CityPlanning

Boston's Plans For A New History Museum

Boston's relatively new Greenway area may get a dramatic modern new museum and shopping complex. The $120 million Boston Museum would be a five-story glass and terra cotta building in the Haymarket area near Faneuil Hall. The bottom floor would be a food market and the top four floors be a museum of Massachusetts history with a gift shop, cafe, theater, and classroom and community space. The market would operate alongside the Haymarket pushcart vendors which set up shop on weekends in the area and would offer the vendors a little shelter in the form of large awnings. The building was designed by Cambridge Seven Associates and will have a curved glass facade facing the Greenway while the other side will be terra cotta to blend in a bit with the traditional brick buildings in the area.

The nonprofit group behind the Boston Museum sees it as an educational institution both to help children learn about local history and to bring tourists to the area. The Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority owns the property and is seeking proposals from developers. If approved construction of the museum and market building Could be completed in 2014.

It's a lovely building but I wonder if it represents a shift from the more experiential way of learning about Boston history by walking the Freedom Trail.

Tags: boston, city planning, CityPlanning, greenway, history, museum

CityPlanning

Boston's Plans For A New History Museum

Featured Galleries

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Also on AOL