Free Things To Do in Boston

The Boston area offers an abundance of free and fun activities for everyone. See what's happening in Boston below!

SoWa Sundays May 12

Spend a Sunday afternoon at 450 Harrison Ave, and meet the artists directly. Family friendly and free event. Plenty of parking is available. SoWa Artists Guild Facebook/SoWa Artists Guild Instagram/SoWa Artists Guild

Esplanade Community Day 2024 May 19
  • DCR Hatch Memorial Shell

Join us for our 4th Annual Community Day - a free, public, outdoors event meant for everyone to enjoy the Esplanade! We kick off the day with our Annual Esplanade 5k (registration required) followed by free concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell, children activities, lawn games…

Revere Beach Kite Festival May 19
  • Revere Beach

On Sunday, May 19th, we will host our 8th Annual Kite Festival on Revere Beach. This is our way of kicking off beach season with fun for the whole family! Children will have the opportunity to build, decorate, and fly their kites. The event also features professional kite flyers…

Caribbean American Heritage Festival Jun 01
  • Reggie Lewis Center

June has been designated as National Caribbean American Heritage Month by Presidential Proclamation. Caribbean American have contributed to the development of the United States in extraordinary ways. Millions of people in the United. Come out and enjoy a festival presentation of…

My Caribbean One World Expo Jul 06
  • Rowes Wharf Plaza, Rose Kennedy Greenway

MY CARIBBEAN, ONE WORLD EXPO” to be held Saturday, July 6, 2024 at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, Rowes Wharf Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts. The theme for the 2024 Expo is “Our Folklore Culture”, highlighting the rich Caribbean community culture, arts and craft…

Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival Jul 19
  • Revere Beach Boulevard

The Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival is a renowned annual event that transforms the shores of Revere Beach into an awe-inspiring boardwalk and open-air festival. Celebrating its 20th year in 2024, this festival gathers world-class sand sculptors who showcase…

Museums & Exhibitions

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Boston University Art Galleries May 07
  • 855 Commonwealth Ave
  • Recurring weekly on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

The BU Art Galleries host a variety of ongoing exhibitions in three locations on the University campus focused on national and regional artistic endeavors. Tours Availability: Tuesday – Sunday (closed on holidays recognized by the school) Gallery Hours: 11 pm - 5 pm

Bunker Hill Museum May 07
  • 43 Monument Ave
  • Recurring daily

The Bunker Hill Museum’s exhibits and dioramas tell the stories of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the construction of the Monument, and the history of the Charlestown Neighborhood. The museum is housed in the old Charlestown branch of the Boston Public Library. Guests can request…

Commonwealth Museum May 07

The Commonwealth Museum brings history alive through exhibits and educational programs. Changing exhibits interpret artifacts and documents that illuminate Massachusetts history. The exhibits featured are typically focused on the work and words of men like John Hancock, Samuel…

Future Minded: New Works in the Collection May 07

Examine the museums’ recent acquisitions, spanning centuries and media. Future Minded highlights a selection of works acquired in recent years that exemplify the Harvard Art Museums’ collecting vision and strategies. Nearly all are on display for the first time. The museums are…

McMullen Museum of Art - Boston College May 07
  • McMullen Museum of Art
  • Recurring daily

If you’re in the mood for a different kind of art, this museum houses collections loaned from institutions and art collectors all over the globe. Due to their reliance on loans, their exhibitions change quite frequently. In the span of a year, you could see pieces from China…

MIT List Visual Arts Center May 07
  • MIT List Visual Arts Center
  • Recurring weekly on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

The MIT List Visual Arts Center offers visitors a dynamic program of temporary exhibitions in the galleries, as well as renowned permanent and public art collections located across the Institute making it an excellent location to discover unique artistic visions. Availability…

Museum of Bad Art May 07
  • Dorchester Brewing Co.
  • Recurring daily

MOBA is the world's only museum dedicated to the collection, exhibition, and celebration of bad art in all forms. This year's theme is 99% Inspiration, 1% Persperation, a twist on Thomas Edison's famous definition of genius. Located in the basement of Somerville Theater…

Waterworks Museum May 07
  • Waterworks Museum
  • Recurring daily

The Waterworks Museum interprets unique stories of the country's first metropolitan water system through exhibitions and educational programs on engineering, architecture, social history, and public health. Located along the Chestnut Hill reservoir, the Waterworks Museum…

Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company May 08
  • 1 Faneuil Hall Sq Ste 4
  • Recurring weekly on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Located on the top floor of the historic Faneuil Hall, the Military Museum and Armory displays uniforms, medals, and weaponry from The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, among other, more modern military artifacts. Learn about the soldiers of the Ancient…

Coit Observatory May 08
  • 685 Commonwealth Ave
  • Recurring weekly on Wednesday

This astronomical observatory owned and operated by Boston University. It's located on the roof of the College of Arts & Sciences and offers free public hours on Wednesday nights. • Although it won’t cost you a dime, you do need to obtain tickets ahead of time because there…

USS Constitution Ship May 08

Old Ironsides is one of the most famous ships in the history of the United States. Learn about the legacy of the USS Constitution ship, the world's oldest commissioned warship, at the USS Constitution Museum. The museum of this historic vessel is open to the public for free…

ICA Free Thursday Night May 09

The ICA is free for all visitors every Thursday from 5 to 9 PM. Tickets for Free Thursday Nights will be available at icaboston.org/tickets at 10 AM on that Thursday morning. Beginning May 29, in line with the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and…

Boston Fire Museum May 11
  • 344 Congress St
  • Recurring weekly on Saturday

The Boston Fire Museum houses some of the oldest devices used to fight fires in Boston. In addition to buckets, trumpets, and fire grenades, you will also see some of the earliest examples of fire engines – some dating back to 1793. Tour Availability: Saturday Saturday…

Family Friendly

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Elderbration & Walk to End Elder Isolation May 19
  • The Rogerson House, Jamaica Plain

Join us on May 19 for this family and pet-friendly "Elderbration" to support FriendshipWorks’ critical mission of reducing social isolation and providing personalized programming and friendship to over 1,600 older adults in Boston, Brookline, Newton, Cambridge, and Somerville…

Esplanade Community Day 2024 May 19
  • DCR Hatch Memorial Shell

Join us for our 4th Annual Community Day - a free, public, outdoors event meant for everyone to enjoy the Esplanade! We kick off the day with our Annual Esplanade 5k (registration required) followed by free concert at the Hatch Memorial Shell, children activities, lawn games…

Revere Beach Kite Festival May 19
  • Revere Beach

On Sunday, May 19th, we will host our 8th Annual Kite Festival on Revere Beach. This is our way of kicking off beach season with fun for the whole family! Children will have the opportunity to build, decorate, and fly their kites. The event also features professional kite flyers…

Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival Jul 19
  • Revere Beach Boulevard

The Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival is a renowned annual event that transforms the shores of Revere Beach into an awe-inspiring boardwalk and open-air festival. Celebrating its 20th year in 2024, this festival gathers world-class sand sculptors who showcase…

Performing Arts

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A Juneteenth Celebration Jun 15
  • The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center

Join us for a free concert in celebration of Juneteenth! Landmarks Orchestra, in collaboration with Castle of Our Skins, is starting the 2024 summer season with a performance at the Kroc Center! Featuring works from Florence Price, William Grant Still, Jessie Montgomery and more…

Classes / Lectures

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Tours & Trails

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African American Women in Cambridge Walking Tour May 07
  • Cambridge
  • Recurring daily

This tour provides an opportunity to visit and interact with the spaces that influential Black women in Cambridge inhabited during the 19th century. These historical figures include Harriet Jacobs, Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Alberta V. Scott, Pauline Hopkins, Maria Baldwin, Mary…

Boston Women's Memorial: Talking Statues Project May 07
  • 256 Commonwealth ave.
  • Recurring daily

In honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Boston Women’s Memorial, special recordings have been created for the statues of prominent women's rights advocates, enabling the statues to speak! This memorial, which is also one of the stops on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail…

Roxbury Memory Trail May 07
  • Recurring daily

Take a self-guided tour of Grove Hall and Nubian Square. Download the mobile app by visiting the Google Play or Apple app store · Download the 'Distrix' app · Make sure location is on · Select Roxbury Memory Trail · Have fun!

Bird Watching Exploration on the Belle Isle Marsh May 26
  • Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, East Boston

Join The Trustees and our guide on this stunning DCR property of Belle Isle Marsh for our FREE monthly birdwatching walk at Belle Isle Marsh, Boston's last remaining salt marsh. Watch the wave of migratory birds call this place home throughout the seasons and learn about climate…

Parks in Boston

Relax on the Boston Common and Public Garden, discover the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Back Bay Fens, escape to the Boston Harbor Islands, or stand in awe at Mount Auburn Cemetery - uncover Greater Boston's top parks.

Guide to Spring in Boston

Get outside in Boston, one of America’s great walking cities where the historic port, beautiful waterways, elaborate bike paths and networks of urban green space invite you to have fun outdoors.

Great Deals

Find discounts on attractions, restaurants, theatre tickets, tours, and more with our Great Deals.