Charles Hayden Planetarium

Museum of Science, Boston

Main entrance
Location within Boston
Established	1830
Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°22′04″N 71°04′16″W / 42.367778°N 71.070997°W / 42.367778; -71.070997Coordinates: 42°22′04″N 71°04′16″W / 42.367778°N 71.070997°W / 42.367778; -71.070997
Further information Type Science museum, indoor zoo Accreditation AAM, ASTC, AZA Visitors 1.5 million Director Ioannis Miaoulis Public transit access   Green Line Science Park station Nearest parking Dedicated parking garage (fee) Website mos.org

42°22′04″N 71°04′16″W / 42.367778°N 71.070997°W / 42.367778; -71.070997Coordinates: 42°22′04″N 71°04′16″W / 42.367778°N 71.070997°W / 42.367778; -71.070997

The Museum of Science (MoS) is a science museum and indoor zoo in Boston, Massachusetts, located in Science Park, a plot of land spanning the Charles River. Along with over 700 interactive exhibits, the museum features a number of live presentations throughout the building every day, along with shows at the Charles Hayden Planetarium and the Mugar Omni Theater, the only domed IMAX screen in New England. The museum is also an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is home to over 100 animals, many of which have been rescued and rehabilitated from various dangerous situations.

The museum began as the Boston Society of Natural History in 1830, founded by a collection of men who wished to share scientific interests. It was more commonly called the Boston Museum of Natural History in the 19th century, and this name occurs frequently in the literature. In 1862, after the society had gone through several temporary facilities, a building was constructed in the Back Bay area of the city and dubbed the "New England Museum of Natural History." The museum was located next to the original Rogers Building of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and both neoclassical structures were designed by William G. Preston. The original MIT building was demolished in 1939, but the Natural History Museum building survives today, as a home furnishings showcase.