Looking for a free museum as a student but don’t know where to go? Check out this post for the top 8 free museums in Boston for college students.
As a graduate of Northeastern University, a part of me wishes I took advantage of all of the things my university membership gave me. Free museum admission, for example, was something I was aware of back then but I never really utilized.
So, if you’re a college student looking for a free museum to visit in Boston, you’ve come to the right place. This post alone will highlight the top 8 free museums in Boston you can visit with your university membership.
New England Bucket List Series
P.S. This is a post in my New England Bucket List Series. Here is the complete series:
Road Trips: 30 Best Road Trips From Boston
Ice Skating: The Top 7 Places for Free Ice Skating in Boston
Hiking: 20 Best Hikes for Fall Foliage in New England
Fall Foliage: 12 Best Places for Fall Foliage in Boston
Thrift Stores: The 7 Best Thrift Stores in Boston for Vintage
Salem: One Day in Salem Massachusetts: Hocus Pocus Edition
Museums: The Top 8 Free Museums in Boston for College Students
Free Museums in Boston Map
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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (free museums in boston)
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a great museum that offers free admission to college students. They do this through their University Membership Program that offers complimentary museum admission to select colleges and universities. So, if you’re not sure if your university or college is in the program, please make sure you check their website in advance.
In addition to free general admission, members of the University Membership Program also get access to discounts on gallery tours as well as free self-guided gallery visits.
So, if you’re a college student planning to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for the first time in Boston, I highly recommend it. Visiting it could be great as a first date if you’re into art or you can go there as another way to hang out with friends.
Museum of Fine Arts (free museums in boston)
The Museum of Fine Arts is another great museum that offers free admission to college students. It’s provided by the Lunder Maine Student Membership Program, the McLane Family New Hampshire Student Membership Program, and the Pozen Community College Access Program. In fact, there are also other colleges and universities that are in the University Membership Program by location.
So, if you’re not sure if your college or university is in the University Membership Program, please check their website. It has a list of all of the included colleges and universities that are in the program as well as a list of eligible student groups.
Therefore, if you’re a college student planning to visit the Museum of Fine Arts for the first time in Boston, I highly recommend it. This program also applies to students who are home schooled as well.
The Institute of Contemporary Art (free museums in boston)
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is another great museum that offers free admission to college students. Their university membership gives students unique access to their contemporary culture as well as their exhibition programs and galleries. In fact, students are also able to get reduced pricing on tickets to ICA-produced public programs as well as performances and films.
So, if you’re not sure if your college or university is in the University Membership Program, please check their website. It has a list of all of the participating institutions in the program as well as the codes needed to reserve free tickets.
Therefore, if you’re a college student planning to visit ICA for the first time in Boston, I highly recommend it. University members will also get eNews highlighting exhibitions, dances, and musical performances.
Harvard Museum of Natural History (free museums in boston)
The Harvard Museum of Natural History is another great museum that offers free admission to college students. Their special free admission allows students with a Harvard ID to enter the museum free of charge with one +1 guest.
Therefore, if you’re a college student who goes to Harvard or know someone that does. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of this offer! With this free admission, you’ll get access to all of the exhibits including the internationally acclaimed Glass Flowers Gallery.
So, if you’re a college student planning to visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History for the first time in Boston, I highly recommend it. This museum is also connected to the Peabody Museum and its admission is included too.
Waterworks Museum (free museums in boston)
The Waterworks Museum is another great museum that offers free admission to college students. The admission is free of charge for everyone and tours are available at set times throughout the day.
In addition, these guided tours are only available from Thursday to Sunday and they’re 30-45 minutes long. Therefore, if you’re interested in doing a tour, I highly recommend it. Their facilitators take you on a journey throughout the tour as they tell you the many stories connected to the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station and the Boston Waterworks system.
So, if you’re a college student planning to visit the Waterworks Museum for the first time in Boston, I highly recommend it. The only thing that’s important to note about this museum is the parking. It’s very limited so I highly recommend getting there by rideshare or with the T.
Commonwealth Museum (free museums in boston)
The Commonwealth Museum is another great museum that offers free admission. Located near the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Commonwealth Museum is known for having a great collection of exhibits that talk about the founding of Commonwealth.
In fact, one of the biggest highlights of the museum is the room where they keep the bronze plate that Paul Revere made of the Boston Massacre, the Charter of Massachusetts, the Charter of the Bay Colony, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Massachusetts Constitution. Since it’s a big tourist attraction, you definitely don’t want to miss it.
Therefore, if you’re a college student planning to visit the Commonwealth Museum for the first time in Boston, I highly recommend it. In fact, there’s even a free shuttle that takes you to the museum right from the Red Line JFK UMass Station.
Boston Fire Museum (free museums in boston)
The Boston Fire Museum is another great museum that offers free admission. Since the museum is a non-profit organization, their free admission is operated by fundraising and donations. In fact, their mission as a whole is to offer visitors of all ages an opportunity to relive an exciting era in the history of the fire service in the Greater Boston Area.
In fact, the firehouse where the museum is located is actually the second oldest existing firehouse in Boston, Massachusetts. So, if you’re a college student that’s planning to visit The Boston Fire Museum for the first time in the city, I highly recommend it. Not only is the museum preserving firefighting memorabilia but it’s also educating the public on the importance of fire safety.
Bunker Hill Museum (free museums in boston)
The Bunker Hill Museum is another museum that offers free admission. Located near Bunker Hill Community College, the museum highlights the battle that was fought at Bunker Hill. In fact, the exhibits for the Battle of Bunker Hill can be located upstairs. The exhibits cover the major events of the battle as well as the layout of the battlefield.
So, if you’re a college student planning to visit the Bunker Hill Museum for the first time in Boston, I highly recommend it. The museum gives you the full picture of what occurred during that time in a now densely-populated part of Boston.
Overall, I really hope you enjoyed this post on the top 8 free museums in Boston for college students! Please let me know in the comments down below which museum you would like to visit the most! I would love to hear from you.
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