What to do in Boston on Black Friday instead of shopping

Black Friday is synonymous with chaos in the shopping centers, malls and plazas. If you’re looking to avoid the lines and the congestion, here are a few suggestions:

Museum of Science is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.. There are few things cooler than the Mugar Omni Theater or the giant T-Rex at the MOS.

If art is more your thing, the ICA is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., showcasing some of the most interesting contemporary art in the Greater Boston Area. The Museum of Fine Art is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. as well, if the classic styles are more your speed.

Going shopping with children is a taxing experience on a normal day, let alone the biggest shopping day of the year. The Children’s Museum might be the better bet. Let the kids run around and tire themselves out and be glad that you’re not engulfed in a crowd of irritated shoppers.

The Aquarium is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. if hanging out with penguins, sea turtles and other aquatic creatures sounds more fun than shopping and standing in endless lines.

If you’re in need of a good laugh, head down to the Huntington Theater for Nick Offerman’s version of Confederacy of Dunces. Offerman plays a Don Quixote-like character in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1960’s. He is overweight, arrogant, eccentric and still lives with his mother.

If you’re into large, cheering crowds watching high-energy action as opposed to wrestling with shoppers in the malls, head over to the TD Garden to see the Celtics take on the Washington Wizards.