About Boston

Summer is a great time to explore Boston, Massachusetts! Use the Boston Visitor's website to plan your Boston experience! See a list of Restaurants - recommended by NCDA members!

FREE THINGS TO DO IN BOSTON
By Paul Phillips
Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
*Some activities are subject to change. Please call the sites directly before going.
The following Freedom Trail sites offer free admission
   Massachusetts State House {10am-4pm, Mon.-Fri.}
   Granary Burial Ground
   King’s Chapel Burial Ground
   Boston Massacre Site
   Faneuil Hall
   The Paul Revere Statue
   Copp’s Hill Burial Ground
   U.S.S Constitution & USS Constitution Museum
   National Park Service Ranger Tours of the Freedom Trail, Visitor Center at Faneuil Hall
   Museums offering free admission
   Ancient & Honorable Military Museum, Faneuil Hall
   Alexander Graham Bell’s Garret, New England Telephone Bldg., Post Office Square
   Fire Dept. Museum, 344 Congress Street Call Ahead 617-482-1344
   Museum of Fine Arts, Huntington Avenue {Wednesdays 4pm-9:45pm}
       Youths under 17 always free admission at the MFA.
   Holocaust Memorial Union Street.
   Irish Famine Memorial corner of School & Washington Streets
   Museum of Afro-American History 46 Joy Street
   Commonwealth Museum U/MASS Campus, 220 Morrissey Blvd. 617-727-9268
   Institute of Contemporary Art 100 Northern Ave. 617-478-3100 {Thurs. 5-9pm}
Free Tours
   Art & Architecture Tour of the Boston Public Library, Copley Square 617-536-5400x216
   Boston Globe Newspaper Tours 135 Morrissey Blvd. 617-929-2000
   Federal Reserve Bank Tour 600 Atlantic Ave. 617-973-3451
   Boston Ballet Company School Tour 19 Clarendon Street 617-695-6950x223
   Symphony Hall Tour 301 Mass. Ave. 617-638-9390
   First Church of Christ, Scientist Tour 617-450-3790
   Black Heritage Trail {pick up info at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center}
   Irish Heritage Trail {pick up info at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center}
   Women’s Heritage Trail {pick up info at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center}
   Custom House Tower Tour {begins at the concierge desk on the ground floor}
   South Station tours begin at the Concierge Desk at 1pm on Thursdays & noon on Saturdays
Free Seasonal Activities
Hatch Shell Concerts The Esplanade {June-Sept.} 617-727-5114
   Friday Night Flicks {June-Aug.} The Hatch Shell 617-727-5114
   City Hall Concerts   {June-Aug.} City Hall Plaza 617-635-3911
   Copley Sq. Concerts {June-Aug.} Trinity Church Plaza 617-740-0929
   Bach Cantata Emmanuel Church {Sundays at 10am Sept.-May}
   Jazz Worship Old South Church {Thursdays at 6pm {Sept.-June}
   Organ Recitals Trinity Church {Fridays at 12:15pm, Sept.-June}
   Boston Pops Concerts The Hatch Shell {July 3 & 4}
Harborfest activities {late June-early July} www.bostonharborfest.com
Chinese New Year festivities Chinatown {January or February} 617-635-3911
St. Patrick’s Day Parade South Boston {Sunday closest to March 17}
Italian Feasts North End {weekends July & August}
August Moon Festival Chinatown {mid-August} 617-635-3911

Free Outdoor Activities
   Street Performers Faneuil Hall Marketplace {May-Sept.}
   Frog Pond Spray Pool Boston Common {June-Aug.]
   Spray Pool Christian Science Plaza {May-Sept.}
   Frog Pond Skating Rink Boston Common    {free under 14 Nov.-Mar.}
   Italian Feasts North End {June-Aug., Fri.-Sun.} 617-635-3911
   Stargazing at Museum of Science Friday nights weather permitting, first come basis
   There are many annual events and street fairs, walks, runs & bike rides that are free to the public.
   Check www.bostonusa.com for updated listings.
Transportation
   Kids 11 and under ride the T {Boston’s transit system} for free.
Interesting Self-Guided Strolls
   Beacon Hill has interesting Victorian homes, gas lamps, brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets
Commonwealth Avenue {Comm Ave} was designed to resemble a Parisian boulevard
   Charles Street has the feel of old London with its unique boutiques, antique shops and restaurants.
   Newbury Street offers great window shopping with boutiques and art galleries, sidewalk cafes
   The Esplanade is the place to watch the sailboats skimming the waters of the Charles River
   The South End the largest collection of Victorian architecture in the United States
   Faneuil Hall offers great people watching, street performers, shopping and dining
   Haymarket has vendors selling fruits, vegetables, meat and fish at very reasonable prices on Fridays & Saturdays
   Public Garden was first public botanical garden in the United States with Boston’s signature Swan Boats
   North End has the feel of Italy minus an airline ticket or passport
   Harvard Yard at Harvard University in Cambridge offers a real New England college campus experience
   Brattle Street {Tory Row} in Cambridge has a lot of homes from the Federalist era
   Mount Auburn Cemetery the first botanical cemetery in The United States
   Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain a great place for biking and walking
   Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain a vast botanical garden for strolling and for sledding in winter
   Castle Island in South Boston is a good place to picnic while watching passing ships and planes overhead
   Revere Beach was the first public beach in the United States and 3-miles of sandy shoreline