What started as a road trip to Ohio after a family loss has turned into a published guidebook. Hopkinton author Alison O’Leary and her mother, Mavis O’Leary, have released 50 Memorable Museums in Massachusetts, now available on Amazon and through Alison’s website at alisonoleary.com.

The book is a curated guide to museums across the state. Each entry includes Alison’s ratings in four categories: the museum, accessibility, learning curve, and time investment.

A Bond Behind the Book

The project grew out of a difficult season. After Alison’s father passed away, she and her mother, Mavis, took a road trip to Ohio so Mavis could attend a nursing school reunion. The two kept driving, visiting cousins and family on both sides.

“I decided I would use the time in the car with her to try and pump her for information about her family,” Alison said.

When they returned home, the pair wanted to keep that momentum going. Museum visits became their regular outing. These trips gave them more than just sightseeing—they had time together, real conversation, and, as Alison puts it, “mental stimulation.” Alison laughed when she described their dynamic. “She used to drag us to museums when we were kids,” she said. “Turnaround is fair play.”

Scoring

Alison doesn’t sugarcoat her opinions about the museums. Not every place gets high praise. The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation on Moody Street in Waltham wasn’t impressive. While the collection had plenty of clocks, there was little explanation of how the technology developed.

“There were lots of clocks with no real context about how the technology evolved,” she said. “It just wasn’t one of those museums that hit every mark.”

The Dallin Museum in Arlington, though—that one surprised them both. Alison gave it an A-minus. Sure, the museum’s not big, but its focus packs a punch. Cyrus Dallin, the sculptor it highlights didn’t just create the “Equestrian Statue of Paul Revere” in Boston’s North End or the iconic “Appeal to the Great Spirit” outside the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston—he’s also behind the “Angel Moroni” statues atop temples for Latter-day Saints worldwide.

“When you figure out who Dallin is, and the sculptures he did, all of a sudden you’re like, oh my God,” Alison said.

A High-Tech Look at History

The Samuel Slater Museum in Webster earned top marks from both Alison and Mavis. Slater, an immigrant from England, memorized the mechanics of textile looms and reproduced them in America, helping launch the Industrial Revolution in this country. The museum tells that story using some of the most advanced presentation technology either woman had seen.

Visitors can board a restored trolley car where a film makes it appear the trolley is moving through old Webster. In another area, a screen projects a conversation among historical figures, placing visitors inside the mill owner’s office.

“It’s much more interesting than looking at objects under glass,” Mavis said. “You really feel like you’re in that environment.”

Mavis visited the museum on a trip organized by the Hopkinton Senior Center. She estimated about 15 people were in the group. Lunch at Point Breeze Restaurant on Lake Webster followed.

Hidden Gems and Personal Connections

Alison also highlights the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, which offers free admission year-round. The museum was created by the Weyerhaeuser family and blends American art with Japanese influences, including a working tea house on the property where tea ceremonies are held monthly in summer. Local artists regularly exhibit there.

“When you start to realize that many of the exhibitions are comprised of art created by local people, you start wondering who’s got that superpower,” Alison said.

For Alison, the Marconi Museum in Chatham carried personal weight. She has written two books about World War II submarines and the role Marconi radio technology played in tracking and sinking German U-boats. Seeing the actual equipment demonstrated by volunteers brought her research to life.

“I’ve written about it and published books about it, but I’d never seen it actually used,” she said.

The Worcester Art Museum also earned an A in the book. The museum recently renovated several exhibit halls and incorporated the collection of the former Higgins Armory Museum, which closed more than a decade ago. A new exhibit featuring restored medieval armor is expected to open soon.

More Volumes (hopefully) on the Way

Alison noted that Massachusetts has far more museums than most residents realize. She maintains a spreadsheet of institutions that could qualify and has counted more than 250, ranging from local historical societies to major art museums. The book covers 50 of them.

She is already thinking about a second volume, and possibly a third, all within Massachusetts.

“It’s just mind-blowing how many museums there are in this state,” she said.

50 Memorable Museums in Massachusetts is available on Amazon and at alisonoleary.com. Alison donated a copy to the Hopkinton Public Library. She also presents a companion library program.