Wondering how to get into a New England museum without paying? Below is Wonderland’s guide to free days at institutions when an average Massachusetts grownup resident can get in for free. The venues are listed in alphabetical order. (Also: It’s not noted here, but many museums have free or reduced admissions for children, military service members, veterans and EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cardholders.)
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• Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover: “Free.”
• Bell Gallery, Brown University, Providence: Free.
• Boston Children’s Museum, Boston: No free days, but “Fridays $1 from 5pm to 9pm.”
• BSA Space, Boston Society for Architecture, Boston: Free.
• Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester: No free days.
• Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge: “Free.”
• Clark Art Institute, Williamstown: “Enjoy free admission on the first Sunday of the month from October to May.”
• Cooper Gallery, Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, Harvard University, Cambridge: Free.
• Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire: “We offer free admission hours to New Hampshire residents on the second Saturday morning of each month from 10 a.m. to noon.”
• Davis Museum at Wellesley College, Wellesley: “General Admission Free.”
• DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln: “Free admission to all cyclists who pedal to deCordova.”
• Emerson Contemporary, Emerson College, Boston: Free.
• Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst: No free days.
• Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg: “Free admission for all on the first Thursday of each month, 3:00 – 7:00 pm.”
• Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton: Free: “Thursday 5:00 – 9:00 pm.”
• Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester: “Thursdays 2 to 4 – free admission for all.”
• Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge: “Free: Massachusetts residents, Saturdays from 10am-noon (proof of residency required).”
• Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge: “Free to Massachusetts residents every Sunday morning (year-round) from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and on Wednesdays from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm (September through May). Proof of residency required.”
• Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston: “Admission is FREE for all every Thursday from 5 to 9 PM during ICA Free Thursday Nights.” Also “When accompanied by kids 12 and under during Play Dates (the last Saturday of every month except December), up to 2 adults per family admitted free.”
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston: No free days.
• Lesley University Galleries, Cambridge: Free.
• MassArt Art Museum, Boston: Free.
• Mass MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), North Adams: No free days.
• McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, Boston: “Free.”
• Mills Gallery, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston: Free.
• MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge: “Admission and programs are FREE.”
• MIT Museum, Cambridge: “Free last Sunday of each month, September through June.”
• Montserrat College of Art Galleries, Beverly: Free.
• Museum of African American History, Boston: No free days.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: “Free days: … Wednesday nights after 4 pm, admission is by voluntary contribution (suggested donation $25).”
• Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, Boston: No free days.
• Museum of Russian Icons, Clinton: “First Sunday of the Month: Free admission all day!”
• Museum of Science, Boston: No free days.
• New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford: “Free admission every Thursday from 5 pm to 9 pm.” And “Last Sunday of every month is free admission.” And “Free admission on Aha! Nights from 5 pm to 9 pm.”
• New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford: “Free on Aha! Nights.”
• Newport Art Museum, Newport, Rhode Island: No free days.
• Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge: No free days.
• Peabody Essex Museum, Salem: No free days.
• Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine: “Every Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the PMA is free to the public.”
• Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown: “Openings are free and open to the public.”
• RISD Museum, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence: “Admission is free every Sunday (10 am–5 pm) and on the third Thursday evening of each month (5–9 pm).”
• Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham: “Free admission, always.”
• Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston: “Always free.”
• Suffolk University Art Gallery, Boston: Free.
• Trustman Art Gallery, Simmons College, Boston: Free.
• Tufts University Art Galleries at Tufts University, Medford, and at School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, Boston: “All exhibitions and related programming are free, open to the public, and fully accessible. Suggested donation: $3.”
• University Hall Gallery at UMass Boston, Boston: Free.
• Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut: “Museum admission is free from 4-5pm Wednesday-Sunday.” Also “Second Saturdays For Families: Arrive between 10 am and 1 pm on the second Saturday of each month and enjoy free admission for the day.”
• Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown: “Come in, we’re free!”
• Worcester Art Museum, Worcester: “Free admission to all visitors on the first Sunday of each month: 10am-4pm.”
If this is the kind of coverage of arts, cultures and activisms you appreciate, please support Wonderland by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon. And sign up for our free, weekly newsletter so that you don’t miss any of our reporting.