Gas prices have been dropping like a rock these last couple of weeks. Will it continue? Those who aren’t so sure might still be interested in local opportunities for entertainment and culture.

Closest to home, of course, is Fruitlands Museum on Prospect Hill Road, founded in 1914 by Clara Endicott Sears. The museum’s Shaker, Indian, and picture galleries, as well as the Fruitlands farmhouse, itself, provide historical glimpses into aspects of New England life. The picture gallery is currently featuring New England Survey, a photography exhibit displaying the works of six New England artists, through Dec. 21. Joseph Wheelwright’s Tree Figures sculpture exhibit will grace the grounds through November. The museum offers tours, presentations, and other special events, designed to educate and entertain.

Less than 10 miles away, in nearby Clinton, is the Museum of Russian Icons, a little-known treasure that houses a collection of about 340 Russian icons, reportedly the largest collection of its kind in North America. The collection, billed as “one of the largest private collections outside of Russia,” was accumulated over a number of years by Gordon B. Lankton, chairman of the board of Nypro, Inc. According to the museum, the collection includes religious art that spans six centuries. This museum is the only place in the country where you can see an international exhibit on loan from the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. The exhibit, which opened last week, continues through May 1.

The Fitchburg Art Museum, just over 12 miles to the west of Harvard, comprises 14 galleries housing collections of American and European paintings, prints, drawings, ceramics, and decorative arts, as well as Greek, Roman, Asian, and pre-Columbian antiquities. The museum also organizes special exhibits of art by emerging and established contemporary artists, as well as art loaned by private collectors and other museums. The museum offers art classes and other educational programs for children and adults alike.

In Boylston, about 12 miles southwest of Harvard, Tower Hill Botanic Garden offers visitors the opportunity to stroll through 11 different well-manicured themed gardens filled with specimen plantings. The Orangerie, an 18th-century-style greenhouse, houses plants for winter display in a 4,000-square-foot environment. Tower Hill offers classes, symposia, and special programs for both children and adults.

A big draw for children is the Discovery Museums in Acton, where interactive exhibits delight children of all ages. The Children’s Museum features theme rooms where children can play make-believe in a restaurant, a train, a ship, or a jungle full of toy tigers, elephants and monkeys. The giant puzzle in the colorful Rainbow Room offers challenges to toddlers in recognition and sorting. Exhibits in the Science Museum invite older children to explore and experiment with such things as radio waves and fog. The museums periodically offer special educational programs and can happily accommodate birthday parties.

Twelve miles away in Lunenburg, the Drawbridge Puppet Theater presents puppet shows and hosts puppet-making workshops. Shows feature beloved stories such as Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and Goldilocks.