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Boston can be notoriously expensive, but that doesn't mean you have to pass up experiencing world-class art around the city. From designated free days to special offers for local residents, veterans, and people named Isabella (bet you can't guess which museum offers this perk!), there are dozens of ways to see art on a budget.
Read on below to get the scoop on gaining free admission to 14 arts institutions in Greater Boston. The following museums offer free admission to...
Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
Cambridge
• Always free for visitors
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
Lincoln
• Lincoln residents, with valid ID
• Active duty military personnel and their families
• All cyclists who ride their bike to the museum
• WBUR or WGBH members on the last Thursday of the month
Fitchburg Art Museum
Fitchburg
• All visitors on the first Thursday of each month, 3-7pm
Fuller Craft Museum
Brockton
• Brockton residents
• Active duty military personnel and veterans
• Members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, with valid ID
Harvard Art Museums
Cambridge
• All students, with valid ID
• Members of the Harvard community (plus one guest), with valid ID
• Cambridge residents (every day), and Massachusetts residents (Saturdays 10am-12pm), when show proof of residency
• Members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, with valid ID
• Active duty military personnel and up to five family members
• Individuals with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits or an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, plus up to five family members
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
Seaport
• All visitors during Free Thursday Nights from 5-9pm
• Two adults accompanied by children 12 and under during Play Dates on the last Saturday of every month
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Fenway
• All visitors named Isabella
• Members of the U.S. Military and their families
• Free admission on your birthday
• All visitors who present an active Bank of America or Merrill Lynch debit or credit card and a valid photo ID during the first full weekend of each month, thanks to the Museums on Us program
MIT List Visual Arts Center
Cambridge
• Always free for all visitors
Museum of American Bird Art
Canton
• Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cardholders and up to four family members
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Fenway
• All visitors on Wednesday nights after 4pm
• All visitors on Open House days: Monday, May 27, 2019 (Memorial Day Open House) and Monday, October 14, 2019 (Fall Open House)
Peabody Essex Museum
Salem
• Salem residents, with valid ID
• People who work in Salem, Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm
• Members of the U.S. Military and their families
Public art throughout Greater Boston
Multiple locations
• Always free!
Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University
Waltham
• Always free for visitors
The Art Complex Museum
Duxbury
• Always free for visitors
Worcester Art Museum
Worcester
• All visitors on the first Sunday of each month, 10am-4pm
• Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cardholders
• Active duty military personnel and veterans
