Free Museums: When It's Free to Visit Boston Museums, Zoos, and Gardens
Boston boasts some of the best museums, zoos, and theme parks in America, but those cool experiences can come at a steep cost. But here's a secret: Many museums and attractions in Massachusetts are free for little kids, and in some cases, all kids. Mommy Poppins has set out to uncover these freebies—51 of them, in fact! Start your free museum adventures, and check off the list as you go.
If you're working your way through our Boston Kids' 100 Things to Do bucket list, you may want to coordinate with the cut-off ages below; some of the museums you can catch on their free admission days, but several other attractions really drive home the bittersweet point that you're only young once. Don't miss our Boston Free Fun Guide for even more ideas for creating special experiences for kids without breaking the bank.
The Great Monkey Project by James Grashow is a whimsical example of contemporary craft-based media exhibitions available at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton. Photo courtesy of the museum, Facebook
Always Free Boston Museums, Zoos, and Gardens
- Arnold Arboretum
- Boston Fire Museum
- Bunker Hill Museum
- Fuller Craft Museum
- Longyear Museum
- Metropolitan Waterworks Museum
- Saugus Iron Works
- USS Constitution Museum (donations encouraged)
Kids can take part in amazing activities while babies get into sign language circle time at a museum designed for kids of all ages. Photo courtesy of the Boston Children's Museum
Boston Museums Free for Kids Under 1 (Babies)
Visit Taco the baby sloth at the Stone Zoo, where kids under 2 are admitted for free. Photo courtesy of the Zoo
Boston, Museums, Zoos, and Nature Centers Free for Kids Under 2
- Drumlin Farm
- Ecotarium
- Edaville Family Theme Park (home to Thomas Land)
- Franklin Park Zoo
- Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
- Roger Williams Park Zoo
- South Shore Natural Science Center
- Southwick Zoo
- Stone Zoo
- Swan Boat Rides
Boston Museums and Theaters Free for Kids Under 3
- Battleship Cove
- Charles Hayden Planetarium
- Fenway Park Tours
- Harvard Museum of Natural History
- Museum of Science
- Mugar Omni Theater
- New England Aquarium
- Seacoast Science Center
- Simons IMAX Theatre at the Aquarium
- Six Flags
- Springfield Museums (includes The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum)
Boston Museums and Gardens Free for Kids Under 5
Learn the story behind Boston's stance on "No Taxation Without Representation" retold in Colonial period costume. Photo courtesy of the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
- Fruitlands Museum
- Garden in the Woods
- Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
- Concord Museum
- MIT Museum
- Paul Revere House
- Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History
Boston Museums Free for Kids Under 6
Boston Museums Free for Kids Under 7
- Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) (17 & under are free after 3pm on weekdays; weekends; and public school holidays)
Boston Museums Free for Kids Under 12
Walk through a garden of sculptures including Jim Dine's Two Bog Black Hearts any season. Photo courtesy of the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
Boston Museums Free for Kids Under 13
Boston Museums Free for Kids Under 17
Boston Museums Free for Kids Under 18
Look at the world from the inside out as it was in 1935. Photo Courtesy the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library
Boston Art Museums Free for Kids Under 19
Originally published 2015
Updated January 2022