COVER STORY SIDEBAR
Low on dough?
By Christopher Muther
It's the common curse of college - no money. Instead of moping about and wishing your last name was Gates, we've tracked down a few bargains.
Boston Public Library 666 Boylston St., Boston. 617-536-5400. The main branch and the neighborhood branches regularly screen free films. This fall, look for Hitchcock. (Get directions).
Wollaston Theater 14 Beale St., Quincy. 617-773-4600. The venerable house offers $3.50 second-run movies. (Get directions).
Boston Symphony Orchestra Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston. 617-266-2378. A limited number of tickets - called rush seats - are set aside for concerts Tuesday and Thursday. They go on sale at 5 p.m. the day of the concert for $8.50, one per person. (Get directions).
Museum of Fine Arts 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 617-267-9300. Wednesdays, 4-10 p.m., it's open to all on a pay-what-you can afford basis. (Get directions).
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 280 The Fenway, Boston. 617-566-1401. College students pay $3 on Wednesdays.
Institute of Contemporary Art 955 Boylston St., Boston. 617-266-5152. The ICA drops its regular admission fee Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Get directions).
Franklin Park Zoo Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road, Dorchester. 617-442-2002. It's free for everyone the first Saturday of the month, 10 a.m.-noon.
Theater: Catching a show can be a fairly pricey diversion, but there are ways around steep theater ticket prices. Many theaters in town offer a volunteer usher program. The concept is simple: you show up early and seat people and in exchange you get to watch the show for free. Most of the big theaters in town hire ushers, but smaller and mid-size theaters such as the Emerson Majestic, the Huntington Theatre, the Lyric Stage, the Charles Playhouse and the 57 Theatre all use volunteer ushers.
Call ahead and pick a night to volunteer, dress nicely, show up about an hour early and enjoy the show.
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