Cheap Things to Do in Boston, MA
Boston, MA's cheapest activities include Artesani Playground (Free), Back Bay Fens (Free), Blissful Monkey Yoga ($20), Boston Bowl ($8), and Boston Centers for Youth & Families - Curtis Hall (Free).
Free spray pool in summer, ice skating in winter
38 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108 · Daily 6am-11pm, Frog Pond spray pool 11am-6pm (summer)
Gorillas, lions, giraffes, starting at $15.95
1 Franklin Park Rd, Boston, MA 02121 · Apr-Sep: Weekdays 9am-5pm, Weekends 9am-6pm; Oct-Mar: Daily 9am-4pm
Real warship from 1797, free to board
Building 22, Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA 02129 · Daily 9:30am-5pm
Full children's floor, therapy dogs, all free
700 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116 · Mon-Thu 9am-9pm, Fri-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
Book online, way cheaper than walk-up
598 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA 02145 · Mon-Sat 10am-5pm · Ages 3–10
Ride a lobster instead of a horse, $4
191 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02111 · Seasonal, check website for current hours
Explore a Civil War fort by ferry, $9
66 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 · Ferries May-Oct, check schedule for times
Live owls and snakes, easy trails, 10 miles out
1904 Canton Ave, Milton, MA 02186 · Wed-Sun 9am-4pm (also open Mon holidays and school vacation weeks)
Three-story stained-glass globe you walk inside
200 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115 · Tue-Sun 10am-4pm, closed Mondays
One of the last dedicated puppet theaters left
32 Station St, Brookline, MA 02445 · Sat-Sun 10:30am & 1pm, holiday Mondays · Ages 2–10
Free fort, free beach, inspired Edgar Allan Poe
2010 William J. Day Blvd, South Boston, MA 02127 · Daily dawn to dusk; fort tours Sat-Sun noon-3:30pm
Free, 30 minutes, antique fire engines
344 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210 · Saturdays 10am-4pm
LED swings that glow at night, totally free
420 D St, Boston, MA 02210 · Mon-Sat 7am-11pm, Sun 7am-10:30pm
4,300 glass flowers, dinosaurs, free for MA residents Sundays
26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138 · Daily 9am-5pm
Pirate ship playground with spray deck, free
100 David G Mugar Way, Boston, MA 02108 · Daily dawn to dusk, spray deck late Jun-Sep
See everything in 90 minutes, great for toddlers
149 Pond St, Stoneham, MA 02180 · Apr-Sep: Daily 9am-5pm; Oct-Mar: Daily 9am-4pm
Free wading pool, less crowded than the Esplanade
1255 Soldiers Field Rd, Brighton, MA 02135 · Pool: late Jun-Labor Day 11am-6pm; playground: dawn to dusk
170 seats, every one close to the stage
395 Main St, Stoneham, MA 02180 · Show times vary, check calendar · Ages 3+
Free concerts all summer, no tickets needed
47 David G Mugar Way, Boston, MA 02108 · Summer concerts typically Wed and weekend evenings
Free for kids, State House as your backdrop
38 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108 · Mid-Nov to mid-Mar: Mon-Thu 10am-4pm, Fri-Sun 10am-9pm
Seven splash fountains, free, through downtown
Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02111 · Daily dawn to dusk, fountains seasonal
17 miles of path along the Charles. Free. Separate bike and pedestrian lanes. The most obvious running route in the city for a reason.
Storrow Dr, Boston, MA 02116 · Open 24 hours
Voted best outdoor rink in the country. $10 admission if you're over 58 inches. Free if you're shorter. Skate rental $15.
139 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02108 · Tue-Thu 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm, Mon 10am-3:45pm
Basketball and tennis courts in the South End. Free. Community garden next to it. Pickup games after work.
75 W Rutland Sq, Boston, MA 02118 · Daily dawn to dusk
Indoor pool, gym, fitness center -- all free or nearly free. The city's community centers are massively underused.
20 South St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 · Mon-Fri 7am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm
Gym, dance studio, fitness center, teen center. Pool across the street. Free for residents. East Boston's best-kept secret.
112 Paris St, Boston, MA 02128 · Mon-Fri 9am-8:30pm, Sat 9:30am-4:30pm
Indoor pool in Roxbury. Lap swim starts at 6am. Free for Boston residents.
159 Norfolk Ave, Boston, MA 02119 · Tue-Fri 6am-8:30pm, Sat 7:30am-5pm
Indoor pool open year-round. Doors open at 5:30am on weekdays. Serious lap swimmers use this one.
160 Florence St, Roslindale, MA 02131 · Mon 7am-3pm, Tue-Fri 5:30am-9pm, Sat 7am-3pm
Free. Year-round. 5:55am Wednesday at Harvard Stadium stairs. This is where the whole movement started.
65 N Harvard St, Boston, MA 02163 · Wed 5:55am & 6:30am, Mon & Fri 6:30am
Free admission. Outdoor rink run by DCR. Skate rental $5. Locals only vibe. Open Dec through March.
1 Marbury Ter, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 · Sun-Fri 12pm-7:30pm, Sat 1pm-7:30pm
44 lanes, batting cages, arcade, VR, brewpub. Open till 2am on weekends. $8-$10.50/game depending on when you go.
820 Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester, MA 02122 · Sun-Wed 9am-12am, Thu-Sat 9am-2am
2.25-mile paved loop around the pond. Flat, scenic, less crowded than the Esplanade. Free. Dogs welcome.
250 Fresh Pond Pkwy, Cambridge, MA 02138 · Daily dawn to dusk
Monday nights, 6:45pm from the Burren in Davis Square. Free 3-mile group run. End at the bar. $30/year if you want to join officially.
247 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144 · Mon 6:45pm, Wed 6:30am, Thu 7:15pm
Free basketball and tennis courts on the river. West End. Good pickup runs in the summer.
5 Charlesbank Rd, Boston, MA 02114 · Daily dawn to dusk
Free outdoor pool with lifeguards. Spray deck for little kids. Open all summer. Roxbury.
120 MLK Blvd, Boston, MA 02119 · Daily 11am-6:45pm (summer only)
Free outdoor pool in Charlestown. Open Tue-Sun in summer. Bring proof of Boston residency.
345 Bunker Hill St, Charlestown, MA 02129 · Tue-Sun 8am-7pm (summer only)
Free outdoor courts in the Fens. Right near the victory gardens. Pickup games all summer.
Park Dr, Boston, MA 02215 · Daily dawn to dusk
Gym, pool, computer lab. Free for Boston residents. Dorchester's go-to rec center.
35 Westville St, Dorchester, MA 02124 · Mon-Fri 3pm-8:30pm
Drop-in friendly, no pre-registration needed. Community-oriented studio in JP. Not the fancy Back Bay vibe.
655 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 · Class schedule varies -- check website
Ice skating on the waterfront with harbor views. 60-minute sessions. Newer rink, less crowded than Frog Pond.
1 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 · Sessions vary -- check website for times
Indoor rink in the North End. Free admission. $5 skate rental, cash only. Harbor views from inside. Most locals don't know it exists.
561 Commercial St, Boston, MA 02109 · Varies by day -- call (617) 523-9327 to confirm
$10 adults, $8 kids and students. $2 off for Brookline residents. Outdoor rink in a beautiful park setting. Friday night sessions go until 10pm.
25 Newton St, Brookline, MA 02445 · Tue/Thu 9am-12pm, Fri 12-3pm & 8-10pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-6:45pm
$20 adults, $14 kids. Olympic-caliber facility open to the public. Norwood residents get half off. No membership required.
750 University Ave, Norwood, MA 02062 · Public session times vary -- check scboston.org/public-skating
$7 adults, $3 for kids. Cheapest outdoor rink in the area. Right in Kendall Square. Open Dec through mid-March.
300 Athenaeum St, Cambridge, MA 02142 · Wed-Thu 12-8pm, Fri 12-9pm, Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-6pm
College students get in for $20 day-of
216 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113 · Shows Thu-Sun, box office opens 1 hour before showtime
Free every Thursday 5-9pm, under 18 always free
25 Harbor Shore Dr, Boston, MA 02210 · Tue/Wed/Sat/Sun 10am-5pm, Thu-Fri 10am-9pm, closed Mon
300-seat club, national headliners, $20-45
425 Summer St, Boston, MA 02210 · Shows Wed-Sun, times vary by performance
U2, The Police, and Radiohead all played here early
967 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 · Doors typically open 7pm, show nights only
Comedy for $10-20 at an Irish pub by Fenway
9 Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215 · Daily 11am-2am
Cheapest comedy in Boston, $5-15
722 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 · Comedy nights vary, check schedule
Bowling near Fenway, $7-12 a game
145 Ipswich St, Boston, MA 02215 · Mon-Wed 4pm-12am, Thu-Fri 4pm-2am, Sat 11am-2am, Sun 11am-12am
No cover, live jazz every single night since 1947
427 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02118 · Daily 7pm-1am, jam session Tue-Sat 7-9pm
Seinfeld, Leary, and Steven Wright played here
100 Warrenton St, Boston, MA 02116 · Shows Fri-Sat 7:30pm
Empty frames from the 1990 heist still hang
25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115 · Mon/Wed/Fri-Sun 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-9pm, closed Tue
4,300 glass flowers from the 1890s that look real
26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138 · Daily 9am-5pm
Free concerts on the Charles River all summer
47 David G Mugar Way, Boston, MA 02108 · Seasonal, concerts typically 7pm in summer
Live music every night, no cover, food is real
541 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116 · Sun-Wed 5pm-12am, Thu-Sat 5pm-2am, brunch Sat-Sun 10am-3pm
Restaurant-quality food at a 525-seat music venue
52 Church St, Cambridge, MA 02138 · Show nights, doors typically 7pm
In-house winery, dinner at your table during the show
80 Beverly St, Boston, MA 02114 · Show schedule varies, check calendar
LED swings that glow and change color, free
420 D St, Boston, MA 02210 · Mon-Sat 7am-11pm, Sun 7am-10:30pm
Single-screen indie cinema since 1953
40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138 · Daily, showtimes vary, check schedule
Oyster bar in the Seaport where the menu changes with what comes off the boats.
383 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210 · Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm, Sun 10:30am-10pm
North End pizza spot where locals actually eat — not just the tourist cannoli places.
264 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113 · Daily 11am-10pm