Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Money-Saving tips for Boston and surroundings

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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

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

http://www.boston.com/travel/explore...stodoinBoston/

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/do...%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....d=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.