Taste wine or go stargazing—and leave your wallet at home.
We do n’t require to tell you that this city is as expensive AF . In fact , arecent studyranked Boston as the fourth most expensive metropolis for renters — in advance of Miami , Los Angeles , and Washington , DC .
So we ’re down to spare where we can . Luckily , Boston more than makes up for its high-priced toll of living with plenty nerveless things to do that are entirely free . That ’s right-hand , you may leave your wallet at home and spend the day visiting newmuseum exhibits , engage in striking views of the city , or tasting top - mountain pass bottle of wine . So here are all the best elbow room to expend your days — completely free of guardianship .
Find your new favorite bottle
You ’re an oenophile at nitty-gritty — you just ca n’t ( yet ) yield to drink like one . No indigence to fret : shops likeBrix , Social Wines , andUrban Graperegularly offer free after - employment and weekend tasting . Sip your way around lesser - known varietals and instruct a thing or two while taking preeminence for a future party sentence .
Take time to smell the roses, lilacs, or tulips at Arnold Arboretum
Spring , of course , is the money season when the lilacs are in full effect , but with 15,000 plant life and 4,000 trees blooming throughout the twelvemonth , you ’re hardly ever wanting for scenic vistas at the Arnold Arboretum . The sprawling asylum is completely spare , so you may boost Hemlock Hill , then spread a blanket under a tree diagram for some seasonally specific picnicking without pulling out your wallet .
Museum-hop on freebie days
Some of our city ’s most honored galleries are hoping to draw guest with free entree . Every Thursday night from 5 to 9 pm , admission at theInstitute of Contemporary Artis barren ( tickets ask ) , and we all get in free to theIsabella Stewart Gardner Museumon our birthdays . Alas , the MFA has not yet brought back its innocent Wednesday evenings , but hope springs eternal .
Stargaze with the smarties
Every Wednesday dark , weather permitting , the BU Coit Observatory open its door for a public viewing nighttime . gratis tickets go live the Thursday morning before and go quickly , so queue up your laptop computer . The team will show off stars and other celestial sights via their top - notch telescope and viewings last about an hour after the Sunday has to the full put .
Check out some creepy-cool graveyards
If you ’ve spent any metre downtown , you ’ve probably walk byGranary Burying Groundand not even thought much of it . Big mistake . Where else can you visit the graves of Paul Revere , John Hancock , and Sam Adams ? And gaze at gothic key the likes of which they never make any longer ? Then there ’s good old Martin Luther King Jr. Chapel Burying Ground , one of the oldest in the country and the final resting place of John Winthrop and Mary Chilton , the first woman to step off the Mayflower .
Pedal the Minuteman Bikeway
It ’s like Peloton , except outdoors , liberal , and not at all cultish . The 11 - knot Minuteman lead , built on a former railway , takes you through the most historical and wizard parts of Cambridge , Arlington , and Lexington . The track is open not only to cycle , but also rollerblading , jogging , and walking , so the whole gang can join in on the fun .
Climb a historical monument for epic views
get 294 steps in you ? Then head over Charlestown to mount the metropolis ’s most famous obelisk . It took 17 year to build the graniteBunker Hill Monumentin tribute to the Battle of Bunker Hill . And today , the top of the 221 - foot - tall monument affords you a terrific horizon of the city .
Workout without sweating the price tag
Save money on those expensive exercise classes . TheNovember Project , which began here in Boston , hosts former - morning , orotund - scale group workouts throughout the city . The Harvard Stadium steps are the touch physical exercise , but you may also come across up with kinsfolk in Brookline , Southie , and other berth around the city to sweat it out .
Say hello to the seals
When you ’re feeling distressed or melancholy , saddle up next to some adorable sea creatures for the afternoon . The New England Aquarium does charge admission , but if you head to theoutdoor seal tankyou can watch those cheeky harbour creatures do laps , bob up and down , and show off their spotted bellies to your heart ’s desire . You ’ll extend your stroll of the Harborwalk with a spring in your whole tone .
Get inside SoWa’s studios
metre to get an inside aspect at the city ’s creative scene . Every first Friday of the month , the SoWa humanistic discipline district opens its doors to the populace . verbalize to the artists inside their workspaces , linger in galleries that have stayed open late for the occasion , and nurture your economical soulfulness with complimentary drink and snacks .
Take in the best view of the city
The Custom House Towerwas one of the very first skyscrapers to grace our skyline , as it was the tallest building in Ithiel Town until the Pru appeared . Enough history — what you really need to have intercourse is that the 26th story observation deck is free and loose to the populace every day of the week ( except Fridays ) from 2 to 6 pm . Just call 617 - 310 - 6300 at least 48 hours in advancement to book your spot , and get ready to take in amazing views of the urban center from 496 feet up .
Get off the beaten path
TheFreedom Trailisn’t the only historical pass in town . TheBlack Heritage Trailtraces the history of the African - American community in Boston in the late eighteenth and 19th centuries , theWomen ’s Heritage Trailcomprises 10 separate , self - guided walking tour flung across various neighborhoods , and theIrish Heritage Trailtakes in museum , statues , and memorials celebrate everyone from “ poet , patriot , prisoner , sportsman and rhetorician ” John Boyle O’Reilly to ( who else ? ) JFK .
Look out at the nearby islands
FromCastle Island , a three - mile stretch of South Boston , you may love out-of-door activities , peer out at Dorchester Bay , and have a slap-up ( totally free ! ) afternoon . Explore 22 landed estate of beach , wheel route , fishing footing , and harbor views . The area is also locate across from Logan International Airport , so watching planes take off and land can entertain for 60 minutes . Oh , and if you ’re in reality funny about history stuff , you’re able to take a free tour of Independence Fort .
Hike the Blue Hills
Boston is not Denver , but there are still a couple of hatful to climb up . Just a few minute of arc outside of the city proper is a 7,000 - acre mental reservation with 125 mile of resplendent hike trails , which are overt year daily round . drive for an off - hour ascent of Great Blue Hill to earn an unmatched view of the city apparent horizon without the disturbed crowds .
Explore the Boston Public Library in a new way
Sure , you could just hop-skip in to hold out a Holy Writ , but when ’s the last time you sincerely immersed yourself in this iconic construction ? Free prowess and architecture circuit have sum up and take place every Friday and Saturday . You ’ll learn about how the stunning center court was inspired by the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome , among other esthetic and architectural wonder .
Take an elusive beach walk
You have to love a nature hike that ’s wholly dependent on the tide . Here ’s the heart and soul : When the Boston Harbor story are modest , a wide-cut sand bar appear in the Boston Harbor that allows you to walk from Quincy ’s Squaw Rock to Thompson Island — yes , you ’re in reality take the air to a harbor island . Go it alone or search out a conduct tour ( probably the safer bet ) .
Hit the adult swings
The Lawn on Dis the gratis adult resort area we did n’t have a go at it we needed . Besides the iconic and over - Instagrammed swings , there ’s also free ping pong , cornhole , and bocce , free wifi , regular art induction , and live euphony on the weekends .
Explore a secret garden
meter to channel your inside Mary Lennox . Atop a parking garage in Cambridge ’s Kendall Square — who knew?—you’ll feel a surprisingly large and surprisingly beautifulstrolling garden . These days there ’s a sign to show you the way , but it ’s still the perfect hugger-mugger spot for when you want to attain pause .
Find art underneath a highway
Is it a commons , museum , or playground ? All we cognize is that theUnderground at Ink Blockhas spun gold from a forgotten underpass . The eight - Akko parking area connects the South End and South Boston and includes bike paths , a dog parkland , live performance , and more than 150,000 straightforward feet of mural piece of work .
Do a deep dive into women’s history
Julia Child ’s cookery book drafts and Amelia Earhart ’s letters are just the start of the treasures you ’ll find at theRadcliffe College ’s Schlesinger Library . About one - one-fifth of the library ’s ingathering is food and drink - have-to doe with ( cookbooks , food daybook ) , include the first cookbook write by a woman , in 1679 . It also houses Helen Keller ’s papers , the Black Women Oral History Project , and many more assemblage , some of them digitized .
Stare at a kidney stone collection
recall the tale of Phineas Gage ? He was the 19th C swell who somehow pull round being impaled by an iron rod . Today his skull sit around at theWarren Anatomical Museum , where you may learn about Civil War - geological era surgery , the rise of homoeopathy , and the god - tremendous story of bloodletting , to name just three deeply weird highlights . mightily now the museum is only available to consider by spell , but it will soon fully reopen to the world after an extensive redevelopment .
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Urban Grape
The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
Granary Burying Ground|f11photo/Shutterstock
Bunker Hill Monument|2p2play/Shutterstock
November Project Boston
SoWa Boston
Women’s Heritage Trail|Jorge Salcedo/Shutterstock
Boston Public Library|eskystudio/Shutterstock
Lawn On D|Signature Boston
Underground at Ink Block|Chris Rycroft/Flickr
