Free things to do next weekend in and around Boston

Boston's Top Picks for FREE family-friendly fun Friday, May 1, 2026 to Sunday, May 3, 2026.

(Scroll down for full, detailed list of free weekend activities.)

• Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Boston - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, 04/26/2026 - 05/03/2026, See link for times
• Drop-In Gaming Time (All Ages) - At Boston Public Library - Chinatown Branch - Boston Public Library, 2 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, 05/01/2026, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
• Discovery Tykes at the Museum of Natural History - Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI, USA, 05/01/2026, 10:00AM-10:30AM
• Free Open Houses at the Betsey Williams Cottage - Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI, USA, 05/01/2026, 10:00 am - 3:00pm
• Discovery Tykes at Betsey Williams Cottage - Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI, USA, 05/01/2026, 10:00 am -10:30 am
• Friday Storytime At Mill Cafe - The Mill Cafe, 14 Mill St, Arlington, MA 02476, 05/01/2026, 3:30 - 4:15 pm
• Family Dinner - At Mill Cafe - The Mill Cafe, 14 Mill St, Arlington, MA 02476, 05/01/2026, 4:30 - 7:00
• Crabapples in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature - At the Arboretum - Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, 05/02/2026, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• Mayor Michelle Wu's Boston Family Days- At Old State House (Boston) - Old State House, 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 05/03/2026, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm