Metropolitan Waterworks Museum - Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Amanda Bentham

Highly recommended. We loved our visit to this museum! An amazing marriage of form and function, the old engine room and the truly impressive industrial pumping machinery inside are a real delight. We met the director, who was extremely informative and also rightly proud of the museum and its history. It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of this place, its architect, engineers and workers in the creation of Boston as a city. With the coming of a fresh clean healthy water supply in 1848 there was a 5 mile municipal parade and the people celebrated for two days after the switch on at Boston Common. It’s a shame the city authorities don’t seem to celebrate this wonderful feature with the same enthusiasm today.

Ewaldo Simon (Aldo)

The museum is not too big, and the main attraction is a huge old pump machine in the center of the museum, but the rest of the small exhibit is also interesting. an audio guide is available and the receptionist is super friendly and helpful.
if you visit do not forget to also spend some time in the nearby reservoir.
the place is easily reachable by the green line or the bus.

Ryan Kennedy

Forgive the pun, but this place is a font of untapped history. Located just across from the picturesque Chestnut Hill Reservoir, this museum tells the story of how locals got their water from wooden pipes to cumbersome and oddly constructed aqueducts to the massive machines still on display in the museums main quarters.
You will leave this place with not only more knowledge but also more gratitude for the developments in water-technology and sanitation over the years. You might find yourself saying to yourself, "Thank God, I'm living now and not back then."

nivya sharma

This was my first time there. I am not an engineer by background, was a bit hesitant to go there but my husband insisted. It was a very nice experience. Information on plaques with videos, complemented with presence of volunteers to answer any questions, made it worth a visit. I was able to understand the functioning of pumps and engines just by reading the plaques and playing videos. They have some exhibits on level 2 and near the restrooms. Do check the latter ones, they have nice and detailed information about previously used commodes. Very informative and interesting museum!! The tour is free of cost but they appreciate a donation of $5.

Chris Simonetta

My spouse and I live nearby, and I’ve always loved this out of the way museum. I took my parents several years ago, but always wished I could climb on the machines. Lo and behold, was it ever awesome to find they offer tours!

Our tour guide Eleanor was amazing! She was so, so knowledgeable, and also so patient with a couple of annoying little kids who happened to be in our group (I’m sorry, parents, but please control your children!). And the machines…they were glorious! It’s hard to believe humans built these, and they are truly feats of human ingenuity and engineering. Being able to see the details up close and personal is eye-opening and awe-inspiring. If you’re available, I highly recommend getting in on one of these.

Bob Conley (BC)

Unexpected gem right on the edge of Boston near BC and the green line. Beautiful building, very impressive machinery from the early days of the water system, good overview of how the system works. Free admission and tours. Loads of free parking. About an hour or so.

Jim Ben

I visited this facility as a part of a day trip (06-05-2024) sponsored by the New England Air Museum. The facility is housed in a stone building designed in the Romanesque architectural style (similar to buildings designed by Henry Hobson Richardson). We were provided a guided tour by the museum's director. The machine room contains large, coal fired, steam driven pumping assemblies. These assemblies provided water to the city of Boston up until the Quabbin Reservoir project went on line. The assemblies pumped upwards of 20 million gallons of water, seven days a week. After the building had sustained years of neglect, a group of local residents stepped forward and formed a non-profit organization.

silverwasp

Literally Steampunk.
Incredible free museum! One of a kind steam engines that ran pumps for over 18 million gallons of water per day, some of the coolest and most fascinating engineering I've seen. A must see for nerds, engineering geeks, and fans of cool historic buildings! You can pay a fee to take a guided tour if you want; it gets you access to actually get into the bowels of the engines, basement, and fun guide for all the questions you can ask. I bought tickets for a tour in advance, but it might not be necessary.