ICA Boston (Institute of Contemporary Art) is free thursdays 5pm–9pm. ICA Free Thursday Nights: admission is free for everyone every Thursday from 5 to 9pm — advance tickets required. The ICA is also free for all on six holidays (MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day), and 18-and-under are always free. Advance tickets required for Free Thursday Nights Verified on ICA Boston (Institute of Contemporary Art)'s own page, last checked 2026-09-04.
| Free day | Thursdays 5pm–9pm |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Everyone |
| Reservation | Advance tickets required for Free Thursday Nights |
| What's included | Museum admission; also free-for-all on six listed holidays; 18 & under and BPS students always free |
| Regular adult price | $20 adult |
| Source | icaboston.org · checked 2026-09-04 |
Regular adult admission at ICA Boston is $20, so timing the visit to the free window keeps $40 in a couple's pocket and up to $80 for a family of four — every qualifying week. And since this free day is open to everyone, it's the cheapest possible way through the door. The catch is capacity, not money: free slots are reserved in advance and the popular dates go first, so the reservation is the real currency here.
Regular tickets ($20 adult) are on icaboston.org; buying direct means no reseller markup. Multi-attraction visitors can compare CityPASS Boston, which packages top Boston sights below walk-up prices; whether ICA Boston appears in the lineup changes year to year, so verify before you buy.
Museum of Fine Arts Boston (published dates) · Harvard Art Museums (always free) · Franklin Park Zoo (1st & 2nd sunday monthly) — or see the full free museum days in Boston guide.
A single monthly email covering Boston's free days — every date checked against the official pages first.
↥ Check another museum → Browse all free museum & zoo days →
ICA Free Thursday Nights: admission is free for everyone every Thursday from 5 to 9pm — advance tickets required. The ICA is also free for all on six holidays (MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day), and 18-and-under are always free.
Advance tickets required for Free Thursday Nights
Museum admission; also free-for-all on six listed holidays; 18 & under and BPS students always free
$20 adult. A free-day visit puts that back in your pocket.
At $20 per adult, two adults keep $40 and a group of four paying adult prices keeps up to $80 per visit — before parking and extras.