Free museums in Boston
It is well known that there are a lot of great museums that Boston has to offer. However, what is not as well known is that you do not have to spend big money to see all of the Boston museums. There are ways to enjoy Boston museums on a budget by taking advantage of the free museum days in Boston.
If you are googling ‘Free museums near me’ or ‘Free art museums near me’ or ‘Free museum days in Boston’, we have you covered! Check out our list of free and cheap admission days to Boston museums by day of the week.
Editor’s Note: The staff at BostonOnBudget tries to bring you up-to-date information. However, as always, please call to confirm ahead of time.
Also, check out our articles on Complete guide to the New England Aquarium, Blue Star Museums in Boston – Free admission for active-duty military personnel!
Get the lowest price on must-see attractions in Boston with Boston CityPASS
Experience Boston’s must-see tourist attractions — and enjoy considerable savings — on this exciting Boston CityPASS. Visit the popular New England Aquarium and the Museum of Science. Plus choose 2 admissions between the following 3 attractions Boston Harbor Cruises, Harvard Museum of Natural History or the Franklin Park Zoo to complete the experience.
This Boston CityPASS is valid for 9 consecutive days from date of first use. Convenient mobile tickets are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase. Transportation to and from the attractions is not included. Attractions may be required to verify proof of COVID-19 vaccination before allowing entry. Please review attraction requirements before visiting Boston.
Get all the details and book your Boston CityPASS TODAY!!!
Free Museums in Boston – Every Day of the Week
Boston Fire Museum
The Boston Fire Museum is free for everyone to visit. They are a nonprofit organization and operate on fundraising and donations. They encourage you to attend anytime you are in the area, there is always a new exhibit and a new story to tell.
Where: 344 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02110 (*very close to the Children’s Museum if you want to do both)
Bunker Hill Museum
The museum is always free and is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Located along the Freedom Trail just across the street from the monument. It has some great exhibits on the battle, the monument, and the history of Charleston.
Where: 43 Monument Sq., Charlestown, MA 02129
Fuller Craft Museum
FREE Admission for all guests, every day of the week! Suggested donations are welcome.
Where: 455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA 02301
Otis House Museum
Free for Boston residents, $10 for adults otherwise
Where: 141 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114
Boston Museums with free admission on Monday (specific Mondays throughout the year)
The Museum of Fine Arts
Members get free admission to the MFA anytime.
Admission to the Museum is free to all Massachusetts residents on the following days:
- Monday, January 16, 2023 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- Monday, May 30, 2023 (Memorial Day)
- Monday, June 19, 2023 (Juneteenth)
- Monday, October 9, 2023 (Indigenous Peoples’ Day)
Where: 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Get the lowest price on the very popular Boston Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour
Explore the best that Boston has to offer on this hop-on hop-off tour of the city. See Boston’s top attractions—like the USS ‘Constitution’ and the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, to name a few—on the loop. Enjoy discounted admission to attractions like the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum with the purchase of your tour.
Board one of the orange-and-green trolleys at any of the stops and enjoy the view with live commentary from an expert guide who knows the city inside and out. Learn about the history and happenings of Boston, a city known as the Cradle of Liberty, as the trolley rolls along from one location to the next. For one, or two consecutive days, hop off at any of the attractions for a closer look, then hop back on when it’s convenient.
14 stops and 33 points of interest!
Get all the details and book your Boston Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour TODAY!!!
Free Museums in Boston Monday – Friday
Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company (AHAC) Museum
Free to the public every weekday from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Located on the 4th Floor of Faneuil Hall on the Freedom Trail, the museum has over 300 years of history on display with firearms, swords, uniforms, and other artifacts on display.
Where: 4 Faneuil Hall Sq, Boston, MA 02109
Commonwealth Museum
Free during open hours Monday-Friday 9 am – 5 pm. Closed on holidays.
Where: 220 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125
Boston Museums with Free Admission Tuesday – Sunday
Boston University Art Gallery
Free daily (closed on Mondays)
Where: 855 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
Free Museums in Boston Wednesday – Sunday
Art Complex Museum
Always free when they are open (Wednesday-Sunday 1 pm – 4 pm).
Where: 189 Alden Street, Duxbury, MA 02331
Boston Museums with Free Admission – Wednesday and Sunday
Harvard Museum of Natural History
- Free to holders of a current Harvard ID; Harvard Museums of Science & Culture members, and Harvard Art Museums members.
- Free to Massachusetts residents every Sunday morning (year-round) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and on Wednesdays from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm (September through May). Proof of residency required. This offer is not available to commercial groups.
- Free to Massachusetts Teachers (K-12).
- Free for Massachusetts residents who present an EBT or WIC card, and up to five guests. We are proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration among Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, broadening accessibility to cultural programming.
Where: 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
- Free for holders of a current Harvard ID (+1 guest); Harvard Museums of Science & Culture members, and Harvard Art Museums members.
- Free for Massachusetts residents every Sunday morning (year-round) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and on Wednesdays from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm (September through May). Proof of residency is required. This offer is not available to commercial groups.
- Free for Massachusetts Teachers (K–12)
- Free for Massachusetts residents who present an EBT or WIC card, and up to five guests.
- Free for active duty military with their families in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Humanities Blue Star Museums program.
Where: 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
Enjoy the lowest price on 40+ attractions and tours in Boston with Go City Boston All Inclusive Pass
Seeing the best of Boston doesn’t get any easier, or more economical, than with Go City’s Boston All-Inclusive Pass. This flexible sightseeing pass allows visitors to pick and choose from a wide variety of Boston’s top attractions, over 40 in all, at any pace desired over the course of one, two, three, five, or seven consecutive days. Enjoy immediate entry to attractions.
Simply save the pass (available as your ‘ticket’ after purchase) on your mobile device and go. No voucher redemption is required. Please note: Enjoy the extra flexibility in case your travel plans need to change: All passes are valid for two years from purchase date and only become activated with your first attraction visit. After activation your pass will be valid for the remaining number of days purchased.
Get all the details and book your Go City Boston All Inclusive Pass TODAY!!!
Free Museums in Boston Thursday
The Institute of Contemporary Art
Admission is FREE for all every Thursday from 5 to 9 PM during ICA Free Thursday Nights. Timed tickets are required for free days and nights. Timed tickets for Free Thursday Nights become available at 10 AM the morning of.
Where: 100 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210
Free Museums in Boston Saturday
Harvard Art Museum
- Free All students with a valid ID
- Free Harvard ID holders (plus one guest)
- Free Harvard Art Museums Members
- Free Youth under 18
- Free Cambridge residents (proof of residency required)
- Free MTA (Massachusetts Teachers Association) Members (valid ID required)
- Free Massachusetts residents, Saturdays from 10 am-noon (proof of residency required)
- Free Active duty military personnel, plus up to five family members, in collaboration with NEA Blue Star Museums (year-round)
- Free Individuals with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, plus up to five family members
Free Museums in Boston Sunday
Worcester Art Museum – Free admission first Sunday of each month
Visit the Museum for FREE on the first Sunday of each month (excluding national holidays and Flora in Winter). Free admission includes access to the Worcester Art Museum’s global collection of art, special exhibitions, tours, and other programs when available.
Where: 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609
Boston Children’s Museum -Discounted admission on Sundays
All visitors receive $1 admission during the Sunday afternoon timeslot, 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm. Online Reservations are Required.
Where: 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
Best Free Museums in Boston – Admission discounts for members, military and more
MIT Museum
Free Admission Offers: MIT Community – students, faculty, staff, alum with ID + one guest; Cambridge Resident Members; EBT cardholders + 3 family members; Blue Star Museums Program for active military personnel + up to five family members; Massachusetts Teachers Association members with proper ID; Professional courtesy for Museum Staff with proper ID
Where: 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
U.S.S. Constitution
Free Admission to Members, Military, and EBT Cardholders.
Where: Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown, MA 02129
Stay up to date on all fun things going on in Boston with our weekly updates to Things to do in Boston this Week & Things to do in Boston this Weekend
And to have these updates delivered directly to your feed, give us a follow on Facebook by clicking on the …next to the search lens icon
