Wednesday–Sunday, 10am–4pm (closed MLK Day, Patriots' Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day)
USS Constitution, Charlestown Navy Yard · Boston
'Old Ironsides' is still crewed by U.S. Navy sailors, and tours are free year-round. The ship is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, at the Charlestown Navy Yard (hours can change, so check before you go). Adults 18+ need a physical government photo ID or passport (no digital IDs), and everyone goes through airport-style screening. No strollers aboard.
Verified Oct 27 · navy.mil
Catch: Visitors 18+ need a physical federal or state photo ID; security screening
Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm (closed Mondays and major holidays)
Fuller Craft Museum · Brockton
Fuller Craft Museum, the region's museum of contemporary craft, has free admission (donations welcome) and free parking. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm; closed Mondays and major holidays.
Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy · Boston
The Addison Gallery of American Art on the Phillips Academy campus in Andover has free admission to all exhibitions. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1 to 5pm.
The Lazarus House Ministries soup kitchen in Lawrence serves breakfast (8:30–9:30am) and lunch (11:30am–1pm) every day of the week, about 250 meals a day for individuals and families facing homelessness and food insecurity.
Bunker Hill Monument and Museum (Boston National Historical Park)
Climb the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, or visit the Bunker Hill Museum across the street, free. Off-season hours (through late May) are Wednesday to Sunday, 1 to 4pm; last climb is 30 minutes before closing and only 25 people can be inside at once. The climb can close for weather.
Massachusetts residents get into the Harvard Museum of Natural History free every Sunday from 9am to noon and every Wednesday from 3 to 5pm. Bring proof of residency. Regular adult admission is $20 and also covers the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology next door.
Verified Oct 27 · hmnh.harvard.edu
Catch: Massachusetts residents only: bring proof of residency · Not for commercial groups
Daily, sunrise to sunset (visitor center 10am–4pm)
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University · Boston
Harvard's Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain is free and open every day from sunrise to sunset. The Hunnewell Visitor Center at the Arborway Gate is open 10am to 4pm daily, and self-guided tour routes run from a 40-minute intro loop to a 2.5-mile director's walk.
Bread of Life serves a free hot dinner Tuesday to Friday: doors open at 4pm and the meal is served 4:30 to 5:30pm. No application or reservation; residents of any town are welcome. Enter from the bike path.
The state's Commonwealth Museum at Columbia Point in Dorchester is free to visit with free parking. Open weekdays 9am to 5pm; closed weekends and legal holidays.
Daily 12–4pm, ranger talks at 2pm and 3pm, through Nov 28, 2026 (closed Thanksgiving)
Lowell National Historical Park, Boarding House exhibits
At Lowell National Historical Park, the 'Into an 1840s Boarding House' and 'One City, Many Cultures' exhibits at 40 French Street are open daily noon to 4pm, with ranger talks at 2 and 3pm, through November 28, 2026 (closed Thanksgiving, Nov 26). The park charges no entrance fee; only the Boott Cotton Mills Museum and guided tours need tickets. Hours after Nov 28 aren't posted yet.
Weekdays, 10am–3:30pm (closed weekends and holidays)
Massachusetts State House · Boston
Take a free tour of the gold-domed Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill, weekdays year-round from 10am to 3:30pm. Self-guided visits for groups up to 10 just check in at the tours desk in Doric Hall; guided tours must be booked by phone at 617-727-3676.
Verified Oct 27 · sec.state.ma.us
Catch: Guided tours need a reservation by phone; self-guided visits don't
My Brother's Table, the North Shore's largest soup kitchen, serves free hot meals to anyone who comes to the door, every day: Monday to Friday 12 to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 2 to 4:30pm. Everyone is welcome.
Cambridge residents can sign up for a free Cambridge Resident Membership at the MIT Museum in Kendall Square and get free general admission all year (adults otherwise pay $20). One membership covers two adults and children under 18 at the same address. Register online or at the museum and bring a photo ID or document showing your Cambridge address. Open daily, 10am to 5pm.
Verified Oct 27 · mitmuseum.mit.edu
Catch: Cambridge residents only: free member sign-up with proof of address
Kids & familyFree (worth about $20)Eligibility applies
Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm (Thursday and Friday to 9pm; closed Mondays)
Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
Visitors 18 and under (and Boston Public Schools students) never pay at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, with late hours to 9pm on Thursdays and most Fridays (on the first Friday of the month it closes at 5pm). Adults pay $20, or come on a Thursday night when it's free for everyone.
Verified Oct 27 · icaboston.org
Catch: Only for visitors 18 and under; adults pay unless it's a Thursday night
Most Wednesdays at 7:30pm (Oct–Mar; 8:30pm Apr–Sep), weather permitting
Judson B. Coit Observatory, Boston University
Boston University opens its rooftop Coit Observatory to the public most Wednesday evenings, weather permitting, to look through telescopes and learn some astronomy. From October to March the program starts promptly at 7:30pm, with no entry once it begins. Tickets are free (up to 5 per person) and released on Eventbrite around 11am on Thursdays; walk-ins get in if there's room. It's cancelled for clouds, haze or rain: call 617-353-2630 (no earlier than two hours before) to check. Stairs only, dress warmly.
Verified Oct 27 · bu.edu
Catch: Free ticket required (released Thursdays on Eventbrite, up to 5 per person) · No unaccompanied minors
Brookline residents in need can shop the Brookline Food Pantry once a week and leave with three bags: refrigerated or frozen items, fresh produce and pantry staples. Hours at United Parish (210 Harvard St.): Wednesday 2–5pm, Thursday and Friday 10:30am–1pm; at the High Street Veterans Community Room (226 High St.): Tuesday 3–7pm. First visit: bring an ID or a piece of mail showing your Brookline address. Home delivery is possible for residents who are disabled or at high risk.
Verified Oct 27 · brooklinefoodpantry.org
Catch: Brookline residents only (ID or mail with a current Brookline address) · Once a week
Wednesdays and Fridays, 1–4pm (once every four weeks per household)
Bread of Life · Malden
Bread of Life's full-choice food pantry in Malden lets you pick groceries for your family with help from staff, Wednesdays and Fridays 1 to 4pm, once every four weeks. Open to residents of Malden, Everett, Medford, Melrose, Saugus, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester, Reading and North Reading; fill out an application on your first visit.
Verified Oct 27 · breadoflifemalden.org
Catch: Residents of Malden, Everett, Medford, Melrose, Saugus, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester, Reading, N. Reading · Application and proof of residency on first visit
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston celebrates Diwali on Sunday, November 1, 2026, 10am to 5pm, with free admission for visitors 18 and under. Adults pay regular admission.
Verified Oct 27 · mfa.org
Catch: Free for ages 18 and under only; adults pay regular admission
The City of Somerville's Health and Human Services department runs a free vaccine clinic for anyone 6 months or older on Thursday, November 5, 2026, 11am to 12:30pm, at the City Hall Annex. Vaccines help protect against flu, COVID-19 and other viruses. Pre-registration is highly encouraged; walk-in spots are limited. There's no cost to you: the city bills insurance for people who have it, and uninsured residents are served too.
Verified Oct 27 · somervillema.gov
Catch: Insured? Bring your insurance card: the city bills insurance, not you
Bring your Halloween pumpkin to Newton City Hall's War Memorial Circle on Saturday, November 7, 2026, 1 to 4pm, and smash it (including with machines built by the high school robotics team). There's touch-a-truck, composting tips, and a pop-up costume swap where donated costumes are free to take home. Food trucks sell food. Pre-registration is encouraged; cancelled if rain is likely.
Verified Oct 27 · newtonma.gov
Catch: Registration encouraged (on-site registration if you don't pre-register)
Clarinetist Nat Seelen of Ezekiel's Wheels Klezmer Band and Mozambican guitarist and singer Albino Mbie, a Berklee professor, share the stage at the Newton Free Library on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 2pm.
Santa lands by helicopter at Pageant Field in Merrymount Park on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at noon. A city special event; check the city calendar for details as they're posted.
Quincy's 73rd annual Christmas Parade steps off on Sunday, November 29, 2026, at noon (city calendar: noon to 3:30pm). The route starts at Hancock Street and Walter J. Hannon Parkway and ends at North Quincy High School. Free to watch along the route.
Boston Parks celebrates the reopening of the renovated Copley Square Park with its annual tree lighting on Monday, November 30, 2026, 5 to 6pm: arts and crafts, a guided tour of the square, Santa and Rudolph, and music from the Boston Children's Chorus and others. Free.
Somerville Health and Human Services holds a free vaccine clinic for anyone 6 months or older on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 11:30am to 1pm, at the Central Library on Highland Avenue (flu, COVID-19 and other vaccines). Pre-registration is highly encouraged; walk-in spots are limited. There's no cost to you: the city bills insurance for people who have it, and uninsured residents are served too.
Verified Oct 27 · somervillema.gov
Catch: Insured? Bring your insurance card: the city bills insurance, not you
Boston's annual tree lighting on the Common is Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 6 to 8pm, next to the Visitor Information Center on Tremont Street. It's free and open to everyone.
The trees along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall light up on Thursday, December 3, 2026, at 8pm, right after the Boston Common tree lighting. Free; gather near 15 Commonwealth Avenue.
Downtown Portsmouth, NH lights its tree in Market Square at 5pm on Saturday, December 5, 2026, then the Illuminated Holiday Parade leaves Goodwin Park on Islington Street at 6pm and reaches Market Square about 20 to 30 minutes later. Free and open to all.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston marks Hanukkah on Sunday, December 6, 2026, 10am to 5pm, with free admission for visitors 18 and under. Adults pay regular admission.
Verified Oct 27 · mfa.org
Catch: Free for ages 18 and under only; adults pay regular admission
The ICA opens on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 18, 2027, and admission is free for everyone. Regular adult admission is $20. Check the museum's site for that day's hours.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 18, 2027, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is free for anyone with a Massachusetts zip code, 10am to 5pm. Adult admission is normally $30. Tickets are handed out in person, first come, first served; there are no advance tickets.
Verified Oct 27 · mfa.org
Catch: Massachusetts residents only (valid Massachusetts zip code) · Tickets in person only: no advance tickets
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston celebrates Lunar New Year on Sunday, February 7, 2027, 10am to 5pm, with free admission for visitors 18 and under. Adults pay regular admission.
Verified Oct 27 · mfa.org
Catch: Free for ages 18 and under only; adults pay regular admission
Visitor center daily 9:30am–4:30pm through Nov 14 (winter hours not yet posted)
Salem Maritime National Historical Park · Boston
Along Salem's waterfront, the National Park Service's Salem Maritime National Historical Park says all its buildings and programs are free. The Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center is open daily 9:30am to 4:30pm through November 14; winter hours aren't posted yet, so check the park's site after that. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Minute Man National Historical Park, with its North Bridge Visitor Center in Concord, has no entrance fee. Visitor center hours change with the season, so check the park's site before you go.
Mondays from 4pm (not on holidays or school snow days)
Haverhill Citizens Center
Haverhill's Council on Aging hosts a community meal every Monday, with service starting at 4pm at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome Street. It's free and open to the public. No meal on holidays or when schools close for bad weather.
Verified Oct 27 · haverhillma.gov
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