FREE STUFF: 30 free activities this fall

Here’s a list of 30 things to do this fall. Good news? It’s all free.

1. Every Thursday: free admission to ICA.

2. Pretend to be a tourist and walk the Freedom Trail.

3. Watch the stars at the Museum of Science’s free “Astronomy After Hours” every Friday (weather permitting).

4. Free tours of Symphony Hall.

5. Volunteer for Urban Raid Boston on October 24. Though it costs $50 to participate, volunteering means you don’t have to do any running and you still get the beer at the end.

6. On October 24, dress up your pet for the annual Halloween Pet Parade in Faneuil Hall,or just enjoy the ridiculousness as a spectator.

7. MIT Museum free admission 10 a.m.-noon Sundays.

8. Watch the seals in the tank before the aquarium entrance — completely free!

9. Try to track down Boston’s own Keytar Bear.

10. Tour the new Assembly Square area.

11. Explore North Point park–and use the long-awaited skate park, scheduled to open this fall!

12. Learn a little more about our government with a free 30-minute tour of the Massachusetts State House, every weekday from 10 to 3:30. Meet in Doric Hall. Advance reservation requested.

13. Volunteer for a Cambridge City Council candidate: with 26 candidates this year for only nine seats, this election is sure to be a tough battle.

14. Find a new hobby at Community Boating, inc. on the Charles: the sailing organization offers daily free orientation, usually at 5:45. Perfect for an after-work activity.

15. On October 11, enjoy the annual Columbus Day parade. This year’s will feature floats, brass bands, and militias, and will take place in the North End.

16. Say goodbye to the summer at the “End of Summer beach party” presented by Marty Walsh on Saturday, September 12. There will be a pig roast by BBQ hot spot Sweet Cheeks for first 500 people, live music, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards. BCYF Curley Community Center, M Street Entrance, 1663 Columbia Rd., South Boston.

17. Watch a classic on the big screen at Movies at the Common. Starting at dusk at the Frog Pond, on September 11th: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

18. September 18th: The Goonies

19. September 25th: Back to the Future

20. Late October: opening celebration for Y2Y shelter

21. Explore Boston’s waterfront neighborhood- and its art scene–with the Fort Point open studios on October 16-18.

22. Head of the Charles. October 17-18. ‘Nuff said.

23. Visit every MBTA station, and learn firsthand why we need better public transport.

24. Find Cambridge’s Secret Garden: on top of the Cambridge Center garage, there’s a roof garden with winding sidewalks and a lovely view of the Boston skyline. Take the  Cambridge Center garage’s Broadway elevator to the level labeled “Roof Garden.”

25. On your birthday, go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum–admission is free! (if your name is Isabella, or if you are under 18, admission is free year-round). Red Sox gear also can get you $2 off the ticket price.

26. On full moons, the Boston Tango Society runs a free workshop called Tango By Moonlight on Cambridge’s Weeks Footbridge. This fall’s dates are September 5, September 27, and October 3.

27. On October 12, the Mary Baker Eddy Library is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Mapparium: from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., expect free admission to the stained glass giant globe and other activities.

28. The little-known Warren Anatomical Museum, which houses a vast collection of strange tools, specimens, and medical artifacts is open Monday-Friday 9-5, though it’s not for the squeamish. Free.

29. While you’re in a medical mood, explore the building where the revolutionary surgical drug ether was first tested on a human: the Ether Dome at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

30. On October 24 and 25, Fort Independence on Castle Island is hosting a Halloween Celebration. Though directed towards families, everyone will be able to recognize the creepiness of the area: especially since this fort in South Boston was where Edgar Allen Poe was inspired to write his masterpiece The Cask of Amontillado.