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Inexpensive And Fun Things To Do In Boston As A College Student

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emmanuel chapter.

Going to school in the city is fun and exciting, but it can quickly get expensive and hard to keep up with. Here is a list of some inexpensive things I have found around the city that are great to look into if you and your friends need something new to explore!

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is my favorite museum in Boston, and if you have an Emmanuel student ID you get free entrance! The museum itself is very unique, with its most memorable aspect being the beautiful garden in the center of the museum. I see plenty of students sitting along windowsills in there doing work, chatting with friends, or just taking in the garden. The exhibits in this museum are also very special, each selected and carefully placed by Isabella Stewart Gardner when she owned the home. It is so interesting to see her thought process behind which pieces should go together or end up in totally opposite ends of the museum. You also get to see the empty frames from the infamous art heist that happened at this museum! 

Museum of Fine Arts

I promise this list is not all museums, but this is another cool thing to do if you have a student ID! Select universities’ students are allowed free entrance into the Museum of Fine Arts, and even if you don’t have an ID everyone gets $5 entrance on Wednesdays after 3 pm. This museum is absolutely gorgeous with so much to explore. It’s definitely a fun place to check out if you’re looking for something to do to kill time during the day!

Visit the North End 

The North End is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Boston. It’s great to take a walk through, sit on the swinging benches, and stop by one of the many restaurants there. The cafes are all fairly cheap if you want to stop in and get a cannoli or a pastry. My favorite bar/café here is Caffe Vittoria! 

Mapparium

The Mapparium is a really unique part of Boston. It is right next to the Christian Science Plaza, which by itself is so nice to walk through. The Mapparium is only $6 to enter, and it lets you step inside a giant globe onto a bridge running straight through the middle. You can stand on one side and whisper, and people on the other end of the room can hear you! It’s a really cool attraction to check out.

Picnic in the Commons

Another fun and cheap thing to do on nice weather days would be to have a picnic in the Boston Commons! It’s a great way to spend a day with friends, take pictures, and explore the Commons after!

Boston Public Library

Finally, the Boston Public Library is another gorgeous place to go with friends to get work done or if you just want to explore. The real highlight of getting a Boston Public Library card is the perks it comes with is the free tickets you can get to other things in the city! With the library card, you get free entrance to the New England Aquarium and the Museum of Science!

Currently pursuing a Communications and Media Studies major and Marketing and Global and Public Health minor at Emmanuel College, with a specific interest in Healthcare Communications. 2021-22 Public Relations and Events Coordinator and 2022-23 President for the Emmanuel chapter.