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The Museum of American Finance will open in Boston in 2026
This is the first time since 2018 that the museum will have a permanent exhibit headquarters.
A new museum is coming to Boston’s Seaport in 2026 and admission will be free for all.
The Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of American Finance (MoAF) has signed a 10-year lease for exhibit space at Commonwealth Pier in Boston’s Seaport, according to a press release. The 5,400 square-foot museum will open on July 1, 2026.
The museum will educate the public on finance and financial history through exhibits, financial literacy programs, and public events. It will incorporate Boston-based programs through community organizations and educational institutions.
Founded in 1989, the Museum of American Finance was formerly housed on Wall Street in New York City before a 2018 flood badly damaged the facility. Since, the museum has hosted traveling exhibits and temporary installations nationwide. The museum’s events and educational initiatives currently reach more than 10,000 people per year in person and virtually.
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This is the first time since 2018 that the museum will have a permanent exhibit headquarters.
“Visitors will leave our Museum with a greater understanding and appreciation for our nation’s financial history — much of it centered in the Boston Harbor area — as well as knowledge that will help them better their own financial lives,” said David Cowen, president and CEO of the museum, in a statement. “We are thrilled for our exhibits to be based in Boston and will ensure that Commonwealth Pier becomes a destination for school groups, the community and tourists.”
The museum houses one of the nation’s most important collections of 18th century U.S. financial documents, according to officials, which includes letters and documents from Alexander Hamilton.
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The firm Gallagher & Associates will create “world-class” exhibits that draw from the museum’s collections and the museum will use the latest technologies through a partnership with Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT), according to officials.
Commonwealth Pier, being developed by international real estate business Pembroke, will offer a new waterfront plaza and mix of restaurants, shopping, and year-round programming.
“The revitalization of Commonwealth Pier celebrates its meaningful history, as well as our present and future,” said Kristan McLaughlin, director of asset management at Pembroke, in a statement. “How appropriate to have the Museum of American Finance as part of our community — a literal treasure chest of historic artifacts that bridges to the future through education and its use of technology.”
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