Thanksgiving in Boston 2026: Hotel Dinners, What's Open and Where to Stay

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The Boston Public Garden lagoon in late autumn, with weeping willows on both banks and red and gold trees under a clear blue sky

Photo by Phil Evenden on Pexels

By Michael Gonzales · Updated November 3, 2026

Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. Most Boston museums close that day, but hotel dining rooms stay busy: set menus run from $79 at Peregrine to $249 for the Four Seasons One Dalton buffet. Walk the Freedom Trail or run the Turkey Trot in the morning, book dinner now and keep Friday to Sunday for hockey, ballet and the markets.

This is our Thursday-to-Sunday plan, rebuilt for 2026 from each hotel's, restaurant's and organizer's own published schedule. We re-checked everything on October 30, 2026. Where something hadn't been announced, we say so.

Thanksgiving weekend in Boston at a glance

Day What's on Where
Fri, Nov 20 SoWa Christmas Market opening night, 4 to 9 p.m. SoWa Power Station, South End
Sat, Nov 21 America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade, 10 a.m. Plymouth, from Plymouth Rock
Sat, Nov 21 Faneuil Hall Marketplace holiday tree lighting, 2 to 6 p.m. Quincy Market
Wed, Nov 25 Museum of Science closes early, at 2 p.m. Science Park
Thu, Nov 26 Franklin Park Turkey Trot 5K, 9 a.m. Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse, 1 Circuit Drive
Thu, Nov 26 Hotel Thanksgiving dinners and brunches (table below) Downtown, Back Bay, waterfront
Fri, Nov 27 Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 1 p.m. TD Garden
Fri, Nov 27 The Nutcracker opens (runs to Dec 31) Citizens Opera House
All weekend Snowport holiday market (open since Nov 6) Seaport

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Which Boston hotels serve Thanksgiving dinner?

Hotel restaurants are the surest bet on the holiday, since many independent places close. These eight have posted 2026 Thanksgiving menus. Prices are per person, before tax and tip, from each venue's own page or its reservation page, checked October 30, 2026. Book early: most were already taking reservations.

Where Hotel What's served Price Book a room
Peregrine The Whitney Hotel, Beacon Hill Set menu, Nov 26 only $79 adults, $32 children The Whitney on Expedia
Willow & Ivy The Lenox Hotel, Back Bay Thanksgiving prix fixe $95 adults, $41 children under 10 The Lenox on Expedia
Parker's Restaurant Omni Parker House, Downtown Thanksgiving Day buffet $125 adults, $35 children 12 and under Omni Parker House on Expedia
Scampo The Liberty, Beacon Hill Lydia Shire's prix fixe $135 adults, $50 children 12 and under The Liberty on Expedia
Beacon Ballroom Four Seasons One Dalton, Back Bay Buffet, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $249 adults, $85 children under 12 One Dalton on Expedia
Boston Harbor Hotel Boston Harbor Hotel, Rowes Wharf Brunch, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Price not posted Boston Harbor Hotel on Expedia
OAK Long Bar + Kitchen Fairmont Copley Plaza, Back Bay Specials and a limited dinner menu, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. À la carte Fairmont Copley on Expedia
Eastern Standard Independent, 775 Beacon Street, Kenmore Square Three-course prix fixe $98 Not a hotel

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The cheapest set menu is Peregrine's at The Whitney, at $79, served on November 26 only. The hotel sits on Charles Street across from the Charles/MGH Red Line station, so it's an easy ride from anywhere downtown.

The classic Boston choice is the buffet at Parker's Restaurant in the Omni Parker House, the hotel where Boston cream pie and Parker House rolls began.

The 2026 spread runs from breakfast dishes and a raw bar to roast turkey with herb stuffing, maple bourbon glazed ham and sirloin, with Parker House rolls and holiday pies. Reservations are required, and parties of six or more need a credit-card deposit.

The biggest spread is at Four Seasons One Dalton, whose third-floor Beacon Ballroom buffet has a raw bar, a carving station with heritage turkey and Prime ribeye, and a dessert display. The hotel's press release says reservations are essential, by phone at 617-936-4876 or online.

Its lobby bar, Trifecta, also serves a Thanksgiving dinner plate and other holiday specials.

For a later or looser meal, OAK Long Bar + Kitchen at the Fairmont Copley Plaza serves Thanksgiving food and drink specials from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with a limited dinner menu, and Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square offers a $98 three-course menu with a kids' menu and drinks à la carte.

On the water, Boston Harbor Hotel holds a Thanksgiving brunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with live cooking stations, overlooking the harbor at 70 Rowes Wharf. It hadn't posted a price when we checked.

Would you rather eat where the Thanksgiving story is told? Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth, south of Boston, sells a plated "Story of Thanksgiving" dinner with an educator-led program.

Seatings are Wednesday, November 25, at 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, November 26, at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.; and Friday, November 27, at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Each dinner ticket includes two days of admission to the museum's historic sites.

Is anything open on Thanksgiving Day in Boston?

Outdoor Boston is. The Freedom Trail is a free, marked 2.5-mile route you can walk any day, and Boston Common and the Public Garden stay open. Most indoor attractions close. These all list Thanksgiving Day as closed:

The MBTA lists Thanksgiving Day as a holiday with modified service but hadn't posted the 2026 details when we checked, so look at its holiday page the week before. On most holidays the T runs a weekend schedule.

Places with daily hours, such as the New England Aquarium and View Boston, don't list holiday hours on their main visit pages, so check their sites before you go.

How do you spend Thanksgiving morning in Boston?

Run, or walk. The Franklin Park Coalition's Turkey Trot starts at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day from the Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse, and the organizers call it the largest Thanksgiving Day race in the City of Boston. It's a 5K, and walkers, strollers and leashed dogs are welcome.

The race has sold out in recent years, so register early. Enter the park from Blue Hill Avenue or from the Arborway at Morton Street, not through the maintenance yard off Canterbury Street.

If you'd rather see the city, the Freedom Trail starts on Boston Common. Tour companies set their own holiday schedules, so check dates before booking; this small-group Freedom Trail tour on Viator is rated 4.9 from 8,416 reviews, from $39 (checked October 30, 2026).

What is there to do on Black Friday in Boston?

The Bruins' annual Black Friday game is a 1 p.m. matinee against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden; our Bruins game night guide covers seats and getting there. Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker opens the same day at the Citizens Opera House and runs through December 31.

The SoWa Christmas Market fills the SoWa Power Station in the South End with more than 100 makers, artists and specialty food vendors from November 20 to December 27. It's closed on Thanksgiving Day and open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Black Friday, and on-site parking is $10, cash only. In the Seaport, Snowport opens for its sixth season on November 6, 2026.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace lights its holiday tree on Saturday, November 21, from 2 to 6 p.m., the weekend before Thanksgiving, and its Holiday Market opens on November 20. The city's own Boston Common tree lighting comes later, on Thursday, December 3, 2026.

What should you do on Thanksgiving weekend?

Go indoors. The Museum of Fine Arts reopens Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; adult admission is $30. Fenway Park runs ballpark tours every day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November through March, for $30 for adults and $21 for children 3 to 12.

The Freedom Trail Foundation's Walk Into History tour leaves from the Boston Common Visitor Information Center at 139 Tremont Street and costs $17 for adults and $8 for children.

Is there a Thanksgiving parade near Boston?

Yes, in Plymouth, and it's the weekend before. America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade is on Saturday, November 21, 2026. Opening ceremonies start at 9 a.m., and the parade steps off from Plymouth Rock on the waterfront at 10 a.m. and ends at Court and Nelson Streets.

If you'd like to tour the museum too, a Plimoth Patuxet admission ticket on Viator is rated 4.5 from 505 reviews, from $35 (checked October 30, 2026).

Where should you stay for Thanksgiving weekend?

Stay where you're eating. Back Bay puts you near One Dalton, The Lenox, the Fairmont and the MFA; see our Back Bay hotels guide. Beacon Hill, home to The Liberty and The Whitney, is walkable to the Common and the Freedom Trail; see Beacon Hill hotels.

Downtown, near the Omni Parker House and Faneuil Hall, is covered in downtown Boston hotels, and for Snowport and the waterfront, see Seaport hotels.

What's the weather like at Thanksgiving in Boston?

Cool, with some wet days. November in Boston averages a high of 52°F and a low of 38°F at Logan Airport, with about 3.7 inches of precipitation over roughly 10 days of rain or snow. Pack a warm waterproof coat, a hat and gloves for the Turkey Trot and any evening outdoors.

For the rest of the season, see things to do in Boston in November, Boston Christmas events and things to do near Faneuil Hall.

Plan your trip

To see live rates for the long weekend, compare Boston hotels for Thanksgiving week on Expedia. For the rest of your trip, browse Boston tours and things to do on Viator, find tickets and day trips on Klook, or compare car rentals at Logan Airport on Expedia.

Frequently asked questions

Is anything open in Boston on Thanksgiving Day? Outdoor sights are: the Freedom Trail, Boston Common and the Public Garden. Most museums close, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the Boston Tea Party Ships and the Paul Revere House. Hotel restaurants such as Parker's at the Omni Parker House serve Thanksgiving meals.

Where can you get Thanksgiving dinner in Boston? Hotel restaurants are the safest bet. Posted 2026 menus include Peregrine at The Whitney ($79), Willow & Ivy at The Lenox ($95), Parker's at the Omni Parker House ($125), Scampo at The Liberty ($135) and the Four Seasons One Dalton buffet ($249).

Is Thanksgiving a good time to visit Boston? Yes, if you plan around the closures. Thursday is quiet, and Friday to Sunday brings the Bruins' Black Friday game, the opening of The Nutcracker, the SoWa Christmas Market and Snowport, with museums back on normal hours.

When is the Franklin Park Turkey Trot in 2026? Thursday, November 26, 2026, at 9 a.m. The 5K starts at the Franklin Park Golf Clubhouse, 1 Circuit Drive, Boston. It has sold out in recent years, so register early.

Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Boston? Not in the city itself. America's Hometown Thanksgiving Parade in Plymouth is on Saturday, November 21, 2026, the weekend before Thanksgiving, and leaves Plymouth Rock at 10 a.m.

Do the Bruins play on Black Friday? Yes. In 2026 the Bruins host the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden at 1 p.m. on Friday, November 27.

Does the T run on Thanksgiving? Yes, on modified service. The MBTA lists Thanksgiving Day as a modified-service holiday and usually runs a weekend schedule on holidays; it hadn't posted 2026 details when we checked on October 30.

What is the weather like in Boston at Thanksgiving? Cool, with some wet days. November averages a high of 52°F and a low of 38°F at Logan Airport, with rain or snow on about 10 days of the month, so bring a warm, waterproof coat.

Sources

All checked October 30, 2026, except the weather normals.