10 free and cheap things to do in Boston

Thursday is a good day to like art in Boston. Both the ICA and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offer free evening admission, and on the third Thursday of the month the MFA lets you pay what you wish, starting at $5. You still need to sort out tickets. You do not need to make an expensive evening of it.

These free and cheap things to do in Boston include places you can visit whenever they are open and others where the timing matters. Cambridge gets a spot, too, because passing up the Harvard Art Museums on a technicality would be a waste.

The red line through downtown, the North End and Charlestown connects 16 historic sites over 2.5 miles. Following it yourself costs nothing; some buildings charge admission, and guided tours cost extra. Pick a section if you would rather spend time looking than finish the whole route. Boston Common, the Granary Burying Ground and the exterior of the Old State House make a manageable start without committing to a walk across the river.

The MFA’s third-Thursday evenings start at 5 p.m., with pay-what-you-wish admission from $5. Those tickets are sold in person that evening. Massachusetts residents also get free general admission on designated holiday open-house days; check the museum’s calendar for the dates and bring proof of your Massachusetts ZIP code. These are useful ways to return for a few galleries instead of feeling obliged to see an entire museum in one visit.

You can spend an afternoon in the Public Garden without buying a Swan Boat ticket. Walk around the lagoon, look at the flower beds, find the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture, then take a bench. The garden opened in 1837 and is still a very good answer to having an hour to fill downtown. The boats operate seasonally and charge separately; the park itself is the free part.

The Central Library in Copley Square has a courtyard, murals and a reading room grand enough to distract you from your book. Bates Hall has green lamps, long tables and a 50-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling, but it remains a working reading room. Keep conversations low. The library’s free Bloomberg Connects guide adds an audio tour if you want to know what you are looking at beyond “a very nice ceiling.”

The Gardner offers free admission every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., with tickets released two days beforehand. Reserve before making the trip. The courtyard alone is reason to slow down, but leave time for the rooms around it and the collection inside them. Visitors under 18 receive free admission generally, so families do not have to restrict their visit to a Thursday evening.

The Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge are free whenever they are open. No Harvard affiliation is required. Start in the glass-roofed Calderwood Courtyard, then choose from more than 50 galleries across three floors. The museums normally open Tuesday through Sunday and close Mondays. Check in at visitor services on arrival; weekend advance registration is encouraged, although walk-ins are welcome. This is the easiest museum on the list to fit around your own schedule.

Boarding USS Constitution in the Charlestown Navy Yard is free and first come, first served. Adults need a physical government-issued photo ID or passport, and visitors pass through security. Check the ship’s schedule before leaving: weather and operational duties can affect access. The separate museum nearby has suggested admission tiers, including a reduced option from free to $10. Its exhibits cover the ship and the people who served aboard it. Visiting the museum and boarding the ship are two different stops.

Bring lunch and take the Esplanade’s riverside paths at your own pace. There are gardens, playgrounds and places to watch boats without renting one. Use the pedestrian bridges to reach the park across Storrow Drive, and keep an eye out for runners and bikes on shared routes. Public restrooms operate seasonally, from late spring to early fall, so a winter walk takes a little more planning than a summer picnic.

The ICA’s free Thursday nights run from 5 to 9 p.m. and require advance tickets. It is a chance to try an exhibition you know nothing about without paying the usual adult admission. The museum sits directly on the Seaport waterfront, so allow time for a walk outside, too. Visitors 18 and younger get free admission generally; families should check the separate Play Date program for free adult admission with children.

The Arnold Arboretum is free every day from sunrise to sunset. Its 281 acres give you room for a long walk, but you can also choose one section and spend time noticing individual trees. Pick up a map or use the Arboretum’s digital one before setting out. Plant labels turn an ordinary walk into a chance to identify what is growing around you, and the free Expeditions app adds more detail when a tree catches your attention.

For more ideas beyond this list, see our guide to unusual things to do in Boston. Before buying a museum ticket, check your public library’s museum-pass program and any student or other admission benefits you qualify for. A free night can still require a reservation.