Fun & Cheap in Beantown
As summer comes to a close, I thought it would be nice to take a look at all of the fun activities that Boston has to offer. And, in the vein of simplicity, they all cost $5 or less:
- Crane Beach in Ipswich: Take the bus from Boston & spend the day sunning on the beach or hiking the Crane Estate.
- Area Museums: Use you library card to visit the MFA, Aquarium, Children’s Museum, Harvard Museum of Natural History & more…
- Cambridge Summer in the City: Great kid-focused arts program in the parks, throughout the summer. (See 2008 Schedule)
- Carson Beach in South Boston: Watch airplanes taking off and landing, then hang on the beach – get there easily by public transportation.
- Baby-Friendly Movies in Arlington: Head over to the Capitol Theater on Monday afternoons
- Boston Commons Frog Pond: Hit the Skating Rink in the Winter & the Wading Pool in the Summer
- Sail the Charles: Join the Summer Program at Community Boating, it’s only $1 for 10-18 year olds
- Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden: A Must-Do for anyone visiting Boston
- The Hatch Shell on the Boston Esplanade in the Summer: Orchestra Concerts every Wednesday & Friday Flicks
- Walking Tours: Take The Freedom Trail, The Literary Tour of Boston or an Audio Tour on your iPod
- Roller Skating in Dorchester: Check out Family Night at Chez-Vous on Thursday nights
- Walden Pond: Drive out to Concord for Swimming in the Summer & Hiking Year-Round
- Take the T to Jamaica Plain: Check out the Arboretum, or the Sculpture Garden at the Forest Hills Cemetery. Stop by the original J.P.Licks for a tasty frozen treat!
Does this list simplify your life? You tell me!
Tags: aquarium, arnold arboretum, baby-friendly movies, beantown, boston, boston commons, cambridge, carson beach, cheap activites, crane beach, forest hills cemetery, freedom trail, friday flicks, frog pond, frugal living, harvard, hatch shell, hiking trails, ipswich, j.p.licks, jamaica plain, kid-friendly, mfa, museums, natural histroy museum, open group write, orchestra, roller skaing, swan boat, swimming in boston, walden pond, walking tours, wisebread, wisebread open call
I think it’s always fun to be a tourist in your own town. Having lived in Boston my whole life, there are still a bunch of things that I haven’t done. I like the “T to Jamaica Plain” idea. I would even say that just buying a day T pass and riding the T and randomly getting off at stops would be a fun way to see the city without planning (and for cheap!).
The Harvard Museum of Natural History is free to Mass. residents on Sunday mornings and Weds afternoons from 3-5 pm (Sept-May only for the Weds. free hours.) And they have an email list to learn about free public lectures.
If you’re into biking, the Minuteman Trail that starts in Lexington is a wonderful ride: http://www.minutemanbikeway.org/Pages/intro.html
Speaking of Jamaica Plain, Samuel Adams in JP offers tours of their brewery. Interesting tour to see, with a tasting at the end. Suggested donation: $2 which goes to local charities.