Boston's Best Budget Attractions
Larz Anderson Auto Museum
15 Newton St.
Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 522-6547
www.larzanderson.org
The Larz Anderson Auto Museum houses the oldest car collection in the United States. It dates back nearly a century and first belonged to the Andersons, on whose former estate the museum and a large city park now reside. The collection includes automobiles from the turn of the century until about 1926, so it is very much focused on historic cars. Once a year, the museum participates in Free Fun Fridays, which allow visitors free admission all day long. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for young children, seniors, military and students.
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Public Open Night At The Coit Observatory
725 Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 353-2630
www.bu.edu
Public Open Night at the Coit Observatory is a program offered by Boston University's Astronomy Department. On every Wednesday night that the weather allows for looking at the night sky, visitors are given free access to telescopes and binoculars so they might see the night in a new way. Stargazing begins at 7:30 p.m. in fall and winter and 8:30 p.m. in spring and summer. Unfortunately, there is no handicap access, as guests must climb to the observatory.
Harvard Museum Of Natural History
26 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-3045
www.hmnh.harvard.edu
The Harvard Museum of Natural History is one of the best museums in town. It is also accessible for people of any budget on free days. All year, Massachusetts residents are admitted free on Sunday mornings between 9 a.m. and noon. September through May, residents are admitted free from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons. Come see amazing taxidermy examples of creatures from all over, anatomically correct glass flowers and much more.
Boston Fire Museum
344 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 338-9700
www.bostonfiremuseum.com
The Boston Fire Museum houses all kinds of fire history and memorabilia from the Greater Boston area inside an old firehouse in the city. Admission is always free, though the establishment is run on donations, so contributions of any size are welcome. This is a great attraction for kids, history lovers and those who want to help support firefighters in the area. The museum dates back to 1983, but many of the items on display date back much farther.
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Arnold Arboretum
125 Arborway
Boston, MA 02130
(617) 524-1718
www.arboretum.harvard.edu
The Arnold Arboretum is a research and education facility of Harvard University. People are invited to guide themselves through the natural environment of the Arnold Arboretum for free. There are even tools and games like Discovery Packs and Wildlife Bingo to make things even more interesting. Volunteers located on the trails can help answer questions and point visitors in the right direction. Botany enthusiasts will really love the plants the arboretum brings in from everywhere.
Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.