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!

JP Holiday Light Show Dec 11
  • First Baptist Church
  • Recurring daily

Come see the only holiday projection show in Boston! The JP Holiday Light Show will run every evening from 5:00 – 9:00pm, from Saturday, December 7 until Saturday, January 4, 2025. Shows will occur on the hour and half hour. Music is available through your mobile device…

SoWa Sundays Dec 15

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

Annual Menorah lighting on Boston Common Dec 25
  • Boston Common - Near Park Street Station

Join the Chabad of Downtown Boston for their 41st annual Menorah lighting on the Boston Common. All are welcome! Here's what to expect: The Lighting of a Giant 22' Menorah- one of New England's Tallest Menorahs! Greeting from dignitaries, local elected officials, and community…

Grand Seaport Menorah Lighting Dec 29
  • Seaport Blvd next to the Icon Theater

Join us for our Grand Seaport Menorah Lighting & Spectacular LED Show at the Seaport. All are welcome! Here's what to expect: Kindling the giant 9' Menorah Live music Chanukah treats & more! Fun for the whole family Great holiday venue RSVP (appreciated) Click here

First Night Boston 2025 Dec 31
  • City Hall, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and more

Since 1976, Boston’s First Night has been a New Year’s Eve celebration of artistic performances, the wonders of the season, and the beginning of a new year. In keeping with this fantastic Boston tradition, the First Night celebration will open 2025 with an array of performances…

Museums & Exhibitions

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Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company Dec 11
  • 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…

Boston University Art Galleries Dec 11
  • 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 Dec 11
  • 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…

Coit Observatory Dec 11
  • 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…

Commonwealth Museum Dec 11

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…

McMullen Museum of Art - Boston College Dec 11
  • 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 Dec 11
  • 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 Dec 11
  • Dorchester Brewing Co.
  • Recurring daily

MOBA is the world's only museum dedicated to the collection, exhibition, and celebration of art that would not be welcomed to any traditional art museum. Our collection includes sincere art in which something has gone wrong in a way that results in a compelling, interesting…

USS Constitution Ship Dec 11

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…

Waterworks Museum Dec 11
  • 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…

ICA Free Thursday Night Dec 12

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 Dec 14
  • 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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JP Holiday Light Show Dec 11
  • First Baptist Church
  • Recurring daily

Come see the only holiday projection show in Boston! The JP Holiday Light Show will run every evening from 5:00 – 9:00pm, from Saturday, December 7 until Saturday, January 4, 2025. Shows will occur on the hour and half hour. Music is available through your mobile device…

Little Criers at the Substation Dec 12
  • The Substation, Roslindale

AFC invites you to join us for a free family concert in downtown Roslindale at the Substation. The first hour of the event, families with young kiddos are invited to enjoy a short, participatory, kid-focused musical presentation, after which the musicians will take a break and…

Carolers & Cocoa Dec 13

What are two must-have ingredients to create holiday cheer? You’re right — caroling and cocoa. Find that unbeatable combination at Prudential Center this December! Just as the weekend arrives, get in the spirit with a cup of hot cocoa and a holiday a cappella quartet by Songful…

Annual Menorah lighting on Boston Common Dec 25
  • Boston Common - Near Park Street Station

Join the Chabad of Downtown Boston for their 41st annual Menorah lighting on the Boston Common. All are welcome! Here's what to expect: The Lighting of a Giant 22' Menorah- one of New England's Tallest Menorahs! Greeting from dignitaries, local elected officials, and community…

Grand Seaport Menorah Lighting Dec 29
  • Seaport Blvd next to the Icon Theater

Join us for our Grand Seaport Menorah Lighting & Spectacular LED Show at the Seaport. All are welcome! Here's what to expect: Kindling the giant 9' Menorah Live music Chanukah treats & more! Fun for the whole family Great holiday venue RSVP (appreciated) Click here

First Night Boston 2025 Dec 31
  • City Hall, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and more

Since 1976, Boston’s First Night has been a New Year’s Eve celebration of artistic performances, the wonders of the season, and the beginning of a new year. In keeping with this fantastic Boston tradition, the First Night celebration will open 2025 with an array of performances…

Performing Arts

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Community Chamber Concert in Cambridge Jan 26
  • First Church, Cambridge

Join us for a free community concert at First Church, Cambridge on January 26, 2025 Jenny Ahn and Ala Jojatu, violins Cathy Basrak, viola Christine Lee, cello KORNGOLD String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat, Op. 26 BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 7 in F, Op. 59, No. 1, Razumovsky

Nadia Washington Quartet Apr 26
  • Arlington Street Church, Boston

Powerhouse vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Nadia Washington makes her Celebrity Series debut as a headliner with her Quartet after performing in Jazz Along The Charles and Code Listen in the past. Share an afternoon of heartfelt original music that effortlessly traverses…

Films / Movies

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Classes / Lectures

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Artists In The Archive Dec 14
  • Goethe- Institut Boston

Artists in the Archive: A Round Table Discussion with Carmin Wong and Monthati Masebe Castle of our Skins invites you to a round table discussion led by Carmin Wong (poet, playwright, digital humanist, and Creative-in-Residence at Castle of our Skins) and Monthati Masebe…

Tours & Trails

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African American Women in Cambridge Walking Tour Dec 11
  • 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 Dec 11
  • 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 Dec 11
  • 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!

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