80 museums, zoos, and cultural destinations that will be free on Fridays this summer
This is the largest Free Fun Fridays series yet.
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Mark your calendars: For 10 Fridays this summer, you can get into some Boston-area and beyond museums, zoos, and cultural institutions for free, thanks to Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Friday series.
Every year, the foundation offers their Free Fun Fridays series, an all-summer-long list of no-cost museums and art institutions, and this year’s schedule highlights 80 participating venues.
Beginning June 24, each Friday will feature eight attractions open to the public. You won’t have to pay admission to sites like the Boston Children’s Museum or the Franklin Park Zoo on select days, and some offers extend beyond the Boston area, offering free entry to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History or the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst.
Highland Street Foundation, which is committed to addressing the needs of Massachusetts children and families when it comes to education, health care, the arts, and more, has hosted the series since 2009.
The family-friendly offering has grown in size each year since—last year’s list offered 70 free events. Plan 10 weeks of Friday fun the schedule below, or click here for a PDF.
June 24, 2016
- Tanglewood
- Lyric Stage Company of Boston
- Clark Art Institute
- MASS MoCa
- Worcester Art Museum
- Children’s Museum at Holyoke
- International Volleyball Hall of Fame
- The Mount: Edith Wharton’s Home
July 1, 2016
- Boston Children’s Museum
- The Sports Museum
- Heritage Museums & Gardens
- Falmouth Museums on the Green
- Cape Cod Maritime Museum
- Amelia Park Children’s Museum
- Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
- Wenham Museum
July 8, 2016
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Plimoth Plantation
- Peabody Essex Museum
- Cape Ann Museum
- Buttonwood Park Zoo
- Children’s Museum in Easton
- The Hall at Patriot Place
- Provincetown Art Association and Museum
July 15, 2016
- Edward M. Kennedy Institute
- Boston Athenaeum
- Larz Anderson Museum
- Cape Cod Children’s Museum
- Edward Gorey House
- Danforth Art Museum/School
- Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History
- Fitchburg Art Museum
July 22, 2016
- Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park
- Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
- New Bedford Whaling Museum
- Cape Cod Museum of Art
- Pilgrim Hall Museum
- The Eric Carle Museum
- Fruitlands Museum
- Museum of Russian Icons
July 29, 2016
- John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
- Commonwealth Museum
- Battleship Cove
- Marine Museum at Fall River
- Sandwich Glass Museum
- Nantucket Whaling Museum
- Tower Hill Botanic Garden
- Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
August 5, 2016
- Harvard Museum of Natural History
- The Old State House
- The Greenway Carousel
- Springfield Museums
- Historic Deerfield
- Hancock Shaker Village
- The Old Manse, The Trustees
- Worcester Historical Museum
August 12, 2016
- MIT Museum
- The Museum of the NCAAA
- Concord Museum
- Garden in the Woods
- Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
- Naumkeag, The Trustees
- Emily Dickinson Museum
- The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum
August 19, 2016
- The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
- USS Constitution Museum
- The Discovery Museums
- EcoTarium
- The Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River
- New England Historic Genealogical Society
- Fuller Craft Museum
- Griffin Photography Museum
August 26, 2016
- Franklin Park Zoo
- Old Sturbridge Village
- Freedom Trail Foundation
- Museum of African American History
- Normal Rockwell Museum
- Berkshire Museum
- Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum
- Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
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