Make the MFA your Thursday night destination! On the third Thursday of every month, enjoy the Museum after dark with $5 admission from 5 to 10 pm. Explore the galleries, join hands-on art-making, shop unique finds, and grab drinks and a bite to eat. Every month brings something new! From new exhibitions to live performances, there are plenty of reasons to gather with friends, meet new ones, or escape with art at the MFA.

What’s on View

Make the most of your Thursday evening—wander the collection galleries, visit old favorites, and discover something new. Don’t miss the newly reimagined galleries of 18th-century art of the Americas, bringing together works from across North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean—including works by Native American and Indigenous makers The eight spaces in this suite explore how artists have contributed to, or in some cases resisted, ideas of nationhood and identity. Immerse yourself in expansive versions of familiar stories, discovering the interconnectedness of the Americas and its history, institutions, and people.

Events and Activities

Drop-In Art Making: Scrimshaw

5–9 pm (last entry 8:45 pm)
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Scrimshaw is the art of engraving whale bone with intricate, often nautical designs. People in Massachusetts have been making scrimshaw for hundreds of years. Stop by to try your hand at scrimshandering and carve your own locally inspired design on a synthetic material!

Open to visitors 12 and older.

Spotlight Talk: ‘Watson and the Shark’ and America at 250

6 pm
Gallery 132

Discover how John Singleton Copley’s 1778 painting Watson and the Shark—a vision of Cuba painted in London by colonial Boston’s most famous artist—creates global connections in the MFA’s reimagined galleries of 18th-century Art of the Americas.

With Layla Bermeo, Kristin and Roger Servison Curator of American Paintings, Art of Americas.

Drawing in the Galleries: Art of the Americas

6–8 pm (last entry 7:45 pm)
Gallery 133

Drop in to sketch works of art in the galleries! All ages and skill levels are welcome. Museum educators are available to help you get started and offer tips and suggestions along the way—just bring your creativity! All drawing materials are provided.

Spotlight Talk: The Performance and Preparation of Tea

7 pm
Gallery 127

Get insights into the narrative use of objects in the “Something’s Brewing” gallery.

With Jordan Cromwell, interpretive planner