Boston Tea Party Museum: tickets, prices, tours, etc.

Among the many things to see and do in Boston, the Tea Party Museum is the most important patriotic attraction in the United States. Located on the Fort Point Channel, very close to the harbour where the Tea Party Mutiny that started the country's War of Independence took place, it is one of the most interesting museums in the city, with a wide range of offerings including live performances, interactive experiences and real replicas of 18th-century ships.

Since its opening in 2012, it's also one of the most visited museums by tourists who come to Boston, so it's not uncommon for it to be sold out or have long lines to get in. For a better experience, I'll tell you how to avoid them.

At the ticket office, tickets cost approximately 32 euros for adults and 24 euros for children up to the age of 12, while children under the age of five are free.

These tickets include admission to the museum, navigation and on-deck exploration of the maritime replicas, a visit to the Robinson Tea Chest room and a trip to throw tea into the sea.

However, not all include the guided tours and can often sell out, which can be a problem if your stay in the city is going to be short, such as a 2-day trip to Boston.

Given the massive attendance at the museum and its proximity to the docks where the Boston sightseeing cruises depart from, which generates more crowds of tourists in the area, it is advisable to buy tickets in advance.

• Price... They start at 32 euros for adults and 25 euros for children up to the age of 12. Children under the age of five are free.
• Remember... Each ticket is only valid for a specific day. It is not possible to enter on any other day.
• Please note... Guided tours have specific timetables, so please check in advance so as not to miss out on the assistance of a local guide.

Tickets can be purchased at the best price online, through the museum's official website or at the ticket office, although the latter option is the least recommended, as tickets may sell out or cost more.

Keep in mind that the museum may be closed on special holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or for private events, so it is common that some dates are not available to be chosen for your visit.

In any case, to avoid inconvenience and avoidable delays, I always recommend that you buy them in advance without long queues that will drain your energy for your tour inside the museum.

While the city passes available include several of Boston's best museums, they do not include the Tea Party Museum.

Boston City Passes are mostly focused on guided tours, outdoor excursions and discounts for a number of the city's restaurants, some of which are included in the best food tours in Boston

If you plan to visit other attractions in the city besides the Tea Party Museum, such as the Museum of Science, the Aquarium or the Museum of Fine Arts, I suggest you check out the Boston City Passes, one of which will simplify your visit to the city and save you a lot of money!

It's no news that Boston is a city with plenty of activities to do with children, so the Tea Party Museum is no exception to the rule.

In addition to the special rate for children up to the age of twelve paying approximately 25 euros and children under the age of five getting in for free, the tour includes interactive videos for children and an expert local guide dressed as a colonist.

At the end of the tour, the Abigail Saloon offers a children's menu and the experience of walking the deck of the replica 18th century sailing ships is highly recommended for children.

The Tea Party Museum is also very close to the New England Aquarium, another of Boston's favourite places for children.

The answer to these questions is yes. The Tea Party Museum was designed as an interactive experience for the whole family, so that visitors can travel back in time during the tour and feel like they are in the 18th century for a few hours.

The period feel is provided by the museum with its setting and location near the original site of the Tea Party Mutiny, but also by the expert local guides who lead the tours, dressed as colonists as they tell the story of the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War.

To get the most out of the tour, I recommend a tour guide, who will be indispensable for answering any questions you may have.

• The guided tour is available in... English, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish through translated brochures.

The Tea Party Museum is located at 306 Congress Street, in the heart of the Fort Point Channel, very close to Boston's founding harbour and a few blocks from the Museum of Science. It is centrally located and accessible by public transportation.

By bus you can take bus lines 354, 4, 426, 504, 7 and 93, as well as the museum is one of the stops on Boston's tour buses.

By train you can get off at Fitchburg, Framingham, Kingston or Lowell stations. If you want to arrive by underground, you'll have to take the Red Line.

As the museum receives many school and family visits, there are also discounts at the Fansworth Street and Stillings Street car parks.

• I recommend... Like all populous cities, transit is often a bit cumbersome in Boston, so I advise you to opt for the Metro as the most effective option to get to the museum at the right time.

While the Tea Party Museum is primarily intended to be a visual, sensory and interactive experience, it also has some priceless objects in its collection that will turn your visit into a journey through time.

The most important of the museum's treasures is the only surviving Robinson tea chest from the night of the Tea Mutiny on 16 December 1773.

On that day, in protest at a tax imposed by England, local tea growers decided to revolt and dump the ships' cargoes into the river, which was the starting signal for the beginning of the War of Independence.

There are also two very successful replicas of two sailing ships of the period with some original artefacts from the time, which make for a very interesting sight when viewed from the deck.

• Don't miss... The gift shop, which offers a variety of museum souvenirs and gifts themed around the Tea Mutiny and the Revolution.

• Remember... Photos and videos are allowed only in the outdoor areas of the museum, but not inside.

If you want to do a full tour, the museum visit can take up to three hours, as it consists of several stages.

The suggested tour starts at The Meeting House, where Samuel Adams will be your host in the 18th century. Then it continues through the sailing ships, Griffin Wharf and a re-enactment in the Tea Party Museum's theatre that recalls the discussions of the days before the Tea Party Riot, and ends in the Abigail Room.

If you plan to visit Boston for just one day and don't have that much time, you can opt for a shorter tour, going from the Meeting House to Griffin Wharf and from there directly to the Robinson Tea Chest room, which takes no more than an hour and a half.

• I recommend... If you're short on time to tour the museum and can't stop by the gift shop but want to buy a souvenir, you can visit the official website in advance and buy products from there. In the end you will only have to pick up your products at the exit.

The museum is open from Thursday to Monday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, while it is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is also closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Some guided tours of the city overlap the opening and closing times of the Tea Party Museum and many start from the harbour area.

The Abigail Room is also open for lunch between 11am and 3pm. Outside these hours only the drinks and tea menu is available.

While the museum is closed for visits on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, both the gift shop and the Abigail salon are open between 9.30am and 4.00pm.

• Museum opening hours... Thursday to Monday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are closed.
• Abigail Hall opening hours... Thursday to Monday from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm. Tuesday and Wednesday open from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm.
• Gift shop opening hours... Thursday to Monday from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm. Tuesday and Wednesday open from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm.

Due to the high volume of visitors, the museum is very strict about schedules. Guided tours last for one hour and visitors are called fifteen minutes before the booked time. I recommend that you arrive early to avoid missing the start of the tour.

Photos and videos are allowed in the outdoor areas of the museum, but not inside. You are also not allowed to take pictures with the costumed actors who are part of the plays in the Tea Party Museum theatre.

A good way to end your tour of the museum is with tea in the Abigail Room. There you will be offered five types of tea and a variety of food. It is also possible to have lunch between 11.00 and 16.00 hours.

Like the whole museum, the shop is also set in the 18th century. You can find everything from tea ware and children's games to books and miniature ships and clothing.

The museum is Boston's main attraction and therefore one of the best tours the city has to offer, so some items tend to sell out. If you are interested in a particular gift, you can purchase it in advance through the official website and pick it up on the day of your visit.

The museum shop is also known for its Christmas gifts, so during the holidays it is common for locals and visitors alike, in addition to enjoying the attractions Boston has to offer in December, to opt for gifts for the Christmas tree.

If you get hungry after the tour, one option to consider is to visit the pizzerias in the North End, just a few streets away from the museum. It's a very busy area that you can walk around and is characterised by Italian cuisine.

In the streets near the Tea Party Museum you'll also find Mediterranean and fast food restaurants, as well as many breweries and whisky distilleries.

During the morning and afternoon the museum area also offers a wide variety of cafés and bars.