For things to do in Boston this weekend, start with the dated festivals, races, concerts and exhibitions on the BostonVacay events calendar, then build the rest of the weekend around what Boston runs every week. The Haymarket produce market sets up on Friday and Saturday, the SoWa Open Market fills the South End on Sundays from May to mid-November, the big museums keep full weekend hours, and the Freedom Trail costs nothing to follow on any day.
Check this weekend's events first
The BostonVacay events calendar lists what is on by date, with times and addresses, from neighborhood festivals and road races to new museum shows. Meet Boston's official calendar of events is the city's tourism listing. Both are worth a look before you lock in plans, because a festival, a race or a home game can close streets and fill restaurants.
Saturday morning: Haymarket and the Boston Public Market
Haymarket, Boston's open-air produce market, runs on Blackstone Street between Hanover Street and North Street every Friday from 3 a.m. and every Saturday from 4 a.m. until the vendors pack up. Next door, the Boston Public Market is an indoor, year-round hall of more than 30 New England farmers and food makers, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday. Haymarket station on the Orange and Green Lines is right there, and the North End is about three minutes away on foot.
Walk the Freedom Trail and the North End
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile red line in the sidewalk linking 16 historic sites, from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Following it is free; some sites charge admission. In the North End, the Paul Revere House charges $6 for adults, and Old North Church runs after-hours crypt tours on Thursday to Saturday evenings in October. For lunch, Neptune Oyster takes walk-ins only, and the bakeries Mike's Pastry and Modern Pastry are both on Hanover Street.
Boston Common and the Public Garden
Boston Common, founded in 1634 and the oldest park in the country, has a carousel at the Frog Pond from April to October and ice skating there from November to March. Across Charles Street, the Public Garden is America's first public botanical garden. Its Swan Boats run daily from April to September; they have closed for 2026 and plan to return in April 2027. The Friends of the Public Garden lead free one-hour tours from the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture from May to September, with no sign-up.
Museums with full weekend hours
- Museum of Fine Arts: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; adults $30, ages 7 to 17 $14; closed Tuesdays.
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; adults $25, and visitors 17 and under free. Advance tickets are recommended because it can sell out.
- Institute of Contemporary Art: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Seaport waterfront; adults $20, 18 and under free.
- Boston Public Library, Central Library: Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Copley Square; free.
Sunday: the SoWa Open Market
The SoWa Open Market at 500 Harrison Avenue and Thayer Street in the South End brings more than 250 artisans, farmers and food trucks together every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 2026 season runs May 3 to November 15. Entry is free, it runs rain or shine, and a different brewery takes over the beer garden each week.
Get outdoors
The Boston Harbor Islands ferries leave Long Wharf from May to October, about 30 minutes to Spectacle Island and 45 to Georges Island and Fort Warren; the 2026 season ends October 12. Year-round, the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain is free and open daily from sunrise to sunset, with a Boston skyline view from the top of Peters Hill; take the Orange Line to Forest Hills. Fenway Park runs hour-long ballpark tours every day of the year, $30 for adults.
Free things to do in Boston this weekend
- Follow the Freedom Trail from Boston Common.
- Walk the Common and the Public Garden, and join a free garden tour in season.
- Browse Haymarket on Friday or Saturday and SoWa on Sunday in season.
- See the murals and courtyard at the Central Library.
- Walk the Arnold Arboretum to Peters Hill.
- Bring anyone 17 or under to the Gardner, where they get in free.
Weekend planner by season
| Season | Weekend anchors |
|---|---|
| Spring (April to May) | Swan Boats return in April; Frog Pond carousel opens; SoWa starts in early May; Harbor Islands ferries begin in May |
| Summer | Harbor Islands ferries, Swan Boats, SoWa Sundays, free Public Garden tours |
| Fall (September to November) | Swan Boats end in September; Harbor Islands ferries end in mid-October; SoWa runs to mid-November |
| Winter (December to March) | Frog Pond skating, museums, the Boston Public Market, Haymarket |
Staying longer? Plan with our two-day Boston itinerary, things to do in Boston on Sundays, weekend ideas with kids and cheap things to do in Boston. In fall, see things to do in Boston in October.