To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
Boston Children’s Museum
308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
617-426-6500 http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Founded in 1913 by the Science Teachers’ Bureau, the Boston Children’s Museum is the second oldest children’s museum in the world and one of the few that maintain a collection. Designed for both children and families, the Museum exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts, emphasizing hands-on engagement and learning through experience, and employing play as a tool to spark the inherent creativity, curiosity, and imagination of children.
Categories: Children, Crafts, Family, Technology
Pass Benefits
This is a printable pass.
If you are unable to print this pass at home or present it on a mobile device at the museum, you can come to the library to request a printed copy.
Admission is HALF price for up to four (4) people.
You must also reserve your visit online with Boston Children’s Museum. Due to safety measures walk-ins are not allowed. Museum capacity is limited at this time. Further details will be provided with your pass confirmation.
Discovery Museum
177 Main Street, Acton, MA 01720
978-264-4200 http://www.discoveryacton.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Acton's Discovery Museum, located on a 4-acre campus, is aimed at providing an environment in which play becomes a conduit for learning about science, technology, and nature. The museum’s building contains a number of galleries dedicated to teaching scientific concepts in a fun, hands-on environment, as well as themed play spaces for younger visitors. Outdoors, Discovery Woods includes a nature playscape with a cargo net climb, nest swing and beaver lodges, as well as a treehouse with an observation deck and a bouncy bridge. There are opportunities to practice orienteering with provided maps and instructions on trails on the property. A museum shop is on the premises. The museum building is fully ADA compliant, with exhibits based on Universal Design principles.
Categories: Children, Family, Science
Pass Benefits
This pass admits 3 visitors at 1/2 price admission per person; any additional visitors must pay the regular admission price.
This pass is NOT a reservation; you must reserve a ticket for a specific day and timeblock prior to coming to the Museum campus. Tickets can be reserved online at discoveryacton.org or by phone. No on-site ticket reservations will be available. Your tickets are only valid for the date and time you reserve. No payment will be collected online, you will pay when you arrive. Present this pass to Admissions staff when checking in and the discount will be applied to the cost of your visit.
This pass was generously donated by the Friends of the Reading Public Library.
EcoTarium
222 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA 01604
508-929-2700 http://www.ecotarium.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The EcoTarium is a unique indoor-outdoor museum in Worcester, MA. Set in an urban oasis, the museum offers a chance to walk through the treetops, take a multimedia journey through the galaxy at a digital planetarium, meet wildlife, stroll nature trails, and get hands-on with family-friendly exhibits.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Science
Pass Benefits
This pass provides a 50% discount for up to 2 adults and 2 children. Children under 2 free. It is not to be combined with other offers, group rates or special event prices. Please fill out the reverse side of the coupon pass prior to using.
This pass was generously donated by the Women's League of Reading.
Historic New England
141 Cambridge Street, Administrative Offices: Otis House, Boston, MA 02114
https://www.historicnewengland.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Historic New England is a historic preservation organization which owns and operates historic house museums and properties open to the public throughout most of New England. The majority of the 36 properties are in Massachusetts, but locations exist in all NE states but Vermont. These include Castle Tucker (Wiscasset, ME), the Jackson House (Portsmouth, NH), the Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm, which (Newbury, MA), Roseland Cottage (Woodstock, CT), the Otis House (Boston, MA), the Lyman Estate (Waltham, MA), Gropius House (Lincoln, MA), and the Arnold House (Lincoln, RI). Styles represented include Federal, Colonial Revival, Victorian, Queen Anne, Arts & Crafts, and Modern, among many others. The website provides much detail, including directions, contact information, and history of each property.
Categories: Architecture, Family, History, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
This pass offers free admission to 36 historic sites and the Library and Archives of Historic New England. Please go to historicnewengland.org for a full listing of historic sites to visit and to verify hours of operation.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115
617-566-1401 http://www.gardnermuseum.org/home/
[Details/Reserve]
The Gardner Museum houses the collection of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a local patron of the arts who died in 1924, in a building she commissioned to look like a 15th century Venetian palazzo. The center of the original building showcases courtyard plantings that reflect the seasons as they evolve throughout the year. In addition to her collection, which remains displayed exactly she arranged it per her will, there are changing exhibitions, concerts, lectures, family events, and an artist-in-residence program. In 2012, the museum opened an addition designed by Renzo Piano that houses a space for their concert series.
Categories: Art, Family, Music
Pass Benefits
Each pass provides up to 4 people with $5.00 admission per person, redeemable at the admission desk. Children under the age of 18 are always admitted free.
You must then purchase tickets from the museum ahead of time. See confirmation email for instructions.
John F. Kennedy Library & Museum
Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125
617-514-1600 https://www.jfklibrary.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, dedicated to the memory of the nation’s thirty-fifth president, is located on a ten-acre park which overlooks the sea in an building designed by I.M. Pei. The Museum portrays the life, leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy, conveys his enthusiasm for politics and public service, and illustrates the nature of the office of the President, all through permanent and changing exhibits. The Library is available to students and scholars to conduct research using its collection of historical materials chronicling mid-20th century politics and the life and administration of the institution’s namesake.
Categories: Family, Governance, History
Pass Benefits
$3.00 admission for up to 8 people. Children 12 and under receive free admission.
Mass Audubon has over 55 wildlife sanctuaries and centers throughout Massachusetts where visitors can learn about and interact with nature. More than 38,000 acres of protected land deliver inspiring hilltop views to breathtaking coastal landscapes, serene woods, and working farms. Visit their website for a list of locations.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
This pass admits 1 vehicle OR up to 4 people to a Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary. At some santuaries there is a $2 admission fee per visitor over the age of 2.
You will need to check the Mass Audubon Website before planning a visit. At this time, all nature centers and buildings (including most bathrooms) are closed and some sanctuaries are using timed ticketing. For the locations using timed ticketing, you will still need to make a reservation for a time. When you register online to reserve a spot, you should select the library pass option, and your admission will either be free or reduced, depending on location.
If you wish to visit sanctuaries that are using the online ticketing system, you should request the pass several days in advance for the date you wish to visit, to increase the likelihood that tickets will still be available for that date. Mass Audubon does not guarantee access on any specific date/time if tickets are not available.
This pass was generously donated by the Friends of the Reading Public Library.
Massachusetts State Parks (Department of Conservation and Recreation)
251 Causeway Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114-2104
617-626-1250 http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/
[Details/Reserve]
The Massachusetts State Parks have locations in all regions of the Commonwealth, from Pittsfield to Boston, and from Gloucester to Provincetown. They include beaches, wooded parks, parkways, and reservoirs, each with its own unique activities and amenities like hiking, biking, swimming and boating, camping, and more.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
This pass provides free parking to one vehicle at over 50 facilities in the state parks system.
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
617-267-9300 http://www.mfa.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, in existence since July 4, 1876, is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, with a collection of almost 500,000 works of art, ranging from ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary painting, sculpture and video. In addition, there are always special exhibitions on view, opportunities to take advantage of educational programs—some right in the galleries—and a contemplative Japanese garden.
Categories: Art, Family, History
Pass Benefits
This pass uses a discount code. You will receive the discount code via email after booking this pass.
This pass provides up to two people with $10 admission per person.
This pass was generously donated by the Friends of the Reading Public Library.
The Museum of Science in Boston is located on a piece of land that extends the width of the Charles River, connecting Boston and Cambridge. Dedicated to promoting and educating visitors about science and technology, the museum includes a planetarium, the world’s largest open-air Van de Graaff generator, an IMAX theatre, a butterfly garden, and permanent and changing exhibits on birds, insects and animals; space; dinosaurs; engineering; nanotechnology; math; biology; and more.
Categories: Children, Family, History, Nature, Science, Technology, Sky
Pass Benefits
This pass will admit up to 4 people at a 50% discount on tickets to the Museum’s Exhibit Halls. Children under 3 are not included in the count of 4 and are always admitted for free but must have a timed ticket.
Your Library pass can only be used on the date printed on the pass.
YOU MUST ALSO CALL THE MUSEUM TO RESERVE A TIMED TICKET. Call 617-723-2500 (daily, 9am – 5pm).
Please call at least 1-2 days ahead to reserve your timeslot otherwise the Museum might be fully booked.
After you make your timed reservation with the Museum, they will send you an email confirmation with your reservation time.
Please bring both your library pass confirmation (printed or displayed on a phone) and your email confirmation from the Museum when you visit. Show both confirmations at the gate to enter.
You do not need to stop at the Box Office.
New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
617-973-5200 http://www.neaq.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The New England Aquarium is home to thousands of aquatic animals, from the giant Pacific octopus to Northern fur seals to little blue penguins. They offer a wide range of exhibits, including a shark and ray touch tank and the Giant Ocean Tank, a four-story coral reef featuring hundreds of Caribbean animals. In addition, they have an IMAX theatre and run whale watch boat excursions in partnership with Boston Harbor Cruises from April through November.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Science, Ocean
Pass Benefits
This is a printable pass. If you are unable to print this pass at home or present it on a mobile device at the museum, you can come to the library to request a printed copy.
Each pass admits up to 4 people at 50% off the rate of admission.
You may find current rates by viewing https://www.neaq.org/visit/tickets/
Passes do not apply to Aquarium boat programs, IMAX shows or school group visits.
Advance reservations are no longer required for library patrons with coupons. Library patrons should present their discount pass on-site at the Aquarium ticket booth. Once tickets are issued, library patrons will be admitted to the Aquarium.
Peabody Essex Museum
161 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970-3783
978-745-9500 http://www.pem.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Peabody Essex Museum grew out of the collection of East India Marine Society, an organization of Salem captains whose charter called for acquisition of “natural and artificial curiosities.” Its permanent collection contains art and artifacts of Africa, Asia, India, China (with a Qing Dynasty house brought from the Huizhou region), Japan, Korea, Pacific Islands, and features objects of maritime art and history that include paintings, drawings, ship models, marine decorative arts, tools, weapons, navigational instruments, and ship and yacht plans. It also has a thriving changing exhibition schedule that sometimes includes important traveling shows.
Categories: Art, Family, History, Ocean
Pass Benefits
This pass uses a discount code. You will receive the discount code via email after booking this pass. You must then purchase tickets from the museum ahead of time. See confirmation email for instructions.
Pass admits two adults at $12 per person. Reduced admission to the Yin Yu Tang, the Chinese house. Access to special ticketed exhibitions also require a separate fee. Visitors using a library pass are not entitled to any other member benefits.
Trustees of the Reservations (with deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum)
The Trustees of the Reservations preserve and protect more than 100 special properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value—nearly 25,000 acres—all around Massachusetts. From Crane's Beach in Ipswich and World's End in Hingham to The Old Manse in Concord and Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, visitors to Trustees sites enjoy local history and nature in its various forms: beaches, meadows, forests, swamps and more.
In the summer of 2019, the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, the largest park of its kind in New England, became part of the Trustees. The museum, located in Lincoln, MA, encompasses nearly 30 conserved acres and presents contemporary art from New England—and beyond—with sculptures in the landscape and museum exhibitions. For a full list of locations, please visit their web site.
Categories: Art, Family, History, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
Pass provides free or reduced admission for 2 Adults and children under 18 to Trustees properties across the state, including the deCordova Museum in Lincoln. Pass holder will pay an admission fee equivalent to that of a Trustees Family Level membership. Passes will provide 20% off regular admission to Crane Beach.
Check Trustees website to see which properties are open. Some properties are requiring timed or daily parking passes for all visitors. http://www.thetrustees.org/COVID19/
Pass is not valid for use at Trustees parking kiosks, stores, cafes, Inns, Campgrounds at special events and programs, or in place of any permits or passes.
USS Constitution Museum
Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown, MA 02129
617-426-1812 https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The museum, a part of the Boston National Historical Park, is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard near the ship USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) at the end of Boston’s Freedom Trail. The museum provides a detailed look at the history of the ship, information about the war of 1812, and the battle between the ship and HMS Java. Stories are told through interactive exhibits, unique artifacts, archival records, and artwork. The museum also includes a research library which houses a strong collection of manuscripts, books, artifacts, and microfilm of primary source material. The ship itself is maintained by the US Navy, and may be visited free of charge on certain days.
Categories: Art, Family, History, Ocean
Pass Benefits
This pass allows free admission to the museum for up to 9 people per day.
This is a printable pass.
You must be able to print this pass at home or present it on a mobile device at the museum.
Zoo New England
1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA 02121
617-541-5466 http://www.zoonewengland.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Zoo New England operates Franklin Park Zoo, a 72-acre site nestled in Boston’s historic Franklin Park, and the Stone Zoo, located on a 26-acre site near Spot Pond reservoir in Stoneham, MA. In addition to animals, both zoos are engaged in wildlife and conservation programs, research, and education.
Pass Benefits
Pass is valid for Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA.
Admits 6 people at $9.00 per adult and $6.00 per child. Children 2 years and younger are free.
Note: This pass is no longer an online discount code- it is a coupon pass that must be picked up at the library.