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Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
This political museum offers a variety of engaging interactive exhibits relating to Sen. Edward Kennedy's life, as well as the history of the American senate. A huge digital screen invites you to draft and pass a law (and tricks you into learning along the way)! While other exhibits deal with the current political issues affecting Washington today.
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is a non-profit civic engagement and educational institution on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, next to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on the University of Massachusetts Boston campus. Named for long-time U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, the institute contains a full-scale reproduction of the United States Senate Chamber, a replica of Kennedy's Washington, D.C., office, and digital exhibits. The organization includes the Kennedy Home in Hyannis Port, which was donated to the institute in 2012 as part of a "mission of educating the public about the U.S. government, invigorating public discourse, emphasizing the importance of bipartisanship, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the public square." The Kennedy Institute is, along with the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, a co-sponsor of The Senate Project, whose goal is, through hosting a series of Oxford-style debates between leading U.S. Senators, to reintroduce the culture of seeking common ground and bipartisan consensus that has been the essence of the Senate since it was conceived in 1789.
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Massachusetts Archives
Operated by the Massachusetts Archives, this often overlooked museum takes musty old documents and brings them to life. Several exhibits showcase the State's own copies of the Declaration of Independence & Bill of Rights, the original Mass Bay Colony charter from 1629, and of course the requisite ephemera from Paul Revere and John Hancock. This place is not on a lot of to-do lists, but it's definitely worth stopping in if you're doing the JFK Museum already.
The JFK Presidential Library and Museum opened in 1979, designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei who called it "the most important commission in my life". Visitors walk through exhibits in roughly chronological order. Starting with Kennedy on the campaign trail, and moving through the Cuban missile crisis, the space race, and civil rights issues. A dark claustrophobic hallway shows the events on the day of his assassination, before delivering you to a massive glass atrium of light and air. It's really quite moving. A more than worthwhile visit for those with an appreciation of American history, the museum can be toured in half a day.
Malibu Beach
So you actually can go swimming here, but no one ever does. Honestly in the 21st century the cold is a far greater deterrent than the pollution ever was. There are, however, lifeguards in the summer if you want to give it a shot. The city upgraded the boardwalk, exercise equipment, and reseeded the area with local grasses throughout the 2010s. This is a great spot to go for a walk, a picnic, or just to take in the harbor views. It doesn't get the foot traffic you might expect, given these beaches proximity to the T. Parking available, accessed from Morrissey Boulevard.
A contemporary art gallery exhibiting work by both emerging artists and established but under-recognized artists. View the website to see the current exhibition.
Dorchester Historical Society
This stately home was built in 1806 for William Clapp, son of Captain Lemuel Clapp, whose (1767) house still stands just around the corner. The William Clapp house is also the headquarters for the Dorchester Historical Society, it's open to the public once a month for tours. Fun fact: the Clapp family were prolific pear cultivators in their day, it's actually where much of their wealth came from. If you're into pears, you may have even eaten one of their creations; "Clapp's Favorite Pear" is still in production today. In 2007, a giant bronze pear statue was installed just south of here to commemorate the areas history as an orchard. So if you happen to notice it, now you know.
Most locals drive right on by the James Blake House, the oldest house in Boston. Built circa 1661 and owned by the Dorchester Historical Society, the house is one of the only remaining examples of post-Medieval timber-frame construction in the United States. The home remained in the Blake family until being sold in 1825. The next family held on to the property for 70 years until selling it to the city. Shortly thereafter, the house was moved 400 yards to its current location to save it from demolition.