Community Voices for Health

By: Kathy Trainor

Exploring New England’s rich history doesn’t have to cost a fortune! Here is a list of 10 things to do across New England that are 100%  FREE for your family:

1.  First Friday Art Walk, Portland, ME
Local art galleries, art studios, museums, and alternative art venues host a free self-guided tour from 5 – 8 p.m. First Friday of every summer month

2. Yankee Candle, South Deerfield, MA
Yankee Candle  has its head quarters in MA. Everyone will enjoy smelling all the different aromas and fun can be had by all in this store! 

3. Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, Shelburne, VT
Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, where children under 12 enter for free. You can take a tour and even see the bear hospital where sick bears rest .

4. Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory, Hyannis, MA
Cape Cod Potato Chip offers a FREE factory  tour. You and your family can see first hand how these crunchy little snacks are made, and you get a free snack at the end!

5. RISD Museum, Providence, RI
Only on the last Sunday of the month, but guests can visit the RISD Museum for free.

6.  Connecticut Trash Museum, Hartford, CT
On man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  At the Trash Museum in Hartford, you can learn about the problems of old-fashioned methods of disposal, such as the “town dump.” From problems, the tour moves to solutions, including explanations of source reduction, recycling, trash-to-energy and landfills.

7. Yale University, New Haven, CT
Enjoy a free guided history tour of this New England institution and peruse some art at Yale Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art all free.

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, Shelburne, VT
Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, where children under 12 enter for free. You can take a tour and even see the bear hospital where sick bears rest .

8. US Navy Submarine Force Museum and USS Nautilus, Groton, CT
At the US Navy Submarine Force Museum see the replica of the world’s first submarine, USS Nautilus for a free audio tour.

9. Lake Champlain Chocolates, Burlington, VT
Did I tell you they give out free samples? The free tour at Lake Champlain Chocolates is sure to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

10. Annalee Doll Museum, Meredith, NH
Open Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend. Replica of Annalee Thorndike’s childhood home. Come see more than sixty years worth of her dolls and animals for every occasion.