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Collection Explorations

Join us for a close-up view of a wide-array of objects from the museum’s collection. No vitrines—just you and the artifacts. Serious to whacky, we promise always to surprise.

Monthly, second Sunday
1:00-3:00pm
Allen Collections Gallery Workshop

Free with museum admission, no pre-registration necessary.

May 14, 2023
HUMANS ISS Project

In the coming months, a 6-inch wafer nano-etched with the voices of more than 1000 voices collected by MIT students for the HUMANS (Humanity United with MIT Art and Nanotechnology in Space) project will launch into space. Come see the backup silicon wafer under a microscope, and listen to the inspiring visions of space from people around the globe.


June 11, 2023
Mapping the Seas: Citizen Science in the 19th Century

How do you map the entire Atlantic Ocean? Take a close look at some of the maps and charts from the collection and discover the jumble of scientific expeditions, common knowledge, and sailor’s reports that made it possible to navigate across oceans with confidence.


July 9, 2023
Computer Games Before Computers

Before Crusader Kings and Civilization, Minecraft and Myst, there were the Brainiac, Geniac, Digi-Comp, and other computer 'games' designed in the 1950s and 1960s. Join assistant curator of science and technology Florencia Pierri for a close-up look at some of these games from the museum's collection