Blue Hills Trailside Museum

The Blue Hills Trailside Museum is a small natural history museum and live animal center at 1904 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA 02186, at the foot of Great Blue Hill. Mass Audubon runs it with DCR. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the outdoor animal exhibits are open daily. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children 2 to 12.

It doubles as the welcome center for the whole reservation. Most people stop here before or after hiking up Great Blue Hill, because the trail to the summit starts right at the parking lot.

Trailside Museum Hours and Admission

Mass Audubon lists these hours: the indoor museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., plus Monday holidays and school vacation weeks at the same hours. The outdoor exhibits are open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Adults: $5
• Seniors 65 and over: $4
• Children 2 to 12: $3
• Mass Audubon members: free

Mass Audubon also lists other free-admission programs on its Trailside page. Hours can change for weather, holidays and events, so check before a long drive.

What You'll See Inside

The museum has natural history exhibits about the habitats and wildlife of the Blue Hills, and indoor and outdoor enclosures for native animals that can't be released back into the wild. DCR describes them as rescued wildlife that now act as ambassadors for the park.

Mass Audubon holds drop-in animal encounters in the auditorium, where you can meet one of the resident animals up close. Its recent news has included a second North American river otter joining the museum. There's also a gift shop with nature toys, local crafts, snacks and the DCR trail map.

It's a good fit for young kids, and an indoor backup if the weather turns before a summit hike.

Programs and Camps

Mass Audubon runs programs here for all ages, from toddler story times to guided walks. Some programs meet at the Norman Smith Environmental Education Center on top of Chickatawbut Hill, which Trailside also manages and which hosts the Blue Hills Summer Camp.

Hiking From the Trailside Museum

The museum lot is the most popular starting point for climbing Great Blue Hill. DCR lists the hike to the summit as about 1 mile, taking 1 to 1.5 hours. Follow the red dot trail straight up from the South parking lot, or walk the paved summit road from the North lot. At the top are Eliot Tower and the Blue Hill Observatory.

For a gentler walk, DCR's Wolcott Hill Loop starts at the bulletin board in the north lot and follows green dots around the base of Wolcott Hill for 2.5 miles, through Wildcat Notch. DCR rates it moderate.

Rules: No Dogs on Museum Grounds

This is the rule that catches people out. Dogs are allowed on a leash in most of the Blue Hills Reservation, but Mass Audubon prohibits dogs and horses on the museum property (service animals are welcome). DCR's map repeats it: no pets on museum grounds. Reservation-wide dog rules are on our rules page.

On the museum's own property, Mass Audubon also asks for foot travel only, and bans smoking, collecting, fishing, camping and feeding wildlife.

Getting There and Parking

From I-93 or I-95, take the Route 138 exit in Canton and drive north about a mile, through one traffic light. The Blue Hills Ski Area and Trailside Museum parking areas are on the right. The museum lists parking, accessible restrooms, an accessible trail and picnic tables. See our parking page for the other lots.

By bus, DCR lists MBTA route 716 (Mattapan Station to Cobbs Corner in Canton) for the west side of the reservation, including the museum. The route runs on an unusual schedule, so check it first.

A Bit of History

Trailside Museum opened in 1959. Mass Audubon took over running it in 1974, and says it now reaches about 300,000 people a year. The building belongs to the state; Mass Audubon manages it as the interpretation center for the reservation.