The biggest, oldest and most famous of Boston's art institutions, the Museum of Fine Arts draws more than 1 million visitors every year. For good reason, as the mammoth museum boasts a world-class art collection (450,000 objects, in total), with holdings ranging from Asian ceramics to American Colonial portraits to abstract expressionism.

The permanent collection is extensive enough to warrant a full-day visit -- the ancient Egyptian artifacts and European Impressionism paintings alone, are worth the price of admission -- but it's the mega-marketed blockbuster exhibits that really bring the crowds, and the cash, rolling in. In addition, despite all the energy devoted to blockbuster shows with separate admission fees (often close to $20), the MFA still hosts intriguing, offbeat exhibits in the smaller galleries, where a more purist tone prevails.

Outside the stellar art exhibits, you can expect all the amenities of a modern art museum, including several restaurants, gallery tours and lectures, monthly cocktail parties, a top-notch film series, a year-round concert series and, don't forget, plenty of gift shops. -- Michael Endelman (Photo: Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)