ABOUT

The West End Museum tells the story of Boston’s West End neighborhood - collecting, preserving, and sharing the history and culture of the 'Greatest Neighborhood This Side of Heaven'.

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HISTORY

Explore the story of a dynamic urban neighborhood — the origin of abolition, a major transportation hub, Boston’s most diverse neighborhood, and the nation’s greatest tragedy of urban renewal.

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VISIT

Come by the WEM to say hello and dive into West End history! We are currently closed.

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PROGRAMS

We offer a wide variety of programs from talks to musical performances. Check out what’s coming up at the museum.

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SUPPORT

Your support insures that the legacy of the West End neighborhood can be shared in Boston and beyond for many years to come.

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EXHIBITS

Our exhibits explore the wide range of history in the West End from its origins to the present day. Check out what’s live, or look through a past exhibit, here.

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08Jan

After the Voyage: Immigrants on American Shores, 1880-1925

17Jan

Paint and Sip: Burlesque and Brushes

The West End Museum

21Jan

Urban Renewal in Easton, PA: Book Talk with Professor Andrea L. Smith

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On View at the Museum

A crowd of people on the deck of a ship dressed in early 20th century clothing.

Voyages of Hope: Immigrant Journeys to Boston

This special exhibit, running between October 2025 through February 2026, explores the perilous but promising journeys of the immigrants traveling to start a new life in Boston. Learn about a century of European immigration through the stories of three of the West End’s major ethnic groups. Find out why they left, how they traveled, and what awaited them on Boston’s shores. From Irish fleeing famine on coffin ships, to Jews seeking religious freedom and security, to Italian families searching for opportunity, every immigrant has a story. This exhibit features a video on the history of American Nativism in Boston, a theme that is more relevant than ever.

Special Exhibit

February 15, 2026

A map showing 2 overlapping shorelines of Boston to illustrate the massive landfill projects between 1800 and 1900

Rise, Fall, Rebirth: Stories of the West End

Rise, Fall, Rebirth: Stories of the West End The West End Museum’s permanent exhibit, Rise, Fall, Rebirth: Stories of the West End, explores 400 years of history and urban development in the City of Boston through the use of interactive digital media, film, artifacts, and archival material. We want you to feel the West End…

Permanent Exhibit

Always Up

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Explore a West End Story

Business Jews New Boston

Three men standing with two shaking hands.

Mickey Redstone

Mickey Redstone Mickey Redstone was the father of Sumner Redstone and a media conglomerate. He started his career in entertainment owning nightclubs before rising to prominence as the head of a national theatre exhibition company. Redstone was raised in the West End by immigrant parents and his early Boston experiences helped fuel the canny business…