With its numerous colleges, historical landmarks and cultural centers, Boston is one of the most frequently visited cities in the nation. Because the unofficial capital of New England is widely known for spring baseball, summer seafood and autumn hayrides, it's easy to forget that the large winter snowstorms known affectionately as "Nor'easters" got their name in the region. Despite the annual chill, there's plenty of low-budget fun to be had in Boston each winter for couples and families.
Ice Skating
Each winter the Frog Pond in Boston Common is outfitted with a skating rink. Admission is free, and locals and tourists alike converge to practice figure eights at the center of America's oldest public park. The Frog Pond skating rink basks in the glow of holiday lights and the golden dome of nearby Massachusetts State House every year from November to mid-March.
Arts and Culture
Several Boston-area museums open their doors for free to visitors eager to take the chill off. The Mary Baker Eddy library at the Mary Baker Eddy Library is a three-story, painted-glass globe room. Built in 1935, it represents one of Boston's most amazing (and affordable) educational experiences. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts opens its doors for free admission every Wednesday after 4 p.m. Youths from age 7 to 17 are admitted free to the MFA every weekday after 3 p.m.
Walking
Boston's closely knit nature means you're never far from a hot chocolate, restaurant, bar or other place to warm up. The city is festooned with holiday lights each winter, making strolls through the city a beautiful and memorable experience. Every winter, holiday lights adorn the trees around Boston Common and the footpath down Commonwealth Avenue.
Bunker Hill Monument
Boston's Bunker Hill Monument is located in the city's Charlestown district and offers free admission all year long. A stroll up the monument's 294 steps will not only offer a chance to warm up, but also a chance to take in sprawling views of the city skyline and of Boston Harbor and beyond.
Guided Tours
Nothing warms the heart and stimulates the mind on a cold New England day like a guided tour through one of the Boston's historic landmarks. Both the Boston Public Library and Massachusetts State House offer free weekday guided tours that educate visitors on the history of each facility complete with archival demonstrations and anecdotes from Boston's colonial past.
Member Comments
mbelibrary June 9
While the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library isn't free unless you're under age 5 (it's $4 for students/seniors/kids and $6 for everyone else), the rest of the first floor exhibits there are. That includes the Hall of Ideas with projection art by MIT's David Small and a fountain by Howard Ben Tre and whatever temporary/rotating exhibit they have behind the reception desk.
mbelibrary June 9
(Also, in the spirit of full disclosure, yes I do work at the Library!)