Free Things to do in Boston
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credit: Pear Biter
Boston is an increasingly popular travel destination for people of all different ages. College students go there to check out the schools in nearby Cambridge. Business people go there for the conferences that are frequently hosted in the city. And families are starting to find that Boston is a great place for a trip that combines an education in American history with a lot of modern entertainment.
Unfortunately, Boston isn’t the cheapest travel destination in the nation. It’s certainly not the most expensive but it’s easy to spend more than a pretty penny during your time in Boston if you’re not careful about how you budget and plan. Luckily, Boston is also a city which offers a lot of free activities that can be enjoyed by both locals and visitors. If you plan properly, you can have a terrific Boston stay without causing yourself to go into significant debt.
Here are some of the best free things that you can do in Boston:
Free Places in Boston
• Arnold Arboretum. There are nearly three hundred acres of flora and fauna here that offer a breathtaking reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city. And they can be enjoyed by visitors entirely free every single day throughout the year.
• Boston’s art museums. The art museums in Boston offer free days so that people who can’t otherwise afford to check out the art can get their bit of culture at no cost. If you’re up early on a Saturday morning then you can catch the free day at the Harvard art museums; get there before noon. If you’re around on a Thursday evening then you can head to the free day at the Institute of Contemporary Art; get there after five. And if it’s a Wednesday after four then you can go to pay-what-you-wish day at the Museum of Fine Arts.
• Boston’s other museums. Some of Boston’s other museums also offer free days. For example, Sunday mornings are free for Massachusetts residents at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. And a few museums are always free, like the Museum of Afro-American History which is a donation-based museum
• Harborwalk. This is a walkway along the waterfront which has recently been revitalized. There are public parks, beach areas and urban trails. It’s a terrifically relaxing place where you can waste a few hours of any nice day.
• Harvard and MIT. These two college campuses in Cambridge can provide you with a day’s full of free fun. Wander around, check out the architecture, do some people watching and enjoy pretending that you’re a part of the college life there.
• Hatch Shell. This is an outdoor stage on the Charles River where you can regularly find different types of free events. One of the most popular of these is the outdoor movie series that runs throughout the summer here. However, music and theater performances may also be seen here.
• USS Constitution. This historic navy ship, better known as Old Ironsides, can be toured at no charge throughout the year. Anyone interested in maritime history should put this on the list.
Free Activities in Boston
• Art gallery openings. Like any other major city, Boston has art galleries which are open to the public. Keep an eye on any Boston calendars for artist opening receptions. Not only are they free but you get free wine as well! Broomfield Gallery, Clark Gallery and Genovese/Sullivan Gallery are good places to look for these types of events.
• Get drunk. Believe it or not, you can actually drink for free in Boston if you play your cards right (even if you don’t like art openings). There are free wine tastings available at the Best Cellars wine shops at different times throughout the week. There are also free tours and tastings at the Sam Adams brewery and some of the other breweries in the area.
• Go stargazing. You can relax underneath the Boston skies at a local park or you can actually go check out the constellations using the telescopes available at Boston University’s Coit Observatory. It’s not free all of the time but they have free days once a week so if you make your plans in advance then you should be able to get this astronomical experience at no charge.
• Literary events. Boston is a very literary city which means that the bookstores here almost always host free events. Poetry readings, book signings and media release parties are all common things that you can attend at no charge. The Harvard Book Store, Brookline Booksmith and Grolier Poetry Book Shop are good places to start if you’re looking for these types of events.
• View the city. There are many different places throughout Boston where you can go to get a great view of the city. Take a picnic and enjoy the scenery; or take a camera and capture it on film. The best viewing spots include the top of Bunker Hill Monument, the South Boston waterfront, Fan Pier, Boston’s Convention Center and Quarry Hills golf course.
• Window shopping and urban wandering. There are many different areas of Boston where you can just walk along the street and look in the windows of all of the stores there. Some people find this sort of experience to be too much of a tease but others really enjoy just being out and about amongst Bostonians and gazing at things they’d like but don’t need. Two great places to do this are the Newbury Street shopping district and the Downtown Crossing shopping district. Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood is a more upscale area for this activity. The North End (Boston’s Italian neighborhood) is also a terrific place for wandering.
Free Stuff on the Holidays
There are events, parades and celebrations throughout the year so if you happen to be in Boston during one of these then you might want to check out the free activities going on. A few of the favorites include:
• Boston’s Fourth of July. The city that’s home to the Boston Tea Party sure knows how to celebrate America’s independence. The fireworks are cast into the sky over the Charles River and tons of other activities take place in the area at no charge to their participants.
• St. Patrick’s Day in Boston. With the number of Irish people (and Irish pubs) in Boston, it’s no surprise that this is a huge holiday for the city. Go to the parade to start off the day for free.
• Summer Solstice. Believe it or not there is a huge parade and celebration for the Summer Solstice. It takes place at the Children’s Museum so it’s good for all ages and includes lots of different entertainment and activities. If you’re a fan of summer, you should visit this event.
• Chinatown Festival. Boston’s Chinatown comes alive each August with a celebration of the neighborhood. You can see free martial arts demonstrations and other activities if you’re in Boston at this time.
• Boston Tea Party Re-Enactment. People who are in Boston in December should skip the Christmas shenanigans and attend this annual event instead. It’s free if you show up in a colonial costume.
How to Find Free Things to do in Boston
These things are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the free activities and events available in Boston. You can find other things to do during any time of the year that you may be in the city. Check event listings on Boston’s Craigslist page, Meetup.com, and Going.com to see what activities people have listed for free.
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