head, Gage miraculously survived, though his personality changed. This led to the discovery that the frontal lobe of the brain, damaged in Gage, is a center for personality and emotion.

The most popular destination in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Georges Island is a favorite summer spot for locals—and it’s a bit less well-known for tourists. Home to Fort Warren, a Civil War training ground and prison, the island is said to be haunted by the “Lady in Black”—the wife of a Confederate prisoner said to have been sentenced to death. Even if you fail to spot her ghost, you’ll be able to enjoy a different view of Boston from the harbor itself.

In the heart of Watertown, this museum celebrates the Armenian diaspora through collections that spotlight ancient artifacts, contemporary art, and literary history. You’ll learn about the long history of Christianity through prayer scrolls; government and culture through coins and textiles; and contemporary challenges through exhibitions on conflicts with Russia and Azerbaijan. The museum also spotlights the contributions of famous Armenian-Americans, such as paintings by Jack Kevorkian.

This museum, housing particularly shocking artistic blunders, preserves “art too bad to be ignored.” In the same building as the Dorchester Brewing Company, this is the perfect place to explore after throwing back a few beers. The accompanying descriptions mostly steer clear of being mean-spirited—this is a place to celebrate doing things badly rather than laughing at those who do. Just because most of us won’t end up in the MFA doesn’t mean that we can’t make work that brings joy to others.

About an hour from Boston, in the small town of Clinton, this museum houses the largest collection of Russian icons in North America and one of the largest outside of Russia, with exemplars from as early as the 15th century. Witness the history of Russian Orthodox Christianity stretched across centuries and on every scale. There are small religious icons meant for private prayer, while other parts of the collection feature altarpieces.