Boston events & things to do in December 2026
Start with Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USS Constitution and Charlestown Navy Yard, plus Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. December in Boston averages 6°C / 42°F highs, -2°C / 29°F nights, and about 12 rainy days.
Expect 6°C/42°F days and about 12 rainy ones in December. Start with these:
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston★ 4.8 · 19.6k reviewsThe MFA opened on Huntington Avenue in 1909 and holds Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Asian, American, Impressionist, and musical-instrument collections.
- USS Constitution and Charlestown Navy Yard★ 4.8 · 2.7k reviewsUSS Constitution launched in 1797 and remains a commissioned U.S.
- Nate Smith (Jazz) (18+)Dec 1Paradise Rock Club · Source: SeatGeek
30% off a Going membership when you plan your trip.
By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
Boston in December 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
42°F / 29°F
5.7°C / -1.6°C
RainPrecipitation
12d
4.3in · 110mm
LightDaylight
8.9h
Sea
39.6°F
4.2°C
December is cold and festive, with skating, Beacon Hill lights, and North End dinners best paired with insulated layers.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Boston's New Year's Eve celebration is the oldest public New Year's Eve party in America, and has been copied by cities around the world.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: Month Signals
- Dec 2 – Dec 4
- Dec 2
Show all 39 events for December
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- Dec 12 – Dec 20
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Jacques ze Whipper: Circus Kid and the Secret Show Send-Off
Arts & Theatre · Miscellaneous Theatre.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 18
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- Dec 26 – Dec 28
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- Dec 31
First Night Boston 2026
Boston's oldest and largest New Year's Eve celebration featuring family-friendly arts, performances, ice sculptures, and fireworks throughout the city.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 31
Holidays, observances & long weekends
Holiday and observance schedules can affect services and venue hours; confirm each place directly.
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
- Dec 25-Dec 27Long weekend
About Boston
City overview
Boston sits on Massachusetts Bay where colonial wharves, reclaimed Back Bay blocks, and Charles River campuses meet in a compact walking city. Downtown, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the North End, Fenway, and Cambridge give a first-time visitor the working map: Revolution sites, brownstones, universities, ballparks, and harbor edges.
Food & drink
Boston food is New England seafood plus old neighborhood bakeries: clam chowder is cream-based with clams and potatoes, lobster rolls serve cold lobster salad or warm buttered meat in a split-top bun, baked beans point to molasses-and-pork colonial cooking, and raw bars focus on oysters. The North End pastry rivalry between Mike's Pastry and Modern Pastry is a standard stop, while Union Oyster House, Quincy Market, Seaport raw bars, and North Shore roast-beef shops cover the old-to-new route.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- 2Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
- 3Fenway Park
- 4Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market
- 5Freedom Trail
- 6Harvard Yard and Harvard Square
- 7Boston Common and Public Garden
- 8MIT and Kendall Square
1Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
4.7★ · 10,844indoorClosed TueThe Venetian-style palace opened in 1903 around a courtyard garden, with Titian, Sargent, tapestries, manuscripts, and empty frames from the 1990 theft. It is a five-minute walk from the MFA in Fenway.
WikipediaTimed tickets are smart on weekends because the courtyard and special exhibitions control capacity.
2Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
4.6★ · 9,440indoorOpen dailyThe floating museum on Fort Point Channel recreates the 1773 protest with replica ships, actors, and tea chests. It is a short walk from South Station and the Seaport.
Wikipedia
3Fenway Park
4.8★ · 45,047mixedThe Red Sox ballpark opened in 1912 and preserves the Green Monster left-field wall, manual scoreboard, and narrow Yawkey Way-era footprint. Kenmore station is a short walk across Brookline Avenue.
WikipediaTours run on non-game days and sell fastest on summer weekends.
Show 3 more sights
- 4Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market
- 5Freedom Trail
- 6Harvard Yard and Harvard Square
Neighborhoods
1Downtown and Waterfront
Downtown is historic and busy, with Boston Common, Government Center, Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Long Wharf, the Aquarium, and ferries packed into short walks.
2North End
The North End is tight and Italian-American, with Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Hanover Street restaurants, Modern Pastry, and Mike's Pastry queues.
3Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill is brick, gas lamps, and steep sidewalks, anchored by the Massachusetts State House, Acorn Street, Charles Street shops, and the edge of Boston Common.
Day trips
25km / 30min by commuter rail from North Station
Salem
Salem packs the Witch Trials Memorial, Peabody Essex Museum, House of the Seven Gables, waterfront streets, and October crowds into an easy half-day.
30km / 45-60min by car or MBTA bus plus local walk from Alewife
Lexington and Concord
Minute Man National Historical Park, Lexington Battle Green, Old North Bridge, and Concord literary sites make the Revolution route beyond Boston.
90km / 90min by seasonal fast ferry from Long Wharf
Cape Cod: Provincetown
Provincetown adds dunes, beaches, galleries, Commercial Street, and whale-watch boats at the tip of Cape Cod.
Getting around
The MBTA subway is the T, with Red, Orange, Blue, Green, and Silver Line routes using CharlieCard or contactless Charlie fare gates. Walk the historic core, use the Red Line for Cambridge, the Green Line for Back Bay and Fenway, and the Blue Line for Logan Airport via the free Massport shuttle.
Planning a Boston trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in December.
Common questions about Boston in December
- Best rainy-day things to do in Boston in December
December averages 12 rainy days in Boston, so keep these indoor stops as realistic backups.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston — The MFA opened on Huntington Avenue in 1909 and holds Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Asian, American, Impressionist, and musical-instrument collections. The Green Line E branch stops at Museum of Fine Arts.
- USS Constitution and Charlestown Navy Yard — USS Constitution launched in 1797 and remains a commissioned U.S. Navy ship, with the museum and dry dock inside the old Charlestown Navy Yard. Walk from North Station across the Charles River locks or use the MBTA ferry.
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — The Venetian-style palace opened in 1903 around a courtyard garden, with Titian, Sargent, tapestries, manuscripts, and empty frames from the 1990 theft. It is a five-minute walk from the MFA in Fenway.
- Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum — The floating museum on Fort Point Channel recreates the 1773 protest with replica ships, actors, and tea chests. It is a short walk from South Station and the Seaport.
- What to pack for Boston in December
Pack for December's weather, not a generic Boston checklist.
- A warm coat and insulating layers for average highs around 6°C / 42°F.
- A heavier evening layer because nights average -2°C / 29°F.
- Compact rain gear and shoes that handle wet pavement across about 12 rainy days.
- How many days do you need in Boston
- 4 days covers the main Boston highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
Ready to plan Boston?
You've seen what's on — now get a day-by-day Boston plan for December 2026, every place checked for your exact dates.