Join us on October 25 and 30 for a haunted walking tour of the West End! Eerie tales of the past come to life as you learn about pirates, inmates, and killer nurses. Register at the Eventbrite link in bio... if you dare. Image from the Edgell Collection, The West End Museum.

The Boston Garden i​s​ a beloved fixture of the West End​ and home to 5 Stanley Cups, 1​7 NBA championships, ​renowned concerts, and even John F. Kennedy’s final address to Boston.  T​he West End Museum wishes the Boston Bruins good luck in their home opener! Image from the Boston Public Library.

The Winchell School, built in 1885, served West End children until its closure in 1960. While much of the Winchell School is gone today, the outline of its architecture can still be seen. WEM is proud to be the home of many pieces of this iconic building, including flooring, bricks, and doors.

Join us on Thursday, October 16th for Cryptic Creatures with Joe Ledoux, an artistic magical experience! This evening will feature magic tricks, animated short films, and an exciting discussion of Joe's three favorite local cryptic creatures which inspired three new pieces of art to be auctioned.

Did you know that the West End had its very own showgirls? Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl was released today, echoing the legacy of many legendary West End performers like Ann Corio. Join us next Friday for an event filled with vaudeville fun on this subject!

Opened in 1906, the West End House offered ​classes, sport, ​recreation​ and more to local families 🏀 ⚾ 🏆 In these pictures, see a comparison of what the street looked like in 1959 and what it looks like today. Image from the Edgell Collection, The West End Museum.

Join us for a one-of-a-kind performance featuring Dan Gabel with Josiah Reibstein and the Hubtones that takes you through the vibrant history of iconic venue Howard Theatre!   You won’t want to miss it - register through the Eventbrite link in our bio.

Check out what's happening this month at the West End Museum! Purchase tickets and learn more about programming on our website https://thewestendmuseum.org/programs/

Join us on Saturday, October 4th for a walking tour with former West End Museum curator Duane Lucia! On this 1.5 hour stroll, learn about architect Guy Lowell’s (1870-1927) footprint on the area. This is your last chance to take this popular tour and visit our Charlesbank special exhibit!

The West End Museum wishes you a happy fall! Seen here, a couple and their dog enjoy a day of West End foliage.  Comment your favorite autumn memories below, in the West End and Boston area. Image from the Charles Frani Collection, The West End Museum.

West End acting legend Leonard Nemoy sings a ballad to celebrate Bilbo Baggins on his birthday. Check out the full song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJdXEOotzdg Happy Hobbit day! Image: Publicity photo of Leonard Nemoy, c. 1960s (NBC Television).

When abolitionist Sarah Parker Remond was kicked out of the Howard Athenaeum due to her race, she went to court seeking justice. Her case highlighted issues of segregation in 19th century Boston. Clink the link in our bio to read this WEM Weekly article.  Image: Courtesy of Ellie Randles.

The Displaced West Ender Reunion is this Sunday from 3 pm- 6 pm! Join us for a chance to reunite with old neighbors, share memories, and honor the enduring spirit of the West End. Enjoy refreshments, live music, and a chance to tell your story.  Call or Email the West End Museum to RSVP for free.

We had a great discussion of the first section of Stamped from the Beginning on Tuesday!  Interested in the book, but don't have time for a book club? Join us for a free Q and A with the illustrator! A part of the 2025 MA Great Reads program, sponsored by Massachusetts Center for the Book

From the archives: An image of the Old West Church in its final months of service as the West End Branch of the Boston Public Library. A sign on the gate announces its closing day: April 15, 1960. Image from the Edgell Collection at the West End Museum.

There's been a murder! And it's up to Detective Pete Morales and the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard to solve it.  Watch Mystery Street (1950), the first major film made in Boston. Learn about the real life crime and science that inspired the film from local author Frances McNamara!

Thank you to everyone who came out to our cocktail making class at Causeway Restaurant and Bar last Friday! We had a great time sharing our West End-inspired drinks and trivia tidbits. If you didn't get a chance to attend, use these recipes to try them out for yourselves at home!  Cheers!

The Central Artery promised relief to Boston's traffic, but as with many big projects of the mid-20th century, it brought demolition, displacement, and disappointment. Click the link in our bio to read this WEM Weekly article. Image: Completed Central Artery, 1959-1964, (City of Boston Archives).

Join the West End Museum for a free virtual chat with illustrator Joel Christian Gill, the artist behind the graphic novel adaptation of Stamped From the Beginning.  This discussion series is part of the 2025 MA Great Reads program, sponsored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book.

From the archives. Bowdoin Square Garage and its neighbor on Cambridge Street in the middle of demolition.  Image: The Charles Frani Collection (WEM).

Our discussion of Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, adapted and illustrated by Joel Christian Gill starts next week! This meeting will cover the first 52 pages. This discussion series is part of the 2025 MA Great Reads program, sponsored by The Massachusetts Center for the Book

In 1917, a group of women declared war on Boston's rodent population. They organized the first and only Rat Day. Would they snuff out the menace of the West End or wave the white flag? Read this week's article at the link in our bio.  Image: Rat Day Poster (Women's Municipal League Bulletin)

Join us next Friday, September 12th for an evening of liquor and a little bit of learning! Taste three West-End inspired cocktails and settle in as Curator Bob Potenza regales you with the historical tidbits behind each ingredient. Take a sneak peek at what's on the menu! Ticket link is in our bio.

Fancy yourself a detective? Join us for a screening of the classic noir film "Mystery Street" (1950), set and filmed in Boston. Detective Pete Morales must solve the murder of an unidentified woman using the latest forensic science techniques, before it's too late! Ticket link is in our bio.

From the archives: A receipt from West End Machinery Co. to Mr J. Cohen for repairs on his sewing machine. The cost of the service was $1.00, (1907). Image: West End Businesses Collection (WEM)

You have until Sunday, September 7th left to see our mini-exhibit "Bridges as Structural Art" featuring the work of bridge architect Miguel Rosales. Peruse the lavishly illustrated book in our exhibit or purchase your own copy. Bridge the gap in your knowledge of architecture in Boston!

Check out what's happening this month at the West End Museum! Purchase tickets and learn more about programming on our website https://thewestendmuseum.org/programs/

In the summer of 1926, The West End News shared the goings-on of the neighborhood. Part two of this series outlines some of the most eye-catching headlines of the neighborhood paper. Click the link in our bio to read this WEM Weekly article. Image: The West End News, May 21, 1926 (BPL).

Thank you to everyone who came to the Bridges as Structural Art talk last night and the Zakim and Russell Bridge walking tour this morning! It was great to see so much enthusiasm for architecture and design! The mini-exhibit runs through September 7th, and books are available to purchase at WEM.

From the archives: Boston as seen from a streetcar, 1903 (BPL).

Our "Charlesbank" exhibit is on pause for two weeks while we present our mini-exhibit "Bridges as Structural Art in Boston." But the Charlesbank will be back September 10th! If you want to learn more about the Charlesbank, check out our website for details on an upcoming walking tour!

It seems the Rebels have won this dynamic duel! Thank you to our sponsors at Boston Properties as well as our talented musicians for making this performance possible.  Our next performing arts event is coming up in October! When you hear about this one, you'll be "itching" attend...

In the summer of 1926, Lou Coffee and Francis R. Whelton published a newspaper made by West Enders for West Enders. Part one of this series covers the West End News and its creators. Click the link in our bio to read this WEM Weekly article. Image: The West End News, July 2, 1926 (BPL).

Join the West End Museum for a Friday night at Causeway Restaurant and Bar. Learn how to make West End-inspired cocktails with the two most important ingredients: spirits and history! Grab a snack and a drink and go home with a recipe card! This event is 21 and up. Ticket link is in our bio.

The opening of our mini-exhibit, "Bridges as Structural Art", with author and bridge architect Miguel Rosales is next week! Learn how the functional meets the aesthetic form in some of Boston's most iconic bridges.  Books available for purchase. Ticket link is in our bio.

From the Archives: A group of children from the West End Community House enjoying their beach outing in Plymouth, c.1950s. Image: West End Organization Collection (WEM).

The Redcoats (and the Rebels) are coming! This Sunday at 4pm listen to the soundtrack of the Revolution. Choose your side, the elegant, aristocratic strains of the British crown or the bold, rebellious rhythms of the colonies.   Long live the music of liberty—and loyalty! Ticket link in our bio

Congratulations to the winners of last week's Boston Trivia Night at Pennyweight Hotel! Team Furious George eked out a with against three other talented teams. Think you have the smarts to challenge the champs? Check back in this November for our next Trivia Night!

With over 5,700 photographs, the Edmund L. Mitchell Collection, now housed at the Boston Public Library, offers a snapshot of Boston's West End in a period of transition. Link to this article "Edmund L. Mitchell: Photographer of a Changing Boston" is in our bio. Image: Change, c.1961 (BPL)

WEM and the Museum of African American History are reading Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Joel Christian Gill.  Join us for this powerful read on the history of racist and antiracist ideas in the USA. Register here: https://forms.gle/pC2SqV6izxKBx8fm9 @maahmuseum

Tonight's the night to test your knowledge of Boston!  Join the West End Museum at the Pennyweight Hotel (155 Portland St Boston) for an evening of brain teasers, good food, and good company. Tickets available through the link in our bio or at the door.

From the Archives: Museum founder, Jim Campano, tabling for the West End Museum at the West End Children's Festival, 2010. Image from the West End Media Collection (WEM).

New Acquisition! This photo series shows the implosion of the Hotel Madison in 1983. Taken from from a 16th floor Charles River Park apartment which overlooked the Madison Hotel and Lowell Square.  Donation by Janet Reckman.

Two bridges, the Longfellow and the Appleton, reflect the love story of one of America’s great poets and his many journeys across the West Boston bridge. Click the link in our bio to read the article. Image: Longfellow Bridge: Downstream “Salt and Pepper” Tower Deconstruction May 2015 (MassDOT)

Join us at the Hub Community Room (50 Causeway St) for this performing arts event featuring the soundtrack of both sides of the American Revolution! Step back in time as classical violins face off with rebellious fiddles in a thrilling soundscape of revolution and refinement!  Ticket link in our bio

The West End Museum is pleased to announce that we have been awarded funds to fully digitize and preserve the West Ender Video Newsletter through the Council on Library and Information Resources's Recordings at Risk Program. Read more about the grant here: https://tinyurl.com/4u2ss8tr

From the Archives: The view of the Bowdoin Square Garage and the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company from Cambridge Street (c. 1958–1961). Image: The Edgell Collection, The West End Museum.

Trivia skills training completed! How did you do? Are you feeling warmed up for our Boston Trivia Night on August 14th? We hope to see you there! Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-trivia-night-tickets-1469559775849?aff=Facebook

Train your brain before our Boston Trivia Night on August 14th at Bullfinch Social!  Test your trivia skills in the comments and check back in tomorrow for the answers.  Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-trivia-night-tickets-1469559775849?aff=Facebook

Part three of our series on eminent domain explains three modern Supreme Court rulings that have affected contemporary usage of the policy.  Click the link in our bio to read the article. Image: Surplus pineapple land in Hawaii turned into a housing development (National Archives).