Money-Saving tips for Boston and surroundings

For $15, the 7-day MBTA pass can be an excellent value. It's good on all subways and buses, the harbor ferry, and the closest zone of the commuter rail system.

http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/passes/

Museums

Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Free admission every Wednesday 4-9:45pm

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
No free admission, but there are several offers including:
$2 off with receipt from your visit to the MFA within 2 days
$2 off while wearing any Red Sox paraphernalia
http://www.gardnermuseum.org/specials.asp

Institute of Contemporary Art
Free admission every Thursday 5-9pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History
Free admission for MA residents every Sun 9-12 noon and Wed 3-5pm

MIT Museum
Free admission every Sun 10-12noon

Boston Children's Museum
$1 admission every Fri 5-9pm

Harvard Art Museums - currently undergoing major renovations
Free admission Sat 10-12noon

IIRC, the Gardner offers free admission to anybody who can prove that their first name is Isabella.

Cultural Events

ArtsBoston
1) offers 50% off tickets to shows and concerts if purchase online in advance
2) Bostix Booth offer half-price tickets to day-of shows
http://www.artsboston.org/

Boston Symphony Orchestra
$9 rush tickets for concerts to this world-class orchestra
Tickets available at 5pm for Tue/Thu evening concerts, and 10am for Fri matinee concerts
http://tinyurl.com/cq35zo

New England Conservatory
FREE evening concerts almost every night of the week
http://concerts.newenglandconservatory.edu/index.php

Boston Symphony Hall
FREE guided tours during BSO season
Wed at 4pm; 2nd Sat of each month at 2pm
http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/c_09_gen_images.jsp?id=34500009

Brewery

Sam Adams
$2 suggested donation for tours
Monday-Thursday 10-3
Fridays 10-5:30
Saturday 10-3
http://www.samueladams.com/contact_tour.aspx

Harpoon Tastings
Free
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4:00 pm; Friday at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm; Saturday at 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm

Buzzards Bay Brewing Tasting in Westport MA
http://www.buzzardsbrew.com/about-retailstore.htm

Outdoor Activities

MA State Parks - free, some charge for parking during summer
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/northeast.htm

Arnold Arboretum
Free admission plus free guided tours
http://arboretum.harvard.edu/visitors/tours.html

Franklin Park Zoo
1/2 price admission 10-12noon first Sat of each month

Other Free tours

Boston Public Library
Art & Architecture tour
http://www.bpl.org/central/tours.htm

First Church of Christ, Scientist church tour
http://www.churchofchristscientist.org/bostonactivities/church-tours.jhtml

Trinity Church, Boston
Free tour every Sunday at 12:15pm
http://www.trinitychurchboston.org/art/tours.php

Harvard University Campus tour
http://www.harvard.edu/siteguide/faqs/faq18.php

MIT Campus tour
http://web.mit.edu/infocenter/campustours.html

Planning websites

Not necessarily money-saving tips, but some useful websites for visitors to plan their visit here:

Greater Boston
http://www.massvacation.com/greaterBoston/
Cambridge
http://www.cambridge-usa.org/

MASS National Parks
http://home.nps.gov/applications/state/ma/

Historic New England
http://www.historicnewengland.org/

Trustees of Reservations
http://www.thetrustees.org/index.cfm

Lodgings
Priceline Name Your Own Price feature offers great deals on hotels. Stick with these 2 zones:
1) Copley Square - Theatre District
2) Quincy Market - Faneuil Hall - Financial District

Transportation
Public transportation is easy and relatively cheap. The link provided by Anon for the 7-day pass is great.

It is easy to go from Logan Airport to downtown Boston by public transportation. There are 2 lines that serve Logan:
1) Look for signs for Silver Line when you at the arrivals hall. There are ticket machines ($2) inside the hall where you buy your ticket. Silver Line serves most of the hotels near the Convention Center, and ends at South Station with transfer to the Red Line
2) Look for the shuttle bus that offers free transfer to the Blue Line Airport Station. You buy your ticket at the Airport station. Blue Line stops at Aquarium station for many hotels nearby, and ends at Government Center where one can connect to Green Line
www.mbta.com

Cheap Getaways to NYC
Several coach companies offer competitive rates for rides to NYC from Boston.
Megabus tickets start at $1
http://www.megabus.com/us/
BoltBus
https://www.boltbus.com/default.aspx
LuckyStar
http://www.luckystarbus.com/default.aspx

ttt

Anyone else has other tips?

The USS Constitution Museum is a good take and cheap. I think the suggested donation is $3. Take the harbor shuttle from the Aquarium for a nice $1.75 ride to the Museum. Not really relevant to most people but both the Franklin Park and Stone Zoos are free to MA public school groups. At the Aquarium, the seal exhibit is before you pay to get in and therefore free.

2 more free things to add:

Trinity Church Friday lunchtime Organ Concerts
http://www.trinitychurchboston.org/calendar/event.php?eid=36

Jamaica Plain Historical Society Walking Tours
http://www.jphs.org/2009-historic-walking-tours/

Since I've visited some of these free sites and taken a couple of free tours, I figure I'll review them here.

I'm going to give each one a rating from 1 to 10 (10 being best).

MASS State House tour Rating: 7
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/trs/trsidx.htm

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1136.jpg

I thought it was quite an enjoyable tour. It lasts 1 hour. The building was designed by Charles Bulfinch in 1798. We learned about the architecture of the building with various later additions. The stained glass dome and other stained glass are particularly memorable.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1743.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1744.jpg

There are plenty of statues, portraits, military artifacts scattered throughout the main hall. Throughout the tour, we learned a lot about the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We also visited both the House of Representative (where the cod is), and the Senate Chamber.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1750.jpg

Don't forget to wander around Beacon Hill and check out Mt Vernon Street, Louisburg Sq and Acorn Street ("the most photographed street in Boston")
http://www.beaconhillonline.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?cid=21
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1752.jpg


Freedom Trail guided walk by National Park Rangers Rating: 7

http://www.nps.gov/bost/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm

This tour is only available from April to November; and has a limit of 30 people per tour (first-come, first-serve). The tour lasts 90 minutes.

Since the entire Freedom Trail is 2.5 miles long, this Ranger-led tour only covers about 1/3 of the Trail. We started at the NPS Center across from the Old State House. Our ranger guide started with some background history of Boston around 1770s.

First stop is the Old State House (1713)
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1753.jpg

Just outside the Old State House is the site of the Boston Massacre in 1770.

Second stop is Faneuil Hall. The current building dates back to 1806 by Bulfinch. The second floor of the building has been the site of town meetings where people can voice their opinions since the mid-1700s. It is still used by the city of Boston on a weekly basis.

Third stop is just north of Fanueil Hall - the Holocaust Memorial (1995) http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1754.jpg , Irish pubs including Union Oyster House, and the Ebenezer Hancock House (1767)

The Ebenezer Hancock House is the only remaining house in Boston that is associated with John Hancock (Ebenezer is his brother).
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3923.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3924.jpg

We walked through Haymarket and stopped at the Rose Kennedy Greenway (formerly the location of the ugliest highway in the world).
http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_1756.jpg

Across the Greenway, we entered North End via Hanover Street. Our next stop is Paul Revere House (1680), the oldest house in Boston - with post and beam architecture.

http://www.paulreverehouse.org/
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3927.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3929.jpg

He was a silversmith and was very good at his trade. Later on in his career, he began casting bells for the many churches in Boston, and had casted close to 1000. One of which can still be seen at the St Stephen's Church in the North End (and it is still rung every Sunday).
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3932.jpg

St Stephen's Church (1804) is the last remaining church in Boston designed by Bulfinch.

Our last and final stop, is at the Paul Revere Mall where we listened to the ranger describ Revere's famous midnight ride. Just behind the mall, is the Old North Church where 2 lanterns were hung on April 18, 1775 to warn the denizens of Charlestown of the advance of British soldiers.

The tour actually ends IN North End, and one has the option of continuing on the Freedom Trail over to USS Constitution/Bunker Hill, or just wander around. I chose the option of getting myself some cannoli!

I know there is long-time debate as to who has the best cannoli (Mike vs Modern vs Maria). Mike's Pastry was a zoo when I passed by, so I decided to go to Modern Pastry. Oh my! I actually waited 5 hours before I ate it at home with DH. It was incredible. The shell still tastes very fresh, and the ricotta filling is very rich. Definitely the best cannoli I've had in a very, very long time. Does that mean it's better than Mike's? I don't know, but it sure is darn tasty.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3935.jpg

[More to come...]

Mount Auburn Cemetery Rating: 5
http://www.mountauburn.org/visit_participate/visiting.cfm

It was founded in 1831 as America’s first landscaped cemetery. It is quite large in scale - we were there for 1.5 hours and probably covered 1/3 of it. Most of the graves there were from the 19th century, though I also saw some dated back to the 1700s.

There are plenty of famous people who were buried at Mt Auburn, though I am not familiar with most of them. Some of the few who I recognized includes: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Winslow Homer, Isabella Gardner, and Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science).

http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_2742.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_2736.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_2731.jpg

Don't forget to climb up the Washington Tower. From the top of the tower, one gets a panoramic view of Boston. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_2734.jpg

The Friends of Mount Auburn offers guided walking tours for $10.
"Discover Mount Auburn"--a walking tour. Mount Auburn, designated a National Historic Landmark, is one of the country's most significant designed landscapes. Here the arts of horticulture, architecture and sculpture combine with the beauty of art and nature to create a place of comfort and inspiration. This 1.5-mile walking tour will focus on the stories of history, monuments, and the lives of those buried here.


Arnold Arboretum Walking tour Rating: 8
http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/visitors/tours.html

I think the Arboretum is a gem, especially for people who enjoys outdoors/nature/gardening. It was founded in 1872, and named after James Arnold, a whaling merchant of New Bedford, Massachusetts. It occupies 265 acres, has over 4000 different species of plants, and is managed by Harvard University.

When I went last Spring, it was just before the Lilac Sunday (yearly celebration on Mother's Day). The Arboretum has close to 200 different kinds of Lilacs. Walking among them with the wonderful fragrance was quite an experience.

http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/plants/lilac_intro.html
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/Random/IMG_1196.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/Random/IMG_1200.jpg

[More to come...]

Boston Public Library Art and Architecture Tour Rating: 10

http://www.bpl.org/central/tours.htm

A must-see if you're in the vicinity! The Boston Public Library is the first free public library in the US. The current building at Copley Square, designed by Charles McKim (of McKim, Mead, and White), opened in 1895. McKim had studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. When he received this commission, he chose an Italian Renaissance architecture style. Across the Square is Trinity Church, which was finished 2 decades earlier, in Romanesque style by HH Richardson.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_2506.jpg

The head of Minerva (goddess of wisdom) is above the main portal of the entrance, and above her are the words: FREE TO ALL.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3899.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3903.jpg

Six 1500-lb bronze doors with allegorical figures open into the main lobby. The ceiling of the lobby is covered with marble mosaic. McKim brought in a team of artisans from Italy to install it.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3906.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3908.jpg

The grand staircase is flanked with golden-yellow marble from Siena. According to our guide, the quarry of this particular marble belonged to a monastery. The monastery only opened the quarry when it needed money, and it was not open when McKim visited Siena. After much persuasion, they agreed to sell the marble to the BPL.
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3910.jpg

At the top of the staircase, is the Puvis de Chavannes Gallery. Here, 9 murals cover the walls with allegorical figures. http://www.bpl.org/central/chavannes.htm

Off to one side of the gallery, is the Abbey Room. The wall paintings tell the story of Sir Galahad. This room was extensively restored in the 1990s. http://www.bpl.org/central/abbey.htm
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3911.jpg

Up on the third floor is the Sargent murals. It took Sargent 30 years to finish this commission! One end of the gallery depicts Judaism, while the opposite end depicts Christianity. The figures and design look rather exotic to me, unlike his usual portrait paintings.
http://www.bpl.org/central/sargentmurals.htm
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3913.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3915.jpg
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3917.jpg

Tucked in a far corner on the third floor, is the Rare Books department. On my visit, it has a small exhibition of Diaghilev/Ballets Russes (photographs, original prints and designs, programme booklets).

The Italian fountain courtyard is a great place to just sit, enjoy the fresh air, or eat your lunch!
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_3920.jpg

Compared to the New York Public Library and the LA Public Library (both of which I have visited on guided tours in the last 6 months), I think the BPL is far better.


Boston Symphony Hall tour Rating: 3
http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/c_09_gen_images.jsp?id=34500009

Tours are only offered during the BSO season. IMHO, don't bother with this unless:
1) you are a huge classical music fan or a musician, AND
2) you've never been inside the auditorium

The BSO owes its origins to Henry Lee Higginson, who financially contributed to the formation of the orchestra AND the building of the Symphony Hall. The current Symphony Hall opened in 1900, designed by McKim, Mead and White. The seats inside are 108 years old, but after the 08/09 subscription season ends, brand new seats will be installed. Even the floor boards are as old as the hall itself. Higginson himself was a Boston Brahmin by birth. He later married the daughter of Louis Agassiz, the founder of Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, which is now part of the Natural History Museum.

The interior of the auditorium is quite beautiful, with lots of gold, and plenty of half-naked female statues. If one has never been inside the hall, the tour will be more interesting. Since it is a "behind the scenes" tour, I got to tour the backstage, which is nothing to write home about. Scattered throughout the lobby area, are temporary exhibits from the Symphony's archives. However, I didn't really have time to view these in detail during the tour. [BTW, I was the only person on the tour.]

I think that's all for now. I'll continue to update this.

yk, Thank you so much!

Actually you deserve the title of "Travel Social Worker"! Your commitment to helping others and to linking people w/travel resources here and everywhere that you travel to is an amazing public service. Thank you so much.

yk, that is remarkable! I am bookmarking, for there was much I was not aware of, and will take advantage of next time in the city!

Thank you for such a comprehensive list of things to all who posted but of course mostly to yk.

yk:

Excellent thread - thank you for your kindness in sharing this information.

Sandy

You're welcome, everyone! I hope this thread is useful for someone.

N.B. All the sites visited on the Freedom Trail tour by the NPS are only exterior stops. Normally the tour goes inside Faneuil Hall (2nd floor), but it was closed for an event on the day of our tour. Other sites such as Old State House and Paul Revere House can be toured - admission fees apply.

We should remember this threaad for anytime someone asks about visiting Boston! Here is it in one place. Thanks yk.

Wow, thanks for the great information!

If you are visiting Boston between NOW and October 31, 2009, check out the many discounts offered in the Family-Friendly ValuePASS.
http://www.bostonusa.com/images/stories/pdfs/visitor/family_friendly_sum09.pdf

Discounts available for trolley tours and Duck tours, attraction admissions, shopping etc.

Here is the CharlieCard 2009 Discount Book PDF. Show your Charlie Card (NOT Charlie Ticket) and save. Lots of discounts and 2-for-1 admissions to plenty of attractions and shops.
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/documents/2009_Discount%20Book.pdf

Don't forget that if you are local, your public library probably has free or reduced-price passes for a number of attractions in the greater Boston area. For example, a couple of weeks ago friends of mine came to town and I checked out a pass for Boston by Foot tours. The three of us (the pass was actually good for four people) took two tours (Freedom Trail and North End - I thought the North End was the better of the two) for FREE. Without the pass we would have spent $72. Not bad!

At some libraries the passes are only for Friends of the Library members, but even so, joining can be a money-saver. A couple of years ago I joined the "Friends" of the library in a nearby town just to get access to their pass (for 2 people) to the Norman Rockwell Museum (out in Stockbridge, in western Mass). The FotL membership was less than the cost of two tickets to the Rockwell museum, plus I had access to their other passes for the rest of the year.

The Boston Landmarks Orchestra has free Wednesday night concerts in summer at the Hatch Shell. This year's concerts are July 15 - September 9, at 7 PM. Check out their schedule at http://www.landmarksorchestra.org/concerts.php for details.

BostonCentral.com has an events calendar with many free or low-cost activities listed. The site looks like it is designed mainly for families, but many of the activities listed would interest a cross-section of people.

http://www.bostoncentral.com/events.php

Thank you! Thank you! This is a huge help for planning my August trip!

yk mentioned in a January 26 post that there are rush tickets for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. If you follow the link and scroll down the BSO page a little, you will also see mention of "Open Rehearsals". I went to one and really enjoyed it.

The advantage over rush is you can get the tickets ahead of time. Cost is a little more than rush tickets, but not much ($15 versus $9 in my case). Also, it is more casual than a concert (even the orchestra wore jeans and sweats) - some might like that, others not.

If you are a musician, you might find the rehearsal especially fascinating (I did). At the one I attended, they played through each piece a movement at a time, not stopping in the middle of a movement but going back and working on things before proceeding to the next one.

yk!!!! What a wonderful thread and info from you!!! THANKS!

MassValuePass - with tons of savings on lodgings and attractions for the entire state of MA. Valid until June 30, 2009. Sign up with your email and you can print out the Pass.
http://www.massvacation.com/massvaluepass_landing.php

Listings here:
http://www.massvacation.com/valuepass/greaterboston.php

Fodors' editors, thanks for the shout-out on the Travel Tip of the Day column: http://www.fodors.com/news/story_3431.html

Great Views of Boston for little money

Before yesterday, the only place I knew of where the public can get a great view of Boston is from the Prudential Skywalk Observatory. From there, you can get a nice view of Charles River, Cambridge, and Beacon Hill; for $12.
http://www.prudentialcenter.com/shop/shop_detail.php?id=64

Well, not anymore! My brother rkkwan and I found a much cheaper alternative, which has just as fantastic (and different) views! We were in downtown yesterday and found ourselves near the Custom House. I recall reading somewhere that the Custom House has an observatory deck but I didn't know if it's open to the public.

The Custom House, built in the mid-1800s, was once the tallest building in Boston for many decades. It stayed vacant in the 1990s for almost 15 years, when Marriott Group finally bought it and redeveloped it into a timeshare property with 87 rooms.

We entered the lobby and asked the front desk about the observatory deck. He informed us that it's usually open at 2pm, but since they aren't busy today, we could go up now (9:30am) if we would like, for a modest fee of $3. Oh, the fee is donated to Children's Hospital - Marriott doesn't make money out of this.

We paid our fee and were let in an elevator (card key required to operate) and told to go to the 19th floor. On 19th F, we had to change for another elevator up to the 26th floor - the obs deck.

The obs deck has an interior section, with a door leading to the outdoor wrap-around balcony with views 360 degrees! Marriott even made a deck of color photos with building IDs so you can check what you're looking at.

What I really like about the Custom House, is that the views are totally different from the views you get at the Pru. Here, you can easily spot historic sites, from the dome of Old State House, to Faneuil Hall, to North End, to Old NOrth Church, to USS Constitution, to Bunker Hill. It also has a lovely view of Boston Harbor. And since it is outdoors, you don't have to worry about glass reflection when taking photos (the Pru is all closed-in).

Custom House is also home to several nests of the peregrine falcon.

Here are a few shots I took yesterday.
Looking East towards the Harbor, with Aquarium and Marriott Long Wharf in foreground:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_4008.jpg

Looking NE with Old North Church (white steeple) on the right, Bunker Hill Monument on the upper left, Charlestown Navy Yard in the middle:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_4011.jpg

Looking North with Faneuil Hall in lower left; North End in mid-right; and Zakim bridge towards the top:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_4010.jpg

Looking SE with Rose Kennedy Greenway in the foreground:
http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/pp146/y2000k/BOSTON/IMG_4005.jpg

While I am not a loyal customer of Marriott, I really applaud what they have done to the Custom House and opening it up to the public as well. Here's the Marriott Custom House website:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosch-marriotts-custom-house/

National Historical Parks/Sites in Greater Boston

These attractions are operated by the National Park Service. Some are free of charge, while others do have an admission fee. However, the fees are quite cheap compared to other commerical attractions.

Boston National Historical Park
Located next to the Old State House. Offers free ranger-led guided tours parts of the year. I had posted a description of the tour earlier in this thread.
http://www.nps.gov/bost/index.htm

Adams National Historical Park
This is in Quincy MA. It can only be toured by a trolley operated by the NPS. Great tour of the old Adams's houses. $5pp
http://www.nps.gov/adam/

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
It comprises of plenty of islands in the Harbor. The famous ones include Geroges Island, Spectacle Island, and Little Brewster (lighthouse). Ferry cost is $14 and they are only open part of the year.
http://www.nps.gov/boha/

Longfellow National Historic Site
Located in Cambridge's Tory Row, just a few minutes' walk from Harvard Sq. One of my favorite places to visit in Boston. It also is open part year. $3pp
http://www.nps.gov/long/index.htm

JFK National Historic Site
In Brookline, JFK's Birthplace. $3pp
http://www.nps.gov/long/index.htm


Further outside of the city:

Minute Man National Historical Park
Located in Concord and Lexington, where the American Revolution began in 1775.
http://www.nps.gov/mima/

Lowell National Historical Park http://www.nps.gov/lowe
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park http://www.nps.gov/nebe
Salem Maritime National Historic Site http://www.nps.gov/sama
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site http://www.nps.gov/sair
Essex National Heritage Area http://www.nps.gov/esse

bookmarking -- this is invaluable.

For the locals here:
Free Fun Fridays Free Admission to some of Massachusetts’ most treasured resources in July and August; presented by Highland Street Foundation.

http://www.highlandstreet.org/free_fun_fridays

FRI, JULY 3rd
Museum of Science-Boston

FRI, JULY 10th
JFK Presidential Library & Museum

FRI, JULY 17
Boston harbor Island Alliance Peabody Essex Museum
Free ferry transportation to harbor islands

FRI, JULY 24th
Franklin Park Zoo

FRI, JULY 31st
Boston Children’s Museum

FRI, AUG 7th
Plimoth Plantation

FRI, AUG 14th
Stone Zoo

FRI, AUG 21st
Peabody Essex Museum

FRI, AUG 28th
Museum of Fine Arts

FRI, SEPT 4th
Springfield Museums

Museum of FIne Arts has free general admission this Sunday, June 21.

http://www.mfa.org/calendar/event.asp?eventkey=39305&date=6/21/2009

The Christian Scientist center,
The glass flowers at harvard,
The mt auburn cemetery
not free but worth a visit,
the butterfly place in Westford,
Garden in the woods in framingham,
Pickety place in Mason, NH.

A couple more free tours:

AM's Free Walking Tour of Boston
Wed-Sun at 11am
http://www.amsbostontours.com/

Tour of the Park Street Church
Friday, June 19 2009 through Saturday, August 29 2009
Tuesday through Friday: 9:00 AM to 4 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
http://www.parkstreet.org/tours

Summer 2009 MassValuePass is now available:
http://www.massvacation.com/massvaluepass_landing.php
http://www.massvacation.com/valuepass/greaterboston.php

The Pass offers numerous discounts on lodging, attractions, and tours. It is valid July 6 - August 30, 2009.

yk,

Thanks for taking the time to research and post this. It's full of great info!

ILP

P.S.
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Apart from Free admission every Wednesday 4-9:45pm, the museum also offers one free admission day each month through Jan 2010.

http://www.mfa.org/calendar/sub.asp?key=12&subkey=8280

Bookmarking

boston.com just posted a slideshow of the 25 best things to do in Boston for free.

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/massachusetts/towns/boston/galleries/25freethingstodoinBoston/

And a big nevermind. its the same thing. I didnt realize that they just reposted it on the front page...

Time to get out of my cubicle...

The Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at Harvard is free for MA residents on Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (September through May) and Sunday mornings (year-round) from 9 a.m. to 12 noon

If you are going to visit a number of the national parks listed in the Boston area and/or other parts of the country it is worth checking into the special passes
http://www.nps.gov/mima/federal-pass-program.htm
The senior pass has to be one of the all-time great bargains

TTT for Fodorites visiting Boston this week for the GTG and for leaf-peepers.

The newest MassValuePass is here, with 15-25% savings for attractions/museums, lodgings, and dining throughout Massachusetts.

http://www.massvacation.com/valuepass/greaterboston.php

wow, yk, you thrify frugalite! this is awesome. I will save for a future trip to Boston.

I haven't read all of it but when I lived in Boston in the late 80s, I loved going to Chinatown for inexpensive meals and also the boat trips to nearby islands were incredibly inexpensive. I also went to a few of the obscure free museums at Harvard University.

Thank you, yk, for all your hard work in compiling this list. I'm having first-time visitors to Boston this week and some of these suggestions will certainly come in handy.

Thanks for the tip on the MassValuePass. It will be useful both in Boston and in other parts of the state.

There is Fenway Open House tomorrow, Columbus Day Monday. MFA, Gardner Museum will be open and free of charge.

Good post by yk.

In addition to the MFA and Gardner openings tomorrow (Oct. 12) there many other activities available from the Fenway Alliance Opening our Doors. There are concerts, music, and exhibits all over the Fenway--some great opportunities to see some of the less well-known institutions.

http://www.fenwayculture.org/ood/index.html

Not sure about this year, but last year there was a shuttle bus taking people around the Fenway circuit.

For information and discounts on lodging, dining, and events in Boston from now through the holidays, go to http://www.mayorsholidayspecial.com/.

Resurrecting this thread now in 2010 as Boston's tourist season is about to start.

Not many discounts I know of right now, except for the 2010 Charlie Card Discounts which offers many 2-for-1 or $ off admissions to several museums, among other things
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/documents/CharlieCard_Discount%20Booklet.pdf

Check out www.goldstar.com. Plug in Boston (or most major cities) and you will find some fantastic discounts on first run theatre, music, etc. I saw In The Heights over the winter at The Opera House for half price and had center first balcony sets. Last summer used a discount on this site to do a fantastic power boat harbor cruise. There are only certain dates with the discounts but there is always something good.

Juldie, thanks for the tip about Goldstar. I didn't know about it at all! I usually stick with ArtsBoston for discounted tickets to shows, but Goldstar offers some events that aren't available on ArtsBoston.

Speaking of discount websites, another one that's worth checking out is Groupon.com for Boston. Many of the offers are useless to me, but once in a blue moon, there is a gem (eg, 50% off an annual membership to the ICA).

For Spring 2010, MassVacation is now offering a Mass99 voucher which has discounts at $99 (most are activities for family of 4). Details & voucher here: http://www.massvacation.com/mass99/

The listings for Highland Street Free Fun Fridays summer 2010 is now out, starting at the end of June through first week of September: http://www.highlandstreet.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=40

The “Free Fun Fridays” program invites Massachusetts residents and tourists to visit for free a designated museum or attraction over ten Fridays this summer.

Friday, June 25
Boston Children's Museum
300 Congress St. - Boston, MA

Friday, July 2
Plimoth Plantation
137 Warren Ave. - Plymouth, MA

Fri, July 9
Franklin Park Zoo
1 Franklin Park Rd. - Dorchester, MA

Friday, July 16
Boston Harbor Island Alliance
* Free ferry ride to the Harbor Islands
408 Atlantic Ave. - Boston, MA

Friday, July 23
JFK Presidential Library & Museum
Columbia Point - Boston, MA

M Friday, July 30
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave. - Boston, MA

Friday, August 6
Peabody Essex Museum
161 Essex St. - Salem, MA

Friday, August 13
Old Sturbridge Village
1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd. - Sturbridge, MA

Friday, August 20
Institute for Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave. - Boston, MA

Friday, August 27
Museum of Science
1 Science Park - Boston, MA


Grand Finale Weekend
Friday, September 3

New England Historic Genealogical Society
99 Newbury St. - Boston, MA

Sports Museum
TD Garden, 100 Legends Way - Boston, MA

EcoTarium
222 Harrington Way. - Worcester, MA

Cape Cod Museum of Art
60 Hope Lane - Dennis, MA

New Bedford Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill - New Bedford, MA

Concord Museum
53 Cambridge Turnpike - Concord, MA

Stone Zoo
149 Pond St. - Stoneham, MA

Buttonwood Park Zoo
425 Hawthorn St. - New Bedford, MA


Saturday, September 4
Edward Gorey House
8 Strawberry Lane - Yarmouth Port, MA

Worcester Art Museum
55 Salisbury St. - Worcester, MA

USS Constitution Museum
22 Charlestown Navy Yard - Charlestown, MA

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
1000 West Columbus Ave. - Springfield, MA

American Textile History Museum
491 Dutton St. - Lowell, MA

Discovery Museums
177 Main St. - Acton, MA

Cape Cod Children's Museum
577 Great Neck Road South - Mashpee, MA

Berkshire Museum
39 South St. - Pittsfield, MA

yk..you are amazing to say the least.

This is an awesome site! We can plan our Boston trip from this one place - thank you, thankyouverymuch!