What to Do In Boston - for Free!

6 Top Suggestions for Free Things to Do in Boston

Wondering what to do in Boston without spending tons of money? 

Great news - many of the best Boston attractions and things to do are free or almost free.  In fact, this is a very affordable city to visit because of all of the free Boston activities. 

Here's my top list of what to do in Boston without emptying your bank account. It continues to grow (there's a lot to do here for free or for very little money), so bookmark this page and check back from time to time.

Best of all, you won't sacrifice any fun by focusing on free things to do in Boston - but you will save lots of money!  If you have a few extra dollars to spend, splurge on a great dinner in a terrific Boston restaurant - although you can also eat very well at my favorite Cheap Eats spots.

What to do in Boston for free - Idea #1
 Enjoy a free Boston tour along the Freedom Trail

Touring Boston's 2.5 mile (4 km) Freedom Trail, marked by a red line, is one of the top things to do in Boston  - and it's free.

Want to see where the Sons of Liberty gave the secret signal for the Boston Tea Party?  Where the Redcoats massacred 5 colonists? Where the Battle of Bunker Hill raged? 

As you follow the Freedom Trail's red path, you'll see these plus 14 more historic sites in Downtown Boston, the Italian North End, and picturesque Charlestown. 

Boston's Freedom Trail is designed so that you can guide yourself through Boston's most historic areas. 

In fact, if your "what to do in Boston" list also includes learning a bit about American Colonial history and Boston's role in the American Revolution, you can easily do this as you take a walk through history.

Start your tour at either end of the Freedom Trail - Boston Common in Downtown Boston or Bunker Hill in Charlestown - or anywhere in the middle.  You can explore the entire length of the Trail or just a small section of it, depending on how much time and energy you have.

Only 3 Freedom Trail sites - Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Paul Revere's House - charge nominal admission fees if you want to go inside the on-site museums.  If this is not part of what you want to do in Boston, you'll find plenty of other free places to see near the Trail. 

For example, near the Faneuil Hall site, you can also visit the Boston Holocaust Memorial and Boston's colorful Haymarket.  When you visit the USS Constitution site and free museum in Charlestown, you can also explore the rest of the Charlestown Navy Yard. 

You can pick up free maps in the Information booth in Boston Common (on Tremont Street side, near intersection with West Street) - and also join a free 90 minute tour provided by the National Park Service, weather permitting.   (Just be sure to ignore the maps for sale and fee-based tours that are also promoted here.)  The Park Service also provides free tours of the USS Constitution in Charlestown. 

What to do in Boston for rree - Idea #2
  Soak up some culture

Boston boasts over 30 fabulous museums, and visiting one or more is among the most popular things to do in Boston.  Although most of them charge admission fees, you can visit several of the best Boston museums free or almost free at certain times.  Check them out:

• Museum of Fine Arts - World-class art - Free admission for adults every Wednesday from 4:00 - 9:45pm.  Children and teens from 7-17 free after 3pm on weekdays, plus all day on weekends and school holidays.  Children under 7 free at all times.
  Details:  465 Huntington Ave, Fenway, Boston; 617-267-9300; website
• MIT Museum - Super technology and science exhibits - Free admission on Sundays 10am - noon.  If you're wondering what to do in Boston with teens, you'll love this museum. 
  Details:  265 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA; 617-253-5927; website
• Boston Children's Museum - Top favorite among Boston things to do with the 10 and under crowd - $1 admission every Friday night from 5-9pm.
• New England Aquarium - Watch seals play in their year-round outdoor habitat. You'll find two families of them in their outdoor "tank" - really a large habitat area that simulates their native New England coastal homes - to the left of the Aquarium's entrance.  Free.  More about New England Aquarium
• ICA Boston - Boston's contemporary art museum - Free admission for all from 5pm - 9pm every Thursday, and free for families (up to 2 adults accompanied by children 12 and under) on the last Saturday of each month except for December)
• Stargazing at Gilliland Observatory, Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science - Free every Friday night from 8:30 - 10pm, weather permitting.   Features a computer-controlled Celestron CGE 1100 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope; call 617-589-0267 to confirm the schedule (if weather conditions seem iffy) and to find out what's on view.
  Details:  Roof of the parking garage; Museum of Science, website  (click on Planetarium link).
• Boston Public Library - Not a museum, but filled with magnificent paintings, sculpture, and architectural details.  BPL also hosts frequent concerts, interesting lectures, and kids activities.  Free at all times, plus it's right in Copley Square, across from Trinity Church and the John Hancock Tower.  More about Boston Public Library
• Make Way for Ducklings statue - Also not a musuem . . . but this popular outdoor sculpture pleases children and adults alike.  More about Make Way for Ducklings

Murals in the Boston Public Library

Interested in hearing some music while you're here?  Boston is home to several world-class music and performing arts colleges where you can enjoy free performances of emerging and established musicians.  In fact, attending a free concert is one of the top things to do in Boston.  Most of the concerts are free. 

Tickets for others are typically quite affordable.

Here's a small sampling of what's available.  To see what's offered on a particular day, check out the events calendars for the following schools. 

• Berklee College of Music - Premier center for jazz and contemporary music
  website - click on "What's happening at Berklee" to bring up the events calendar
• New England Conservatory of Music - Specializes in musical performance
  website - click on "Concerts Today"
• Longy School of Music - Classical to modern musical training; located in Harvard Square, Cambridge
  website - click on "Concerts + Events"

And don't forget about Boston's free gala July 4th Celebration - concerts by the Boston Pops followed by spectacular Boston Fireworks over the Charles River.

Love theater?  No need to worry about the cost of Boston theater tickets when you attend the free performances of Shakespeare on the Common under the stars on Boston Common each summer.

Finally, although not free, a way to get 50% of theater tickets is to sign up at Goldstar Events to be a member (it's free).  You'll find half-price tickets for many performances - one of the best deals in town!   You can also stop by Bostix for last-minute tickets at about 50% off.

What to do in Boston for free - Idea #3
  Enjoy Boston sports

Bostonians are fanatics about sports - doing sports, watching sports, talking about sports, dreaming about sports.  If you're wondering what to do in Boston related to sports while you're here, try these suggestions for free and almost-free experiences, ranging from active to spectator: 

• If you're going to be here when the weather is good, tuck a frisbee into your suitcase.  Once you arrive, head to Boston Common for a little exercise and fun with your frisbee.  Or, in winter, go ice skating on Frog Pond (you'll pay a small fee if you're over 13).
• Go for a run or bike ride along the Boston Esplanade, the strip of park land bordering the Charles River.  Or plan your own Boston bike tour (didn't bring a bike? You can rent one cheaply for as little as 2 hours).
• If you're here on the third Monday in April, watch the Boston Marathon from a spot along the route.  You'd rather participate?  Check out the Boston Marathon qualifying times, and start training!
• Watch a Red Sox game (or any other game) for the cost of a beer by joining other fans in the Boston bars near Fenway, where you'll find plenty of plenty of large definition screens and non-stop sports.  A Fenway Park tour offers an affordable way to see the ballpark up close.  Or check StubHub for affordable tickets - you can sometimes scoop up great bargains in this fan-to-fan marketplace.
• If you have kids between 10 and 18 who love sailing, kayaking, or windsurfing - or who want to learn how - get them a summer membership in Community Boating located on the Boston Esplanade.  The bargain-priced Junior Member fee of $1 (that's right - no zeros are missing) includes unlimited classes and boat time.  Even if you're visiting Boston for just a few days, you may want to consider this.

Boston Marathon runners near the beginning of "Heartbreak Hill"

What to Do in Boston for Free - Idea #4
Get Around for Free (or almost free)

Boston's compact size means that you can walk just about everywhere.  This is fortunate, because driving in Boston is a nightmare if you're not used to it and parking can cost a small fortune. 

Follow these tips to get around the city for free, or almost free:

• Pick up a free Boston map at the Information Center on Boston Common, near the area where West Street intersects with Tremont Street (which runs along the east side of the Common).  These maps also show the Freedom Trail sites, as well as the Harvard Square area of Cambridge.
• Enjoy Boston parks while you're walking.  Stroll along the Rose Kennedy Greenway from Chinatown to the North End.  Explore HarborWalk along Boston Harbor.  Walk (or jog) along the Esplanade next to the Charles River.  Cut across Boston Common and the Public Garden when walking from Downtown to Back Bay, Beacon Hill to the South End. 
• Too hot?  Too cold?  Not sure what to do in Boston in the rain?  Explore parts of Back Bay from the inside.  Starting in the Copley Place shopping area, you can walk through the sky tunnels to Prudential Center - and enjoy some great views at the same time - and continue on to Hynes Convention Center, all without going outside.  Just follow the signs for directions.   
• Really bad weather?  Take Boston's subway (locally called the "T").  You can get a 7-day pass for $15.  Once you buy the pass, you ride the T for free (so to speak) for 7 days . . . but that's not all.  You can also use your pass for unlimited free rides on city buses, part of the commuter rail, and Inner Harbor ferries. 

What to do in Boston for free - Idea #5 
Shop for an affordable souvenir

OK, so this isn't exactly a free thing to do in Boston . . . but if you're going to shop for a souvenir anyway, you might as well get something unique at an affordable price.   

Here are some suggestions:

• From mid-May to late October, some of the area's best artisans and artists can be found on Sunday afternoons selling their creations beneath the white tents in SoWa Open Market in Boston's hip and trendy South End neighborhood.  You'll find a wide range of mostly affordable prices.  Want an edgy created-in-Boston t-shirt?  This is the place to find wearable art, very cool jewelry, and loads of other have-to-have things.
• Buy something delicious to consume later or give as a gift.  You'll find lots of delectable goodies in the small specialty food shops along Hanover and Salem Streets in Boston's Italian North End, as well as in the gourmet South End markets.
• Explore Boston's many city (and suburban) shopping malls.  Wrentham Village specializes in discount designer wear.  Others usually have some great bargains.  And remember, you'll pay no sales tax on each clothing item under $175, and Massachusetts sales tax on other items is only 6% . . . so if you normally shop in a high-tax area, you can save money by shopping here.

What To Do in Boston for Free - Idea #6
Other Stuff

Five top suggestions about what to do in Boston for free seemed like a good number when I started writing this page . . . but there are so many free or low cost things to do in Boston that I'm running out of creative ways to add them to the top 5 ideas, and the "more suggestions" box below is also getting kind of long . . . so "Other Stuff" is everything else! 

• Take a Swan Boat ride on the Lagoon in the Public Garden.  From mid-April through much of September, this is most relaxing 15 minute ride in town, plus you'll see beautiful scenery from the water.  Not free but less than you'd spend at Starbucks on a latte.
• Enjoy sweeping views of Boston Harbor and beyond from the free 14th floor Independence Wharf Observation Deck next to the Intercontinental Hotel on the waterfront.  A great alternative to the better-known non-free Prudential Skywalk.
• Enjoy the splendor of gorgeous golden and crimson leaves from about mid-September into November at these top city locations to see Boston fall foliage.  My Fall Foliage Report gives you weekly updates and photos, and you can even check the fall foliage photo archives to see previous years.