Start your summer off right at our annual Memorial Day Open House. This year, the MFA offers free admission—including access to the special exhibition “Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits”—for Massachusetts residents. Enjoy music, dance, art making, and more!
Events and Activities
Drop-In Art Making: Shimmering Embossed Creations
10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)
Huntington Lawn (rain location: Druker Family Pavilion)
Take a closer look at The Knowledge Keepers by Alan Michelson outside the Museum’s Huntington Avenue Entrance. It features two life-sized sculptures, cast in bronze and gilded in shimmering platinum, which represent contemporary local Indigenous stewards. Inspired by Michelson’s installation, create your own embossed metal artwork showcasing someone or something that has special meaning or inspires you!
The Knowledge Keepers is produced in partnership with the Boston Public Art Triennial, a citywide project with many other institutions around Greater Boston participating.
Guided Tours
11 am, Noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm
Meet in Sharf Visitor Center
Wondering where to start your visit? Experience the Museum on a free 60-minute guided tour. Led by knowledgeable guides, look closely at artwork across the MFA’s collections. Learn more about old favorites and discover something new! Participants of all ages and experiences are welcome.
Available at Noon
Spotlight Talk: Art You Can Touch! Accessing 2D Art Through 3D Printing
11:30 am and 12:30 pm
Gallery 170
The MFA has transformed Anthon van Rappard’s drawing The Blind Weavers (1891) into a printed three-dimensional tactile object, making the artwork accessible to the blind and low-vision community while also creating a new experience for all visitors. Find out about the making of this 3D replica and get an opportunity to touch it, then discover what the Museum has learned over the last few months of visitor engagement.
With Jessica Doonan, assistant director of Accessibility.
Available at
11:30 am
Teen Empowerment Studios
Noon-1 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Catch music and dance from Teen Empowerment Studios. This program, formerly known as B4 Studios/B4 Records, is the Center for Teen Empowerment’s youth-run artist collaborative in Boston. With a profound commitment to artistic excellence, talented young artists from TE Studios create original professional-quality music, performance arts, and visual art that transcend boundaries and inspire social change.
Adobo-Fish-Sauce
1 pm
Calderwoord Courtyard (rain location: Riley Seminar Room)
Enjoy a performance by Adobo-Fish-Sauce, a duo comprised of artists Anthony Febo and Ricky Omg. The two fuse spoken word, cooking, intentionality, vulnerability, and joy to create a one-of-a-kind experience that can’t be found in any kitchen or open mic. Adobo-Fish-Sauce is an active choice to celebrate in the face of bitterness.
Music by Tim Hall
1:45 and 3 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Dynamic spoken word artist and musician Tim Hall brings visitors an afternoon of storytelling underscored by jazz, neo-soul, and R&B music. Hall’s welcoming and tender words reveal his lived experiences, mapping the nuances of Blackness, masculinity, and life’s many beauties.

Wheelchair accessible
Accessibility
The Museum is committed to accessibility for all visitors. If you need accommodations for you to attend, please reach out to [email protected] or 617-267-9300.
Bag Checks
All bags are subject to inspection by Museum staff. Backpacks, large bags, all liquids including hand sanitizer and sunscreen, and outside food or drink are not permitted. Exceptions are made for medical or religious needs. All bags are strongly discouraged, and any bags larger than 11” x 15” must be checked in the Coat Room upon entry. Read our full bag check policy.