The West End Museum’s ongoing Trivia Nights have become a popular destination for neighbors looking for a fun night out that also offers them an informal education in the history of Boston and the West End.
The Trivia Nights, which have taken place once a month since November of last year at the Causeway Restaurant and Bar at 65 Causeway St., across from the TD Garden, were the brainchild of Grace Clipson, the museum’s 24-year-old education manager who started in the position full-time on Monday, March 4, after coming on board part-time last July.
“Coming into the West End Museum as a younger person, I thought about how to make museums more appealing to a broader age-demographic,” said Clipson. “A lot of the [West End Museum’s] events prior to that had focused on lectures, which are super useful and mission-driven but don’t tend to bring in people who aren’t interested in the museum.”
Around 75 people typically show up for each Trivia Night, breaking off into groups of about five to eight. The groups then square off in four rounds, beginning with a first round dedicated to general Boston trivia, featuring questions on history, sports, and the arts and culture, among other topics.
During the second round, the groups are given a folder containing photos of famous Boston landmarks and buildings, which they must then identify. The third round focuses on the arts in Boston and challenges each group with identifying quotations from famous Boston authors, or returning to the folder of images to identify noteworthy works of art by Bostonians. The fourth and final round focuses on trivia specific to the West End neighborhood.
The winning group receive prizes, which, to date, have included books and other publications released by the West End Museum, among other offerings.
“It’s a fun and social event, and a great excuse for friends to hang out together after work,” said Clipson, who serves as the de facto emcee for these events.
“The Trivia Nights are going to continue with bars like the Causeway, even after the museum reopens,” she added. “It’s a great way to have community partnerships and social spaces outside the museum for people to learn about the history of the West End and the West End Museum.”
The next West End Museum Trivia Night takes place on Wednesday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Causeway Restaurant and Bar. The cost of admission is $10 per person.
To purchase tickets and for further information, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-trivia-night-tickets.
After that, the museum’s next Trivia Month is set to take place on Monday, April 22, at a new venue, the Dubliner Irish Pub at 2 Center Plaza. Admission is again $10 per person. Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/856151160167?aff=oddtdtcreator to purchase tickets and for more information.