Boston Free Museum Days (2024 Calendar)

Coit Observatory at Boston University hosts Public Open Nights most Wednesdays throughout the year, weather permitting. Guests can come observe the night sky through telescopes and learn some astronomy. This is a popular event with limited capacity. Tickets are free and can be reserved in advance online.

The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology offers free days for Massachusetts residents on Sunday mornings from 9am-12pm and Wednesdays from 3-5pm. The Peabody Museum cares for a large and historic collection of anthropological materials from across the globe, including more than 1.2 million individual cultural items, 500,000 photographic images, and associated archival records.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History hosts free days for Massachusetts residents every Sunday morning from 9am-12pm and Wednesdays from 3-5pm. Explore galleries showcasing dinosaurs, mammals, meteorites, birds, rare minerals and gemstones, and more. The Harvard Museum of Natural History is the most-visited attraction at Harvard—for its historical collections, its temporary exhibitions, and its new permanent galleries.

The Institute of Contemporary Art offers free admission on select national holidays and every Thursday evening from 5-9pm. The ICA features exhibits on contemporary photography, painting, sculpture, architecture and video performance art in styles that appeal to even the youngest viewer.

The Boston Children's Museum offers $1 admission on Sunday afternoons. This museum provides a unique environment where play and learning converge. There are abundant opportunities for rich exploration and discovery.

The Worcester Art Museum is open with free admission on select days throughout the year. Families and children are encouraged to visit the Worcester Art Museum to explore, learn about art and participate in hands-on activities.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum always offers free admission to visitors age 17 and under as well as visitors named Isabella. Set in a beautiful 15th-century Venetian-style palace with 3 stories of galleries including a gorgeous flower-filled courtyard, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a unique museum with lots to look at and enjoy for visitors of all ages. Family guides are available free of charge at the information area in the Living Room. The Education Studio offers Saturday drop-in art activities for kids.

The Harvard Art Museums are free for all visitors. There are three separate museums under one roof—the Fogg Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, and Arthur M. Sackler Museum—each with a different history, collection, philosophy, and identity.

The Commonwealth Museum always offers free admission. Explore the unique history of Massachusetts at this museum. Massachusetts has always been a leader for equal rights with the first public schools, the first battles for American independence and the first abolitionist newspaper. The Commonwealth Museum brings the story to life with state of the art interactive exhibits and galleries with important historic documents. This museum would be best suited for grade-school age children and older.

The Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East always offers free admission. This Museum explores the rich history of cultures connected by the family of Semitic languages. Exhibitions include a full-scale replica of an ancient Israelite home, life sized casts of famous Mesopotamian monuments, authentic mummy coffins, and tablets containing the earliest forms of writing.

The highlight of the Waterworks Museum is the set of towering 19th century steam engines that once pumped millions of gallons of fresh water into Boston. Kids can learn about one of the first metropolitan water systems through a variety of exhibits and special events.

Fuller Craft Museum always offers free admission so you can discover the world of contemporary craft! Each year, Fuller Craft Museum presents a robust array of exhibitions in their galleries to delight, challenge, inspire, and educate their visitors.

The Boston Fire Museum always offers free admission. The collection includes fire alarm displays and artifacts, firefighting equipment, antique fire apparatus, and photographs. Kids will especially love visiting Sparky the Dalmatian, a real-life fire house dog who can usually be found at the entrance just waiting to greet visitors and be petted. The museum also organizes children's birthday parties!