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The best free things to do in Boston with kids are the Freedom Trail, the Frog Pond spray pool on Boston Common in summer, the Make Way for Ducklings sculptures in the Public Garden, the Martin's Park playground in the Seaport, and boarding USS Constitution in Charlestown. Two art museums are free for children every day of the year: the Institute of Contemporary Art admits visitors 18 and under free, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum admits children 17 and under free.
One thing older guides get wrong: the Museum of Fine Arts does not offer free admission on Wednesday evenings. Its current admission is $30 for adults and $14 for youths 7 to 17, with children 6 and under free, and its free days are set holidays for Massachusetts residents. Below is how to fill a family day in Boston without buying a ticket.
Free for kids in Boston at a glance
| Place | What is free | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Trail | Following the 2.5-mile red line | Some sites on the route charge; guided tours cost extra |
| Boston Common and the Frog Pond | The park; the spray pool in summer | Winter skating on the Frog Pond charges a fee |
| Public Garden | The Ducklings sculptures; volunteer-led garden walks | The Swan Boats charge a fare |
| USS Constitution | Boarding the ship | Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Navy security applies |
| USS Constitution Museum | Pay what you wish, from free | Open daily |
| Bunker Hill Monument | The climb, 294 steps | 25 people inside at a time |
| Martin's Park | An inclusive playground | Next to the Boston Children's Museum |
| ICA | Always free 18 and under; free for all Thursday 5 to 9 p.m. | Closed Mondays |
| Gardner Museum | Always free 17 and under; free for all Thursday 5 to 9 p.m. | Closed Tuesdays |
| Boston Public Library | Everything | Central Library in Copley Square |
| Arnold Arboretum | 281 acres, sunrise to sunset | Forest Hills on the Orange Line |
Boston Common, the Frog Pond and the Public Garden
Boston Common is the easiest free morning in the city. Park Street station on the Red and Green lines sits on the Common itself, and the Frog Pond, one of the park's original ponds, becomes a spray pool for children in summer, open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in season. In winter it turns into a skating rink, which charges admission and skate rental.
Across Charles Street, the Public Garden holds Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings, based on Robert McCloskey's 1941 book and in the Garden since 1987. Volunteer guides from the Friends of the Public Garden lead free one-hour walks that meet at the Ducklings. The Swan Boats on the lagoon are the one thing here that costs money.
The Freedom Trail with children
The Freedom Trail is free to follow and starts at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center, 139 Tremont Street. Its 2.5 miles and 16 sites are a lot for small legs, so pick a stretch rather than the whole line: the downtown section from the Common past the Massachusetts State House to Faneuil Hall, where admission to the hall is free and street performers work the marketplace, or the Charlestown end.
In Charlestown, USS Constitution is an active-duty Navy ship that visitors can board for free, Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on a first-come basis and after Navy security. The USS Constitution Museum beside it asks visitors to pay what they wish, with a reduced rate that starts at free. Nearby, the Bunker Hill Monument is free to climb: 294 steps up a tight spiral stair, with only 25 people allowed inside at a time.
Museums that are free for kids
The ICA in the Seaport is always free for visitors 18 and under and free for everyone on Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m.; it is closed on Mondays. The Gardner in the Fenway is always free for children 17 and under and free for everyone on Thursday nights, and it also opens free on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples' Day. The Central Library in Copley Square is free to everyone every day it is open.
The MFA is free for children 6 and under at any time. For everyone else, its free days are for Massachusetts residents: Indigenous Peoples' Day (October 12, 2026), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18, 2027), Memorial Day (May 31, 2027) and Juneteenth (June 18, 2027).
In summer, watch for the Highland Street Foundation's free-admission programs; in 2026 its August Adventures opened one Massachusetts cultural site free each day of August.
Playgrounds and open space
Martin's Park at 64 Sleeper Street in the Seaport opened in 2019 in memory of Martin W. Richard, the youngest victim of the Boston Marathon bombing, and was built so children of all abilities can play together, with a replica ship and water play. For a bigger outing, the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain is free every day from sunrise to sunset across 281 acres, a walk from Forest Hills station on the Orange Line.
A free family day in Boston
- Morning: the Ducklings and a free garden walk in the Public Garden, then the Frog Pond spray pool in summer.
- Late morning: the Freedom Trail from the Common to Faneuil Hall, watching the street performers.
- Afternoon, Tuesday to Sunday: USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.
- Thursday evening: the ICA or the Gardner, free for everyone from 5 to 9 p.m.
For paid attractions worth the money, see our family guide to Boston with kids, and for more ways to save, cheap things to do in Boston.
Sources: MFA admission; MFA free days; ICA; Gardner Museum; Frog Pond; USS Constitution Museum; Bunker Hill Monument (NPS); Martin's Park; Arnold Arboretum; Highland Street Foundation. Checked September 30, 2026.