Waterworks Museum

Waterworks Museum Architecture, Engineering, Public Health, Social History - it's all here at the Waterworks Museum! Ever wonder where your water comes from? But where? And how?

Before you say “from the tap,” think again. It had to get to the tap from somewhere. That’s where we come in. The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum is located in the Chestnut Hill High Pumping Station on the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. The original station was built in 1887, and added on to in 1897. The three pumping engines housed within the museum operated every day until the late 1970s, when Boston's

primary water supply became the Quabbin Reservoir. A unique intersection of architecture, engineering, public health, and social history, the Waterworks Museum is a hidden gem of the Boston museum community, interpreting the stories of one of the first metropolitan water systems in the United States.

Waterfest is just 3 weeks away and it's time to highlight another one of the awesome organizations that will be joining ...
05/30/2026

Waterfest is just 3 weeks away and it's time to highlight another one of the awesome organizations that will be joining us for the event! This week we're featuring the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (the MWRA), one of the primary agencies making sure the city of Boston has plenty of safe, clean drinking water. Visit their table to learn more about the incredible system behind your taps and toilets and, while you're there, play their "Down the Drain" game to discover what can safely be flushed down the drain. They'll also be bringing the MWRA quench buggy with them, so feel free to stop by and grab a cool, refreshing drink of Quabbin Water.

Waterfest is a free event (suggested donation $5) and will take place rain or shine on June 20th from 10am to 2pm.

Please help us monitor capacity by reserving your tickets today!
https://waterworksmuseum.org/events/waterfest-6/

It's gosling season at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir! Keep an eye out during your next visit to the Waterworks and you mig...
05/28/2026

It's gosling season at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir! Keep an eye out during your next visit to the Waterworks and you might see some of these cute little guys hanging out near the museum.

Image courtesy of Molly Perlmutter

It's Saturday, which means we're one week closer to Waterfest! This week we'd like to highlight another one of the aweso...
05/23/2026

It's Saturday, which means we're one week closer to Waterfest! This week we'd like to highlight another one of the awesome organizations who will be joining us on June 20th: Stone Living Lab! They're bringing their "Sea Level Rise City" activity, where you can explore the impacts of climate change on coastal communities like Boston. See what it's like to be an environmental scientist and engineer as you design and adapt your own coastal city, to create a more sustainable and climate resilient community!

Waterfest is a free event (suggested donation $5) and will take place rain or shine on June 20th from 10am to 2pm.

Please help us monitor capacity by reserving your tickets today!
https://waterworksmuseum.org/events/waterfest-6/

Image Credit: Siyu He of the Esplanade Association

Happy 180th birthday to the 1st Superintendent of the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station, Desmond Fitzgerald! Fi...
05/20/2026

Happy 180th birthday to the 1st Superintendent of the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station, Desmond Fitzgerald! Fitzgerald was born on May 20, 1846 in Nassau, Bahamas but moved to Providence, Rhode Island with his family when he was only 2 years old. Although he never attended college, he learned engineering on the job and, after spending a few years out west working on the railroad, he moved to Boston in 1871 to work as an engineer for the Boston Albany Railroad. Not long after, he joined Boston's Waterworks department where he oversaw the construction of a new pumping station, which now houses the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum. In 1889, he also established the Chestnut Hill Biological laboratory, the first water testing laboratory associated with a drinking water system in the United States. While this building, unfortunately, is no longer standing, you can still visit the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station to learn more about Fitzgerald and the other men and women who helped create the wonderful water system Boston enjoys today!

Image from: American Art Association. (1927). Paintings by the impressionists: collection of the late Desmond FitzGerald : sold by order of the heirs, Harriet F. Clark, Caroline Van Rensselaer, Harold and Stephen FitzGerald ... New York: American Art Association.

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum will be CLOSED on Wednesday, May 20th. We will reopen on Thursday, May 21st at 11am. ...
05/19/2026

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum will be CLOSED on Wednesday, May 20th. We will reopen on Thursday, May 21st at 11am.

Image Courtesy of Jason Baker Photography

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum will be CLOSED to the general public on Sunday, May 17th as we will be participating ...
05/16/2026

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum will be CLOSED to the general public on Sunday, May 17th as we will be participating in the 2026 Newton House Tour! From 12pm to 5pm, tour participants will have exclusive use of the site, including behind-the-scenes access to our Allis Pumps in the basement, an area of the museum that is not typically open to visitors.

To purchase tickets, visit Historic Newton's website: https://www.newtonma.gov/government/historic-newton/events/newton-house-tour

Flyer courtesy of Historic Newton
Image courtesy of Linda Rosenthal

It's Saturday, which means we're officially one week closer to Waterfest! This week, we'd like to highlight another one ...
05/16/2026

It's Saturday, which means we're officially one week closer to Waterfest! This week, we'd like to highlight another one of the amazing organizations that will be joining us on June 20th: NES Optica! Learn more about visible (and invisible) light through a series of fun hands-on demonstrations and activities. Get ready to explore the rainbow as these optics experts will be bringing their gear with them, including a giant kaleidoscope!

Waterfest is a free event (suggested donation $5) and will take place rain or shine on June 20th from 10am to 2pm.

Please help us monitor capacity by reserving your tickets today!
https://waterworksmuseum.org/events/waterfest-6/

Images courtesy of NES Optica: https://www.nesoptica.org/

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum will be CLOSED on Friday, May 15th for a private event. We look forward to seeing you...
05/14/2026

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum will be CLOSED on Friday, May 15th for a private event. We look forward to seeing you when we reopen on Saturday, May 16th at 11am.

Image Courtesy of Jason Baker Photography

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum is excited to participate in this year's Newton Historic House Tour on May 17th from ...
05/10/2026

The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum is excited to participate in this year's Newton Historic House Tour on May 17th from 12pm to 5pm!

Each year, Historic Newton presents the Newton House Tour to showcase historic homes in the city. Each private residence is carefully selected by a committee to exhibit how homeowners have made creative renovations and interesting interior design choices that add to the life of a historic structure. You'll come away with a greater appreciation for historic homes and inspiration for your own projects!

This is the 43rd annual Newton House Tour, and all proceeds benefit Historic Newton.

The Waterworks Museum will be closed to the general public during this event, giving Historic Newton House Tour participants exclusive use of the site. As a special treat, we will also be offering behind-the-scenes access to the Allis Pumps in the basement, an area of the museum that is typically not open to most visitors.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, you can visit Historic Newton's website: https://www.newtonma.gov/government/historic-newton/events/newton-house-tour

Event description and flyer courtesy of Historic Newton

May is here and we're already counting down the days to Waterfest! Join us at the Waterworks Museum on June 20th from 10...
05/09/2026

May is here and we're already counting down the days to Waterfest! Join us at the Waterworks Museum on June 20th from 10 am to 2pm for some fun, family-friendly games and activities as we celebrate all things water. To help us get ready, every Saturday between now and then we're going to give a special shoutout to one of our featured organizations or activities. This week, we're shining a spotlight on Professor Bugman Entomology Adventures! Not only will Professor Bugman be joining us at Waterfest, but he's bringing along his arthropod petting zoo! Come visit with the Professor and meet some of his amazing friends!

Waterfest is a FREE event and will take place rain or shine. Suggested Donation, $5.

Please help us monitor capacity by reserving your tickets today!
https://waterworksmuseum.org/events/waterfest-6/

Images courtesy of Professor Bugman Entomology Adventures: https://www.theprofessorbugman.com/

Address

2450 Beacon Street
Boston, MA
02467

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+16172770065

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