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January is Boston's coldest month, with an average high of 37°F and low of 23°F at Logan Airport, and the best things to do are skating on the Frog Pond on Boston Common, long days in the city's museums, and warming up over chowder and oysters. Two dates are worth planning around in 2027: Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18, when the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is free for everyone and the Museum of Fine Arts is free for Massachusetts residents, and January 22, when the Boston Wine & Food Festival opens at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
A normal January brings about 14 inches of snow, and a nor'easter can slow the T and close outdoor rinks for a day, so build some flexibility into outdoor plans. Here is what is open, what is seasonal, and what closes until spring.
Boston in January at a glance
| What | When | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frog Pond skating | All month, weather permitting | Boston Common | Admission and rental fees |
| Winter on the Waterfront | November through March | The Tall Ship, Steriti Memorial Rink and other waterfront parks | Varies; some events free |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 18, 2027 | Gardner (free for all), MFA (free for Massachusetts residents) | Free |
| Free Thursday nights | Every Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m. | ICA and Gardner | Free |
| Boston Wine & Food Festival | January 22 to March 6, 2027 | Boston Harbor Hotel, Rowes Wharf | Ticketed dinners and tastings |
Skate the Frog Pond on Boston Common
The rink is the Frog Pond, one of Boston Common's original ponds, run by The Skating Club of Boston with the city. Skating starts in mid-November and runs into March; admission and skate rental are charged, and weather closings are posted on the rink's site and social accounts. Park Street station on the Red and Green lines is on the Common, so you can skate without driving. Older guides call it the "Frogtown Pond"; there is no such rink.
Boston Harbor Now's Winter on the Waterfront program runs through March, with skating and ice bumper cars at The Tall Ship on the harbor and public skating at the Steriti Memorial Rink in the North End.
Museum days for cold weather
- Museum of Fine Arts: closed Tuesdays and open until 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Adults pay $30; on Martin Luther King Jr. Day it is free for Massachusetts residents.
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: closed Tuesdays, open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays, and free for everyone on Thursday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Children 17 and under are always free.
- Institute of Contemporary Art: closed Mondays, free for everyone on Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m., and always free for visitors 18 and under.
- Museum of Science: exhibit halls open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a good choice for a snow day with children.
- Boston Public Library, Central Library: free, and open until 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday.
The MFA and the Gardner are both in the Fenway, a few blocks apart, so they make one warm afternoon. Both close on New Year's Day.
Warm food and the Boston Wine & Food Festival
For chowder, Union Oyster House has served it with oysters on Union Street since 1826. In the North End, Neptune Oyster on Salem Street is a small walk-in raw bar, and Regina Pizzeria has made brick-oven pizza on Thacher Street since 1926.
The Boston Wine & Food Festival, a series of winemaker dinners and tastings held each winter at the Boston Harbor Hotel on Rowes Wharf, returns for its 38th season from January 22 to March 6, 2027. Events are ticketed individually, so book the dinners you want early.
What's closed or limited in January
- The Paul Revere House closes on Mondays in January, February and March, and keeps winter hours of 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
- The ship USS Constitution welcomes visitors Tuesday to Sunday only.
- The Boston Harbor Islands ferries run from mid-May to mid-October, and the New England Aquarium's whale watches from May through November.
- The Emerson House in Concord reopens in late April; Orchard House stays open on shorter winter hours.
New Year's Day and weather
January opens straight after First Night, the free New Year's Eve celebration held on December 31, and many museums, including the MFA and the Gardner, close on January 1. Beyond that, pack for cold and snow, with waterproof boots, since Boston is a walking city and much of the day is spent outdoors between stops.
For more cold-weather ideas, see things to do in Boston in winter, winter things to do with kids and things to do in Boston in December.
Sources: Frog Pond; Boston Harbor Now; MFA hours; MFA free days; Gardner Museum; ICA; Museum of Science; Boston Public Library; Boston Wine & Food Festival; Paul Revere House; First Night Boston; NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Boston Logan. Checked September 30, 2026.