Labor Day weekend is Boston's last weekend of summer, and the best things to do are the ones about to close for the season: a Swan Boat ride in the Public Garden (their season ends in early September), a ferry to the Boston Harbor Islands, and the SoWa Open Market on Sunday. Museums stay open on the Monday holiday, including the Museum of Fine Arts, while the Massachusetts State House is closed all three days. The next Labor Day is Monday, September 6, 2027.
Expect one thing many visitors miss: most Boston leases turn over at the beginning of September, so the holiday weekend can coincide with moving vans and temporary parking restrictions in some neighborhoods. Plan on the T rather than a car.
Labor Day weekend in Boston: what is open and what is ending
| Place | Labor Day weekend | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Swan Boats, Public Garden | Last days of the season | The 2026 season ended on Labor Day, September 7 |
| Boston Harbor Islands ferries | Running | Summer schedule through Labor Day; fall schedule to mid-October |
| SoWa Open Market | Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Sundays from May to mid-November; free |
| Museum of Fine Arts | Open Saturday to Monday | Mondays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Tuesday |
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | Open Saturday to Monday | Mondays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Tuesday |
| New England Aquarium | Open daily | Timed tickets; weekends and holidays often sell out |
| Massachusetts State House | Closed | Closed weekends and holidays |
| Fenway Park tours | Daily | On game days the last tour is three hours before first pitch |
Saturday: get out on the harbor
Labor Day weekend is the last of the summer ferry schedule to the Harbor Islands. Boats leave from Long Wharf North, next to Christopher Columbus Park; Spectacle Island is about 30 minutes away and Georges Island, with Fort Warren, about 45. There is no park entrance fee, and ferries run rain or shine. After Labor Day the islands switch to a reduced fall schedule, and the season ends in mid-October.
If you would rather see whales, the New England Aquarium and Boston Harbor City Cruises run whale watches from Long Wharf to Stellwagen Bank from May through November. Back on land, Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a short walk from Long Wharf for lunch.
Sunday: SoWa and the South End
The SoWa Open Market fills the lot at 500 Harrison Avenue and Thayer Street in the South End every Sunday from May to mid-November, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with more than 250 artisans, food trucks and farmers. Entry is free. The market says it is a 10-minute walk or less from Back Bay and Tufts Medical Center on the Orange Line. Stay in the neighborhood for the evening: Wally's Cafe Jazz Club on Massachusetts Avenue has had live music every night since 1947, and takes no reservations.
Monday: museums and the Public Garden
The MFA does not close for Labor Day; its holiday closures are New Year's Day, Patriots' Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. On a Monday it is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and adult tickets are $30. The Gardner, a few blocks away on Evans Way, opens on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. by timed ticket.
Finish at the Public Garden while the Swan Boats are still running. Rides last 10 to 15 minutes and adult tickets were $4.75 in 2026, sold at the dock. They do not run in rain, high wind or extreme heat. The boats then close until mid-April.
Red Sox and other events
If you want a Red Sox game, check the team schedule for a home series that weekend. Fenway Park tours run every day, including game days, when the last tour leaves three hours before the first pitch. Boston's big summer street festival comes a week earlier: in 2026 the Boston Caribbean Carnival parade ran on Saturday, August 29, through Roxbury and Dorchester to Franklin Park.
Moving day: why Labor Day weekend traffic is different
Boston's leases turn over at the start of September, and the city warns of temporary traffic and parking restrictions in certain neighborhoods for moving vans. If you are driving in, avoid parking on any street posted for moving permits, and use a garage.
For the rest of the season, see things to do in Boston in September and things to do in Boston this weekend.
Sources: Swan Boats; Harbor Islands ferries; SoWa Open Market; MFA; Gardner Museum; New England Aquarium; State House; Fenway Park tours; City of Boston: moving; Boston.com on Carnival 2026. Checked October 1, 2026.