Situated in a piece of land traversing the Charles River called the Science Park, the Museum of Science, abbreviated as MoS, is a landmark academic institution in Boston as well as a popular tourist attraction. In addition to more than 500 interactive displays, the Museum of Science is packed with live demonstration held in the different parts of the museum. The museum boasts of informative and at the same time visually striking shows at the Charles Hayden Planetarium. The Museum of Science also houses New England?s one and only vaulted IMAX screen at the Mugar Omni IMAX theater. Aside from these, the museum is also an official member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and houses more than 100 animals, most of which were rescued from hostile environments.

The Museum of Science was the former Boston Society of Natural History that was established in 1830 formed by a group of men who wanted to impart their scientific interests to the community. Actually, the museum began as a depository of animal skins and carcasses from their hunting trips in Africa and Asia. Currently, the museum features a throng of recreated dead animals just like any other natural museum such as the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The Boston Society of Natural History moved several times and in 1864, the group bought a building at the Back Bay area of the metropolis which was named the ?New England Museum of Natural History.? This was the turning point for the institution to be more science-oriented that merely a display of hunting trophies.

After World War II, this building at the Back Bay area was sold and the museum moved to its current location at Science Park through a negotiation with the Metropolitan District Commission which granted the museum a 99-year lease contract for $1 per year. Building of the Museum of Science commenced in 1948 and its doors were opened to the public in 1951 which possibly makes it the first holistic and comprehensive science museum in the United States.

The Museum of Science continues to be a trailblazing scientific institution for the public with the live modules updated regularly. Many historical exhibits have been mounted here including a miniature Wilson cloud chamber which was erected at the main entryway to the museum wherein guests were given the chance to be within short distance from radioactive materials and watch the traces of vapor of the substances they emitted. The very first Fresnel lens ever used in a U.S. lighthouse was also exhibited here for almost three decades.

While most of the significant pieces from the original Computer Museum were moved to Silicon Valley, some artifacts were donated to the Boston Museum of Science which now forms two installations dedicated to computing history. Another interesting attraction found here is the Discover Center which gives parents the opportunity to consult with cognitive scientists with regards to the mental development of their children, while kids can take part in various scientific experiments.