Tea Party Ships And Museum Entry

Use your admission ticket to visit the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. Take in the ships and the museum exhibits during a 1 hour visit. Prices start from $36.

Overview

The Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum Admission is a fully guided, live-narrated hour that relives one of the most important events leading up to the American Revolution and throws in a side of the story most tourists miss.

The visit is not a walk-through museum. Costumed guides lead the group in character, and the tour moves aboard authentically restored tea ships, where you get to throw some of your own tea into Boston Harbor. Reviewers again and again describe it as interactive rather than passive, with audience participation built into the script. Many also say it was more informative than they expected, adding detail about the start of the independence movement that they had not picked up elsewhere.

The tour runs about one hour, and the listing says most travellers can participate. One review notes the experience is billed more for children, yet non-American visitors in their seventies reported enjoying it as much as grandchildren did. Admission to Abigail's Tea Room after the tour is included, and the museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Check in at Congress StreetMeet at 306 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210. All guests must check in on-site 15 minutes before their tour time or their seats may be reallocated.
2. Guided reenactment beginsA live narrated tour starts with a costumed guide leading the group through the events leading up to the American Revolution.
3. Board the tea shipsExplore authentically restored tea ships with the guide, who shares insights into the pivotal event and the people involved.
4. Throw tea into the harborGuests get to throw some of their own tea overboard, a moment many reviewers mention with enthusiasm.
5. Museum exhibitsThe visit continues inside the museum, which reviewers describe as very interesting.
6. Abigail's Tea RoomEntrance to Abigail's Tea Room after the tour is included. The tour ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect From The Tour

This is a participatory history experience rather than a quiet museum visit, so it pays to arrive prepared and in the mood to join in.

• Arrive early. Check-in closes 15 minutes before your tour time, and late arrivals may be treated as no-shows with their seats reallocated. The listing notes skip-the-line entry, so checking in on time keeps the start smooth.
• Join the reenactment. The guides work in period costume and in character, and the format asks the audience to take part. Reviewers say the experience works best when the group participates, and many found the actors enthusiastic and entertaining.
• One hour, easy pace. The guided portion lasts about one hour. The site is wheelchair and pushchair accessible, and service animals are allowed, though pets and emotional support animals are not.
• Tea room after. Entrance to Abigail's Tea Room is included once the tour ends, and reviewers praise the gift shop. Gratuities are not covered by the ticket.
• Weather and closures. The experience requires good weather, and a weather cancellation comes with the choice of a different date or a full refund. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and it can close for private events.

Common issues. Not everyone loves the theatrical format. A few reviewers found it cheesy or felt the reenactments padded the hour, and one thought the price was steep for what it offered. Gratuities cost extra, and the museum closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and occasionally for private events.

Common Questions