Botanical Tattoo at New England Botanic Garden

Botanical Tattoo is where nature meets needle—an electrifying celebration of plant life and the art of tattooing. From delicate wildflowers and timeless roses to lush ferns and vibrant tropical blooms, botanical imagery has shaped tattoo traditions across cultures and centuries. This unique exhibit at New England Botanic Garden features striking photographs of botanically inspired tattoos alongside bold floral flash designs by talented local artists. Each piece reveals how flowers and foliage have become powerful symbols of love, resilience, remembrance, and identity. Botanical Tattoo invites you to experience the beauty of the botanical world reimagined on skin and learn how plants serve as enduring marks of human expression. This exhibit is included with general Garden admission. Learn more at <a href="https://nebg.org/botanical-tattoo/">https://nebg.org/botanical-tattoo/</a>.

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill 

Glass In Flight at New England Botanic Garden

Step into a world of color and wonder with Glass in Flight. This unforgettable exhibition at New England Botanic Garden features 30 larger-than-life stained-glass and steel sculptures expertly crafted by artist Alex Heveri. Encounter giant hummingbirds, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, and more as they shimmer in the sunlight, soar overhead, pose in midair, or hide among the blooms. Blending brilliant color, light, and scale, Glass in Flight celebrates these charismatic creatures and their environmental significance. Discover their hidden secrets like never before. Don’t miss Glass in Flight at golden hour this summer with extended Garden hours on Wednesday and Thursday evenings! This exhibit is included with general Garden admission. Learn more at <a href="https://nebg.org/glass-in-flight/">https://nebg.org/glass-in-flight/</a>.

Music In Bloom at New England Botanic Garden

Join New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill and Juventas New Music Ensemble for an unforgettable evening of music al fresco. Guests are invited to experience the gardens at golden hour, discovering a series of musical performances along the way. From a grand piano, clarinet, and horn trio in the Orangerie, to a flute, viola, and harp trio in the Lawn Garden, guests will be able to take a stroll and enjoy an artistic and meaningful musical experience performed by small ensembles of musicians interspersed throughout the gardens. This special event showcases luminous contemporary classical music by emerging composers, performed by some of Boston’s foremost chamber musicians. This event is designed as a roving concert, with audiences moving from station to station and exploring the gardens as they travel between musical performances. Each performance will be repeated in sets throughout the evening. Seating will be available at each performance location, but visitors are also welcome to bring their own lawn chairs or picnic blankets. Learn more and reserve tickets at: https://nebg.org/music-in-bloom/

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

Extended Summer Evenings at New England Botanic Garden

The New England Botanic Garden is open late this summer on Wednesdays and Thursdays! Make the most of the summer season’s long days and beautiful twilights with golden hour experiences at New England Botanic Garden. Extended Wednesdays and Thursday Summer Evenings offer more hours for flowers and plenty of opportunities to savor the summer. Wander the Garden’s woodland trails, admire the vibrant summer blooms, savor delicious dinner specials, and catch colorful sunsets over the Wachusett Reservoir. Plus, discover an exciting lineup of workshops and classes for all ages — perfect for sparking creativity and connecting with nature. Extended evenings are perfect for an after-work social, a fun night with friends, or a memorable evening with your family. Your new favorite tradition awaits! Included with general admission. Learn more at: https://nebg.org/summer-evenings/

Botanical Mixology Summer Serries at New England Botanic Garden

Learn how to make unique craft cocktails with a botanical twist. Join us each week to practice new skills, try new recipes and spirits, and learn fun plant facts! Each session features two unique botanical cocktails: a signature drink highlighting the session’s featured spirit and a vodka-based creation with a dedicated mocktail variation. Beyond the recipes, every class introduces a new mixology technique to help you build your craft, one skill at a time.&nbsp; Recipes will be provided for you to take home. All cocktails will feature nut-free ingredients. All attendees must be 21 and provide ID.

Garden Design: Wilding Your Perennial Garden

Love the new wilder gardens? These naturalistic gardens are more than a field meadow. Want to use native grasses and flowers to attract pollinators?&nbsp;Small space or large, you'll learn how to design "wild" for your existing or new perennial garden. In this three-session workshop, you'll learn how to select a personal garden color palette, how to create vivid planting combinations that will flower in seasonal succession, and how to use drifts, masses, and individual plants to create garden lay-outs. We'll note plants to add for winter interest.&nbsp; Each week includes, in-class learning, hands-on activities, and a tutorial walk that follows a weekly lecture onsite at the Garden. Dress for the weather and for walking over rolling terrain and mulched paths.

Arias Aloft: Chromatic at New England Botanic Garden

Experience a magical evening of opera and circus where soaring voices meet sky-high acrobatics in an unforgettable open-air spectacle. Circus 617 and Opera Untapped combine two thrilling art forms set against the blooming backdrop of New England Botanic Garden during this captivating event. Featuring vocal and aerial acrobatics performed by some of Boston’s leading circus artists and classical singers, this performance showcases opera, musical theater, and cabaret classics paired with breathtaking original circus acts. Set among the summer blooms and stunning landscapes of the Garden, this year’s program, Chromatic, is inspired by the vibrant colors of the natural world, drawing audiences into a living landscape of music and movement. Learn more and reserve tickets: https://nebg.org/arias-aloft/.

Crafts & Cocktails: Botanical Silk Painting at New England Botanic Garden

Create your own vibrant, botanical-inspired artwork on silk in this beginner friendly workshop. Learn basic painting techniques and explore color blending as you design a one-of-a-kind piece to take home. All materials provided - no experience needed. Meet Your Instructor: Lidia Mikhaylova I enjoy expressing the world around me through my paintings, and I love putting the reality of everyday life on the canvas using colors and shapes. The purpose of my art is to inspire people to see the hidden beauty in the simplicity of their surroundings. Too often we are waiting for miracles but forgetting to look right in front of us. There is a lot of beauty in everyday life! In order to notice it, we simply need to pause, look around… and maybe ask yourself a question: what brings richness to my life?

Petals & Promenade: A Regency Ball at the New England Botanic Garden

Dearest gentle reader, you are cordially invited to an evening of elegance and intrigue—a Regency-era ball among the summer’s most enchanting blooms at New England Botanic Garden. Prepare your best outfit and get ready to take to the floor for dancing. Delight in a curated selection of amusing activities, captivating drag performers, and the finest refreshments. Tickets are now available for this event, but hurry, they won't last long! This event is 18+. Learn more and reserve tickets at: <a href="https://nebg.org/petals-and-promenade/">https://nebg.org/petals-and-promenade/</a>

Extended August Evenings at New England Botanic Garden

Around the World in 80 Minutes: An Evening of Solo Piano

Join pianist Julia Scott Carey for a special solo piano performance featuring music from around the world. Set in New England Botanic Garden’s iconic Limonaia conservatory at golden hour, this one-of-a-kind program will take you on a musical journey across the globe—along the rivers of the Peruvian mountains, across the beaches of New Zealand, through the icy waters of Greenland, and everywhere in between. Featuring music by seven contemporary composers, each piece reflects the distinctive character and beauty of the people and places that inspired it. This special event at the Garden is presented in partnership with Juventas New Music Ensemble. Learn more and reserve tickets today at <a href="https://nebg.org/around-the-world/">https://nebg.org/around-the-world/</a>.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with a creative twist! 

Paint and decorate your own pot, fill it with fresh flowers, and take home wildflower seeds so your blooms keep growing long after the workshop ends. Spend the morning together and get creative with this special hands-on floral art experience! In this workshop, you’ll use vibrant paint markers to design and decorate your own unique pot—one that doubles as a stylish vase for your floral arrangement. Once your masterpiece is complete, you’ll choose a curated selection of fresh stems to arrange inside, creating a personalized display that’s ready to brighten any space. And the experience doesn’t end there—each participant will receive a packet of wildflower seeds to plant right in their custom pot after the blooms have faded. It’s a beautiful way to keep the creativity growing at home.

Botanical Tattoo Weekend at New England Botanic Garden

Join New England Botanic Garden for a weekend-long celebration of botanically inspired art and ink in partnership with North Moon Tattoo. Get inked among the blooms and choose from available flash designs or pre-book a session in advance. Take in the atmosphere as you watch tattoo artistry unfold, browse a curated artisan market, and gain exclusive insight from celebrity artist talks on the craft and culture of tattooing. For this special event, the Garden is open late. As the sun and the ink sets, enjoy live music performances, wander the gardens at golden hour, and unwind with refreshing craft beers and cocktails from the beer garden. Whether you’re adding to your collection or simply soaking in the sights, this vibrant fusion of nature and ink is an experience you won’t want to miss. Included with general admission. Learn more at: <a href="https://nebg.org/botanical-tattoo-weekend/">https://nebg.org/botanical-tattoo-weekend/</a>

School Vacation Week at the Garden: Planet Protectors

Calling all planet protectors! Embark on a journey around the globe as you step into New England Botanic Garden’s immersive, hands-on exploration room. Families and children of all ages can enjoy drop-in activities, creative crafts, and interactive games that bring the wonder of Earth to life. Discover incredible plants and learn how you can shape the future of our planet through fun-filled classes that spark curiosity and imagination. Along the way, you’ll learn how small actions can make a big impact. Join the mission to explore our wild world and defend Earth’s future together! Learn more about programs and register at <a href="https://nebg.org/youth-family-programs/school-vacation/">https://nebg.org/youth-family-programs/school-vacation/</a>.

Elevated, An Orchid Exhibition at New England Botanic Garden

Elevated: An Orchid Exhibition at New England Botanic Garden celebrates the beauty and wonder of orchids in combination with captivating aerial sculptures by artist Cicely Carew. Featuring a stunning display of more than 2,000 orchids, Elevated transforms the Garden’s subtropical conservatories into an immersive world of color, movement, and botanical brilliance. Inspired by the forms and rhythms of nature, Carew’s “flying paintings” soar overhead – a joyful expression of the connection between art and nature. Experience the creative wonder of this breathtaking orchid exhibition during daytime hours or through an exciting lineup of classes and special events, including our Orchids After Dark series. Learn more at <a href="https://nebg.org/elevated/">https://nebg.org/elevated/</a>.

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

World Cup Watch Parties 🎉⚽️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

newenglandbg

Experiences