Free Things to Do in Boston: 12 Picks That Cost Nothing

At a glance

• Where: Across the city of Boston, Massachusetts, from Downtown and Beacon Hill to Charlestown, South Boston and Jamaica Plain
• Hours: Parks are typically open daily; museums and ships keep set hours, so check each official site before you go
• Cost: Everything in the 12 picks is free; a few nearby extras (swan boats, carousel, the Museum of Fine Arts) are not

The best free things to do in Boston are walking the Freedom Trail, crossing Boston Common and the Public Garden, boarding the USS Constitution, climbing Bunker Hill Monument, and visiting the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on their free Thursday nights. All twelve picks below are inside the city of Boston, and each one was checked against its own official site.

Two honest notes up front. The Freedom Trail is free to walk, but some of the historic sites along it charge admission. And the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is not a free museum: it has a handful of free days with rules, covered in its own section below.

How we chose

We kept only places where you can get in without paying, confirmed on an official site (a venue, the National Park Service, the Navy, the City of Boston or a state page). Where an official page didn't state a rule, we say so rather than guess. Prices, hours and free-day schedules change, so treat the details as typical and check the official site before you go.

Every pick is within Boston's city limits. We left out Cambridge and the suburbs even when a free option there is famous.

What is actually free in Boston?

Twelve things on this list cost nothing to enter: five outdoor spaces, four historic sites, two art museums on set free nights, and one state building. Here they are, roughly in the order you could walk or ride between them.

1. The Freedom Trail (Downtown)

The Freedom Trail is free to walk: its official FAQ says you do not have to pay to visit it. The 2.5-mile red line connects 16 nationally significant historic sites, from Boston Common in Downtown to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.

The catch is that some sites on the route charge admission and some ask for donations, and the Freedom Trail Foundation's guided tours are paid. The official site points to each site's own page for its price. Our advice: walk the whole line for free, and pay for only the one or two interiors you care about. The Foundation's visitor information center is at 139 Tremont Street, on Boston Common. Start there for a free-to-use route map on the official site at thefreedomtrail.org.

2. Boston Common (Downtown and Beacon Hill)

Boston Common is a public park, and the City of Boston calls it America's oldest park, founded in 1634. It is the starting point of the Freedom Trail, and the boston.gov page lists the Frog Pond, which is a skating rink in winter and a spray pool in summer.

The City page doesn't state an admission price or fixed hours; it is an open city park. Skating and spray-pool rules are set separately, so check the City page before you go. Details are at boston.gov. It sits between Downtown and Beacon Hill.

3. The Public Garden (Back Bay and Beacon Hill)

The Public Garden, across Charles Street from Boston Common, was established in 1837 and is described by the City of Boston as the first public botanical garden in America. Walking its paths, lagoon and fountains costs nothing.

The Swan Boats on the lagoon are the exception: they are a paid, seasonal ride that runs from spring to early September, and the official Swan Boats site lists them as closed for the rest of the year. Watching them from the bridge is free. Details: boston.gov.

4. Massachusetts State House (Beacon Hill)

The Massachusetts State House, at the corner of Beacon and Park Streets on Beacon Hill, offers free docent-led walking tours, according to the state's official tour page. Tours last about 45 minutes, run between roughly 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., and meet in Doric Hall on the second floor.

The Secretary of the Commonwealth's visitor brochure says tours run Monday through Friday, and that you enter through the General Hooker Entrance on Beacon Street and pass through security. Groups should schedule ahead by phone at 617-727-3676. Confirm before you go at malegislature.gov. This is the gold-domed building at the top of Beacon Hill.

5. USS Constitution (Charlestown Navy Yard)

The USS Constitution, in the Charlestown Navy Yard, is free to board on a first come, first served basis, according to the official Navy visitor page. The USS Constitution Museum describes ship hours of Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the ship closed Monday and Tuesday.

Expect a security check: the ship is an active-duty Navy vessel with its own entry requirements, so adults should bring a physical photo ID and confirm the current rules on navy.mil. The USS Constitution Museum calls the ship the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. The neighboring USS Constitution Museum is not free (standard admission is $15 per person, with reduced and pay-it-forward options, per its official site). The ship itself is the free part, in Charlestown.

6. Bunker Hill Monument and Bunker Hill Museum (Charlestown)

The National Park Service lists free admission at the Bunker Hill Monument and the Bunker Hill Museum in Charlestown, part of Boston National Historical Park. The monument is at Monument Square in Charlestown.

The climb is 294 stairs in a tight spiral, and only 25 people are allowed inside at a time. It can close for weather or safety, and the museum has an elevator to all floors. Hours are on the park's official hours page at nps.gov. Pair it with the USS Constitution: they are a short walk apart in Charlestown.

7. Dorchester Heights (South Boston)

The National Park Service lists free admission at Dorchester Heights in South Boston, the hill where Washington's army placed cannon in 1776, and its page says the park grounds are open daily. The monument has 72 steps to its second level, then 20 more up a spiral staircase to the observation deck.

The NPS page notes a multimillion-dollar restoration of the monument and says the observation deck can be visited when open, so confirm what is open at nps.gov before you head out. The view of the harbor and the skyline from the hill is the reason to go anyway, in South Boston.

8. Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University (Jamaica Plain)

The Arnold Arboretum at 125 Arborway in Boston's Jamaica Plain is the most reliably free place on this list: its official visit page says, in a headline, that it is open every day and free every day. The grounds cover 281 acres with more than 15,000 accessioned plants and are open from sunrise to sunset, while the Visitor Center is typically open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It is owned by Harvard University, and it is still inside Boston. It's a good pick when you've seen enough brick. Details: arboretum.harvard.edu. Read more about the area in Jamaica Plain.

9. Rose Kennedy Greenway (Downtown and the Waterfront)

The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a string of public parks through Downtown and along the Waterfront, and its official site promotes free events, public art, gardens and fountains. Walking the park is free.

The Greenway Carousel at 191 Atlantic Avenue is a paid ride, though the Conservancy says it is always free for veterans, active-duty service members and their immediate families. See rosekennedygreenway.org. A walk along it links Downtown and the North End.

10. Charles River Esplanade (Back Bay)

The Charles River Esplanade runs about three miles along the Boston side of the river between the Museum of Science and the BU Bridge, and it is a public park. The Esplanade Association's site doesn't state an admission price; it describes its GroundBeat riverfront music series as free.

Don't drive: the association says public parking is not available on the Esplanade. The Frances Appleton Pedestrian Bridge at Charles Circle is the most accessible way in. See esplanade.org. It borders Back Bay.

11. Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, on Free Thursday Nights (Seaport)

The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston at 25 Harbor Shore Drive is free for everyone every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., during ICA Free Thursday Nights, per the official visit page. Advance tickets are required, so reserve before you go.

General admission is otherwise paid, though it is always free for visitors 18 and under, and the ICA lists free days on certain holidays, including Presidents' Day and Juneteenth. The museum is closed on Mondays. Details: icaboston.org. It sits on the water in the Seaport District.

12. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, on Free Thursday Nights (Fenway)

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum at 25 Evans Way in Fenway offers free admission on Thursday nights from 5 to 9 p.m., per its official visit page. Tickets become available two days ahead.

Here's the oddest free-entry rule in Boston: the museum says anyone named Isabella gets free lifetime admission. You reserve at least 24 hours ahead by phone and bring valid ID. The museum is also free for all on a few holidays (Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Indigenous Peoples' Day), and free for U.S. military members and up to four family members with ID. Standard adult admission is otherwise paid. See gardnermuseum.org. It is in Fenway-Kenmore.

What is not free in Boston?

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Swan Boats, the Greenway Carousel and the USS Constitution Museum are not free for most visitors. Here is the plain version.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Fenway-Kenmore)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston at 465 Huntington Avenue charges adults $30 and youths 7 to 17 $14, with ages 0 to 6 and members free, according to its official visit page. Every visitor needs a ticket, even free ones.

Free and cheap routes exist, but they come with conditions:

• Open House days: admission is free to all Massachusetts residents on a short list of days each year, published on the official free and discounted admission page.
• $5 Third Thursdays: after 5 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, entry is pay-what-you-wish with a $5 minimum. That is cheap, not free.
• Boston Family Days: Boston resident students and their families get free access on the first and second Sundays of each month.

If you want free art on a regular schedule, use the ICA or the Gardner on a Thursday night instead. Details: mfa.org.

Other things that charge

• The Freedom Trail's guided tours and some sites along the red line.
• The Swan Boats in the Public Garden.
• The Greenway Carousel (except for the veteran and military families rule above).
• The USS Constitution Museum.

Save this: a free day in Boston

You can cover Downtown, Beacon Hill, Back Bay and the harbor in one day without buying a ticket, then spend a Thursday evening on art. This route is a suggestion, so check hours first.

1. Morning: start at the Boston Common visitor center on Tremont Street and walk the Freedom Trail through Downtown.
2. Then: cross into the Public Garden and loop the lagoon.
3. Late morning: join a free State House tour on Beacon Hill, if tours are running.
4. Afternoon: continue the Freedom Trail to Charlestown for the USS Constitution (bring photo ID) and the Bunker Hill Monument.
5. Evening, on a Thursday: reserve free tickets for the ICA in the Seaport or the Gardner in Fenway.
6. Another day: spend a slow afternoon at the Arnold Arboretum, or stroll the Esplanade and the Greenway.

Want food between stops? Browse food and dining, or see what's on in events this weekend.

Tips for free Boston

• Reserve free Thursday-night tickets early; the ICA requires advance tickets and the Gardner releases tickets two days ahead.
• Bring a physical photo ID for the USS Constitution.
• Use the MBTA rather than driving; the Esplanade has no public parking, and Charlestown, Downtown and the Seaport are all reachable by transit.
• Free grounds can still close for weather or restoration, especially Bunker Hill's stairs and the Dorchester Heights monument.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Freedom Trail free?

Yes, walking the Freedom Trail is free; the Freedom Trail Foundation says you do not have to pay to visit it. Some historic sites along the route charge admission or ask for donations, and the Foundation's guided tours are paid.

Is the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston free?

No, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston charges admission, with adults at $30 on its official visit page. It offers free Open House days for Massachusetts residents, free Boston Family Days for Boston resident students and their families, and a pay-what-you-wish $5 minimum on Third Thursdays after 5 p.m.

Are Boston Common and the Public Garden free?

Yes, both are public city parks with no admission fee. The Swan Boats in the Public Garden are the paid exception, and they only run in the warmer months.

Which Boston museums have free nights?

The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston is free for everyone every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., with advance tickets required. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is also free on Thursday nights from 5 to 9 p.m., with tickets released two days ahead.

Is the USS Constitution free to visit?

Yes, the USS Constitution in the Charlestown Navy Yard is free to board, first come, first served, per the Navy's visitor page. Bring a physical photo ID, and note that the neighboring USS Constitution Museum charges admission.

Is the Arnold Arboretum really in Boston?

Yes, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is at 125 Arborway in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Its official site says it is open every day and free every day.