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The Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT) underwrites free admission for MIT students and staff to three major Boston area art museums, as well as discounted student tickets to performances.
The Bobko BSO Ticket Fund provides discounted student tickets to performances of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Please contact council-arts@mit.edu with questions.
Performing Arts
Boston Ballet
MIT student tickets to the Boston Ballet are made available for several performances each year. A link to purchase tickets will be sent out to the Arts Access email list approximately one month before each performance.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Available September–April: MIT students may purchase a subsidized College Card (regular price: $30), which allows college students to attend select BSO performances at no further cost after the initial card is purchased. Student access to the BSO is supported by the Bobko BSO Ticket Fund, created by Philip and Barbara Bobko.
2023-24 season College Cards will be available for purchase in September.
Art Museums
Current MIT students, staff, and faculty may access the following three arts organizations for free according to each organization’s procedures using a valid MIT Student ID or MIT Employee ID.
*Employees of the MIT Lincoln Lab may request an MIT Employee ID card through the Atlas Service Center.
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (ICA)
25 Harbor Shore Drive
Boston MA 02210
One free admission per MIT ID; each student or faculty/staff member must reserve a ticket under their own account and their own name. Please have your MIT ID card ready upon arrival at the museum with your timed entry ticket.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way
Boston, MA 02115
One free admission per MIT ID with code ‘MIT’; each student or faculty/staff member must reserve a ticket under their own account and their own name. Please have your MIT ID card ready upon arrival at the museum with your timed entry ticket.
Discounted $8 tickets for non-MIT guests are available through MIT Activities Committee (MITAC).
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA)
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Present an MIT Student/Employee ID at the MFA ticketing desk to pick up a free, same-day general admission or special exhibition ticket. It is not possible to reserve free tickets online in advance through our University Membership.
Exhibitions at MIT
List Visual Arts Center
MIT Wiesner Building (E15)
20 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA
The contemporary art museum at MIT, the List Center is a creative laboratory that provides artists with a space to freely experiment and push existing boundaries. The List’s galleries and programs are always free and open to all.
Students can borrow artwork for free through the Student Lending Art Program.
MIT Museum
314 Main Street (E-28)
Cambridge, MA
More than one million objects depict the wide interests of the MIT community from its founding in 1861 to today’s cutting-edge current research.
Members of the MIT Community (students, faculty, staff, alum with ID) and one guest are invited to visit the MIT Museum for free.
Wiesner Student Art Gallery
MIT Stratton Student Center (W20, Second floor)
84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA
A space for students to exhibit their artistic endeavors, both academic and co-curricular, located on campus and funded in part by the Council for the Arts.
Other Discounted Arts Opportunities
Many arts organizations offer discounts and special events for college students. Here are a few to explore:
American Repertory Theater (ART)
Purchase a student membership to the A.R.T. for $10, and get access to $15 tickets for select seats. $15 student rush tickets and discounted student advance tickets are also available.
ArtsEmerson
Purchase up to two $20 (advance) or $10 (rush) tickets to any ArtsEmerson performance.
Arts Boston
More ways to experience the arts, including the BosTix discount ticketing program and a comprehensive calendar of arts events.
Boston Chamber Music Society (BCMS)
The Boston Chamber Music Society (BCMS), directed by Institute Professor Marcus Thompson, is an ensemble of superb musicians who come together in different combinations to prepare and perform chamber music. BCMS offers $9 individual student tickets and $48 student subscriptions to their full season of eight concerts.
Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera offers $25 advance student tickets, 50% off subscriptions, and $20 student rush tickets (pending availability).
Boston Philharmonic
Discounted tickets for students ($10 + fees) and non-students under 40 years of age ($30 + fees) are available for all concerts. Visit the event page of the concert you would like to attend for discount codes and more info.
Central Square Theater
Catalyst Collaborative @ MIT, a collaboration between Central Square Theater and MIT, is the nation’s only ongoing partnership between a professional theater company and a world-class research institution. Central Square Theater offers a special 4-ticket package for MIT students for $25.
Chameleon Arts Ensemble
Chameleon Arts Ensemble is one of Boston’s premiere chamber groups, known for integrating old and new repertoire into unexpected chamber music programs. 25% off tickets are available for all MIT community members through MITAC, and students can email the Ensemble to request free tickets.
Handel and Haydn Society
H+H is the oldest performing arts organization in the United States playing Baroque and Classical music on period instruments just as the composers intended. Full-time students age 18-30 can purchase an H+H Masterpass for just $20 and attend free Handel and Haydn Society concerts all season long. Plus, $5 student rush tickets and $15 advance student tickets are available for select H+H performances.
Harvard Art Museums
As of June 23, 2023, admission to the Harvard Art Museums is free for all. Events at the museums include gallery talks, tours, lectures, film screenings, and more.
Huntington Theater Company
$20 student tickets are available for all performances. Additionally, discounted $30 tickets are available for patrons 35 years old and younger.
Longwood Symphony Orchestra
Longwood Symphony musicians are primarily healthcare professionals from Boston’s leading hospitals and universities, including doctors, medical students, research scientists, nurses, therapists, and caregivers. $10 student tickets are available for all concerts.
Peabody Essex Museum
$11 tickets are available for all MIT community members through the MIT Activities Committee (MITAC). Tickets must be reserved in advance and online orders take 1-2 business days for processing.
Radius Ensemble
Radius Ensemble liberates classical music for a new generation of music lovers with a fresh combination of eclectic programming and intimate performances by extraordinary musicians. The Ensemble often performs works by MIT composers. $12 student tickets are available.
Arts at MIT Email Newsletter
MIT Activities Committee (MITAC)
Sign up to receive a weekly email newsletter containing a digest of the news, opportunities, events, deadlines, and stories from arts across the Institute.
The MIT Activities Committee (MITAC) offers additional discounted tickets for the MIT community, including to sports games and the Museum of Science.