Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Boston

Distinct from the Harvard Museum of Natural History next door, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is less about fossils and minerals, and more about human activity: making things, losing things, burying things, and leaving future generations to wonder what on earth was going on...

Founded in 1866, it boasts one of the world's premier anthropological collections, comprising over 1.2 million objects. Many came from Harvard’s own archaeological and anthropological expeditions, which means the museum is not short on stories. In fact, it is practically a global attic of human culture, only better labeled and with fewer suspicious cardboard boxes...

The museum's paramount strength lies in its collection from the Americas, especially Mesoamerica. The exhibits range from objects linked to the pueblos of the southwestern United States to relics from the Inca civilization. Particularly remarkable are the colossal casts of Copan stelae, intricately carved monuments covered with ancient Maya inscriptions documenting vital information such as births, deaths, and bloodletting rituals.

On the ground floor, the focus shifts to Indigenous cultures of North America. Here, you can see the only surviving Native American objects collected during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s, which gives the display a direct connection to one of the best-known journeys in American history. Nearby are colorful Hopi kachina dolls from Arizona, made for children, along with ceremonial masks from the Northwest Coast, some with rather distinctive long, bird-like beaks that look ready to interrupt the conversation...

The Peabody is not exceedingly spacious, but that is part of its appeal. It does not overwhelm you with endless corridors; instead, it rewards slow looking and concentrates a remarkable range of objects into a manageable space. Shoes, hats, clothing, pottery, ritual items, tools, and everyday objects from across the world fill the galleries, each suggesting a different way of living, working, worshiping, dressing, or simply getting through the day. The educational signage is informative and easy to digest, while the lighting and display cabinets may feel a bit old-school in places, but the collection more than holds its own.

Best of all, your ticket also includes admission to the neighboring Harvard Museum of Natural History, so you can move from human culture to glass flowers, minerals, and taxidermy without your wallet needing a recovery period...