When it comes to Boston museums, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a fun family activity, a date on a rainy day or you simply want to nerd out about local history, there’s plenty to see and do — and a lot you can do for free!
Here is your guide to museums and attractions that won’t cost you anything, plus those with free-admission days and common discounts.
Have a museum or attraction you’d like added to the list? This list will be updated over time. E-mail
elena_eberwein@wgbh.org.
Always free
Harvard Art Museums
Always free to visitors. No ticketing required. | Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, closed on major holidays | 32 Quincy St., Cambridge, MA 02138
In summer of 2023,
Harvard Art Museums began offering free admission to the public. Visitors can explore 50 galleries over three floors of
rotating art galleries. On the last Thursday of each month, the museums are open from 5-9 p.m. for a night of music, art, and food and drinks for purchase.
MassArt Art Museum (MAAM)
Always free. No ticketing required | 12-8 p.m. Thursday, 12-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday | 621 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
MAAM is Boston’s only fully free contemporary art museum. It’s the teaching museum for Mass Art students. Visitors can expect to see a selection of contemporary art installations, both rotating and ongoing.
The MIT List Visual Arts Center
Always free | Open Tuesday 12-6 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday 12-7 p.m., Friday-Sunday 12-6 p.m. | 20 Ames St., building E15-109, atrium level, Cambridge, MA 02139
The List Center has three gallery spaces with both temporary and permanent contemporary art exhibits. Fun fact: MIT students can enter a
lottery each year to borrow a piece of art for the year. The artwork is on display ahead of the lottery at the start of each academic year.
Boston University Art Galleries
Always free | Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday | 808 and 855 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215
As part of the College of Fine Arts at Boston University, the art galleries feature ongoing rotating exhibits at the 808 Gallery and Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery at 855 Commonwealth Ave.
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East
Always free | Sunday -Friday, 11a.m.–4 p.m. | 6 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
Founded in 1889 as a teaching tool for university students, the museum explores the cultures and history of people who spoke Semitic languages. Visitors can view authentic mummy coffins, tablets with the earliest forms of writing and much more. This summer the museum has family activity events on the calendar.
The McMullen Museum
Closed for the summer | Open during the academic year 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 12-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday | 2101 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02135
Located on the Brighton Campus of Boston College, the museum reopens Sept. 8 with an exhibit called “
States of Becoming.”
Rose Art Museum
Closed for the summer | Open during the academic year 11 a.m.-5 p.m Wednesdays-Sundays | 415 South St., Waltham, MA 02453
The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis is well known for its comprehensive and significant modern and contemporary art collections. The museum is closed for the summer, but will reopen on Sept. 18 with three new exhibitions:
“Hugh Hayden: Home Work,”
“Lichtenstein100” and
“Face to Face: Portraits of Self and Other.” The public is invited to attend the
Fall Opening Celebration on Sept. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.
ICA Watershed
Open seasonally, but always free | Open 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday | 256 Marginal St., Boston, MA 02128
The ICA Watershed is the ICA’s seasonal exhibition space. Every summer a new exhibit fills the warehouse, formerly a condemned copper pipe factory. The 2024 installation is called “
Hew Locke: The Procession.” The Culture Show
spoke with Locke earlier this summer.
Visitors with general admission tickets to the ICA can access
water shuttle service between the Seaport and East Boston for free, advanced booking is highly recommended.
ICA Seaport Studio
Always free | Open 2-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, or by appointment | 100 Pier 4 Blvd., second floor, Boston, MA 02210
This is the newest part of the ICA’s Harbor campus. The studio is home to the Teen Gallery, featuring art from the ICA’s Teen Exhibitions Program. “
As You Are: Beauty and the Human Form” is on display until December 2024.
Boston Fire Museum
Always free | Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays | 344 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210
This nonprofit museum is funded by donations and operated by volunteers. The museum both highlights Boston’s fire history under one of the oldest fire departments in the nation, and informs the public on general fire safety.
Waterworks Museum
Always free | Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday | 2450 Beacon St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Boston had one of the first metropolitan water systems in the country, and this museum gets into the stories and engineering behind it. The centerpiece of the museum is the Great Engines Hall. The museum offers both free general tours and
special access tours, which cost $18 and require booking ahead of time.
Museum of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company
Always free | Open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, but they recommend to call ahead to confirm hours: 617-227-1638 | 4 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109
Visitors can expect to see uniforms, firearms, swords, artifacts, memorabilia and other relics from the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.
Bunker Hill Museum
Always free | Open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday | 43 Monument Square, Charlestown, MA 02129
Only 20 people are allowed to climb the monument at a time. The monument may close due to weather conditions, including heat. Join park staff or volunteers for a “
Decisive Day Talk” on the hour from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. to learn more about the Battle of Bunker Hill.
The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Always free | Sunday–Friday, 11a.m.-4 p.m. | 1 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Harvard has been collecting scientific instruments since 1672. The collection, representing a wide array of disciplines, was established in 1948 to preserve these instruments. It has become one of the largest university collections of its kind in the world — it now has over 20,000 pieces dating from 1400 to the present.
Free on certain days
Institute of Contemporary Art
Free on Thursdays from 5-9 p.m. | Tickets available starting at 10 a.m. the day of, advanced reservations recommended | 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston, MA 02210
On top of free Thursday nights, the ICA also offers other free events throughout the year, check out
Harborwalk Sounds: Berklee College of Music at the ICA on Thursday evenings in the summer, and
Waterfront Vinyl Nights from 5-9 p.m. on Fridays during the summer.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Free every first Thursday from 3-9 p.m. | 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115
The museum, made even more popular by the unsolved
art heist in March 1990, is also
free every day for people named Isabella.
Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
Free for Massachusetts residents on certain holidays | Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Saturdays, open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday | 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
The MFA offers
free admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. These free days are popular, so get there early or expect to wait in line.
The MFA also has $5 admission for Community Celebrations on select nights after 5 p.m. throughout the year.
Worcester Art Museum
Free on certain holidays | Always free for individuals 17 and under | Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
A perfect day trip from Boston, the Worcester Art Museum features a range of exhibits from modern to ancient art. There are weekly free tours of the galleries included with admission as well as
other events. Check out the
full list of free admission days and discounts for specific groups.
The Icon Museum and Study Center
Free Family Thursdays through August 2024, and free admission for all on the first Sunday of each month from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | 203 Union St. Clinton, MA 01510
The museum holds one of the most comprehensive collections of icons in the U.S. Each Family Thursday features a new theme inspired by the museum’s collection or special exhibitions. Drop-in, self-guided tours and crafts are available, as well as docent and staff-led activities starting at 1 p.m.
Other free attractions:
The Black Heritage Trail
Free | Tours run May 25 through Oct. 1 Wednesday-Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. | Register ahead of time to confirm spot
The National Park Service offers seasonal tours of residences and community buildings associated with the Black community on Beacon Hill post-Civil war. The tour starts across the street from the Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial in front of the Massachusetts State House and ends at the Museum of African American History, covering about 1.4 miles.
Arnold Arboretum
Always free | Open 7 a.m.- 9 p.m.| 125 Arborway, Boston, MA 02130
Over 280 acres of landscape, featuring thousands of plants. Enjoy a stroll around the grounds while looking for local wildlife. There is a
full calendar of events and public guided tours offered throughout the week.
Other discounts and programs
This guide primarily details museums with opportunities to visit for free, but some also have reduced-rate tickets for visitors on select dates or through partnerships. Many museums offer discounted or free entry for active military/veterans and EBT cardholders, as well as discounts for students and seniors.
Boston Children’s Museum
$1 Sundays from 1-4 p.m. for all visitors | Online reservations required | 308 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210
Harvard Museum of Natural History and Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
Free hours for Massachusetts residents every Sunday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m. Proof of residency required. One admission per resident. This offer is not available to commercial groups.
Peabody Essex Museum
Always free for visitors 16 and younger |
Discounts for a wide range of groups | Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday- Monday | East India Square, 161 Essex St., Salem, MA 01970
The Trustees of Reservations properties
Specific Trustees properties have
free admission on Veterans’ Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day for all visitors. Select
groups can enter for free or half-priced year round. Hours vary depending on the property.
Special programs
With a Boston Public Library membership, individuals can
reserve museum passes for free or discounted entry to a range of local museums and attractions. All Boston Public Library branches have passes for: the Boston Children’s Museum, Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, Mapparium, Massachusetts DCR Park parking, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, New England Aquarium and the USS Constitution Museum.
Select Boston library locations have passes for other local museums and attractions.
A handful of museums are also part of
Boston Public Schools Sundays, a pilot program by the city. On the first and second Sunday of each month, BPS students can access these museums for free with up to three family members. As of now this pilot runs through the end of 2024:
