The Jewel of Milton

January 11, 2012 at 8:00 am · Filed under massachusetts, tourism, travel, U.S. travel and tagged: forbes house museum, travel writing

By Linda Tancs

Just eight miles from Boston, Massachusetts, Milton is a culturally rich bedroom community with the distinction of having the most privately and publicly conserved land within 20 miles of Boston.   Settled in 1640 by Puritans who began the settlement of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, it has retained several 19th century country houses and estates, like the imposing Greek Revival mansion of the Forbes family.  Known as the jewel of Milton, the Forbes House Museum is a National Historic Landmark housing the treasures of four generations of one of America’s greatest entrepreneurial families.  Located atop Milton Hill overlooking Boston’s skyline, the museum’s displays include 19th-century export porcelain, paintings, furniture, and other unique items brought back from China by Captain Robert Bennet Forbes.  Other exhibits in the permanent collection are Civil War and President Lincoln memorabilia and Forbes family holdings, including American and European paintings, furniture and artifacts.  The Museum offers tours on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 1pm and 3pm. Admission is $8 per person for adults and $5 for seniors and students.  The Museum grounds are open to the public free of charge daily from dawn to dusk.

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