Free resources in Boston for students (Cambridge, Quincy: theatre, public school, university)

[samj1234]

[FONT=Verdana]I wanted to start a thread that talked about available resources for students in the Boston area - particularly, free ones. I'm a college student myself and get frequent use of public resources like libraries as well as online discount sites. Is anyone familiar with other great resources for students? Reply with them here please! [/FONT]

[smarty]

Boston Children's Museum
300 Congress St, Boston
(617) 426-7336
Members and children under 1 are always admitted free to the Boston Children's Museum. On Friday nights from 5 pm to 9 pm, as part of Target $1 Friday Nights, admission is only $1 per person, saving you $9 per adult and $7 per child off of the regular admission price. It's not really free, but it's pretty darn close.

Harvard University Art Museum
The museum, located at 32 Quincy St, Cambridge, is undergoing a five-year renovation expected to begin in 2009. The building is closed to the public as of June 30, 2008, but during renovation selected works will be on public view at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, Cambridge.
(617) 495-9400
Admission to the Harvard University Art Museum, which includes the Fogg Museum, the Arthur Sackler Museum, and the Busch-Reisinger Museum, is always free to Harvard students, affiliates, members, youth under 18, and Cambridge Public Library card holders. In addition, admission is free to everyone on Saturdays from 10 am to noon and every day after 4:30 pm.

Harvard Museum of Natural History
26 Oxford Street, Cambridge
(617) 495-3045
Current Harvard I.D. holders and one guest are always admitted free to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Admission is also free to Massachusetts residents on Wednesdays from 3 pm to 5 pm (September through May) and every Sunday morning (year-round) from 9 am to noon (excluding commercial groups).


Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave, Boston
(617) 478-3100
Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art is always free to members and children under 17. Every Thursday from 5 pm to 9 pm the museum is free to everyone as part of Target Free Thursday Nights. ICA admission is also free for families (up to 2 adults accompanied by children 12 and under) on the last Saturday of each month.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston
(617) 566-1401
Admission to the Isabella Stewart Gardner art museum is always free to members and children under 18 (with a parent or guardian). Any group of 10 or more children must register as a group and pay a fee. And winning the award for most bizarre free admission policy, anyone with the first name "Isabella" is admitted to the museum free of charge—forever. Frugal art-loving Boston parents, keep this in mind when naming your next daughter.

Museum of African American History
46 Joy Street, Beacon Hill, Boston
(617) 725-0022
The Museum of African American History (formerly the Museum of Afro-American History) is New England's largest African American history museum. Admission to the museum is always free (though there is a suggested donation of $5).

Museum of Bad Art
Dedham Community Theatre, 580 High St, Dedham
(781) 444-6757
Admission is always free to the Museum of Bad Art, perhaps the world's only museum "dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition, and celebration of bad art in all its forms." In tune with the museum's wry sense of humor, its membership page points out that one of the benefits of a free membership at the MOBA is that you "get into our free exhibitions for free." Now who could turn down a deal like that?

Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Ave, Boston
(617) 267-9300
Admission to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts is always free to members and youth ages 6 and under. Youth aged 7–17 are admitted free on weekdays after 3 pm and on weekends and Public School holidays. However, a fee will be charged for visits by school or other youth groups of six or more people and must be scheduled in advance. Every Wednesday from 4 pm to 9:45 pm, general admission is free to everyone as part of the Citizens Bank Foundation Wednesday Nights at the MFA. Special exhibitions still require a fee.

Museums on Us
Bank of America's "Museums on Us!" deal offers free admission to participating museums for all Bank of America customers on the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of every month. This currently includes the Museum of Fine Arts, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, and the Danforth Museum of Art.
Read more about Museums on Us.

Museum Pass Program
The Boston Public Library has a limited number of passes available that offer free or reduced admission to many of the city's museums, including the Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium, the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, and Zoo New England, among others. It is recommended that you reserve these passes in advance. See the Boston Public Library website for details, or ask at your local Boston Public Library branch.

[smarty]

Walk the Freedom Trail

Lay Out in the Commons

Catch a Concert at the Hatch Shell

Head to Castle Island

Take a Tour of colleges... like Harvard

Free Wine Tastings - Best Cellars, located in Boston and Brookline, offers free wine tastings from 5-8 p.m. on the weekdays and 2-5 p.m. on the weekends

Free Beer Tours
- Sam Adams Brewery offers free tours of its brewery and tasting.
- Harpoon Brewery in South Boston offers free tours of its brewery and tasting.

Visit the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain