Museum Passes

Museum Categories

To limit museum types being displayed, check the corresponding categories:

! The following library branch is closed on the selected date, which may affect your ability to receive passes that require picking up in person.

To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Boston Children’s Museum

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Children, Crafts, Family, Technology

Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)

Pass Benefits

Coupon pass admits four (4) people at half price.  Pass does not need to be returned. 

The date on the Library Discount Pass must match the date of the patron’s visit.

Patrons with questions about the online ordering system should contact Boston Children's Museum

Reserve a Pass
Discovery Museum

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.

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Categories: Children, Family, Science

Pass Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)

Pass Benefits

The pass admits three (3) people at half price to Discovery Museums & Discovery Woods. Laminated passes need to be picked up and returned to the Library by 10 AM on the day after use. The fine for overdue passes is $1 per day.

 All visitors need to reserve tickets in advance of their visit at: https://www.discoveryacton.org/plan-your-visit.  You are not charged when you make your reservation online; the museum will collect the admission fee when you arrive at the museum.  Tickets are only valid for the date and time selected.

For more information, please visit the Discovery Museum

Reserve a Pass
EcoTarium

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.

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Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Science

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

50% discount admission for up to 2 adults and 2 children in one vehicle. Children under 2 free.

Pick up coupon pass from the Library (advanced tickets cannot be purchased ahead of time with library discount pass). Pass does not need to be returned to the Library. 

Pass does not cover the cost for tickets to the Alden Digital Planetarium, the Explorer Express Train, or special ticketed events.

Not to be combined with other offers, group rates or special event prices. No pets please.

For more information, please visit EcoTarium

Reserve a Pass
Garden in the Woods (Native Plant Trust)

Garden in the Woods (Native Plant Trust)

180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA 01701
508-877-7630
http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/
[Details/Reserve]

The Garden in the Woods (Native Plant Trust) displays rare and common native New England plants in a naturalistic setting at its location in Framingham, Massachusetts, attracting visitors from all over the world. Set on 45 acres, it includes two miles of paths that meander over glacier-sculpted ridges and through narrow valleys. A pond, a wooded bog, several springs, and a brook bring a diversity of wildlife into the garden. The garden is maintained by the Native Plant Trust, which works throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and bank seeds for biological diversity, control invasive species, conduct research, and educate the public.

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Categories: Family, Nature

Pass Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)

Pass Benefits

Pass admits one (1) adult at half-price and any number of children (age 5-17) at $1.  Free for children under age 5. Two (2) Passes are available to be reserved for use per day (Monday-Sunday). Laminated passes must be picked up and returned to the Library by the day after use. Garden in the Woods is open April 14 - October 15.  

Purchase tickets at the Visitor Center with the Library Pass to receive the discounts.

For more information, please visit Native Plant Trust

Reserve a Pass
Harvard Museums of Science and Culture

Harvard Museums of Science and Culture

11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
617-496-1638
https://hmsc.harvard.edu/
[Details/Reserve]

The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture is a partnership of museums on the Harvard University Cambridge campus dedicated to the natural world, science, and human cultures. They include the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, the Harvard Museum of Natural History (comprised of the Harvard University Herbaria, Mineralogical and Geological Museum, and Museum of Comparative Zoology), the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, all located between Oxford St./Divinity Ave area. Of particular note are the famous glass flowers, models commissioned by Harvard in 1886 to aid in the teaching of botany (and made in Germany over the course of more than eight decades), on display in the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Children, Family, History, Nature, Science

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

Coupon Pass admits four (4) people at 50% off regular museum admission rates.   Two (2) Coupon Passes may be reserved for each day of visit.

Please be prepared to show the physical library pass and proof of Massachusetts residency.  Only one member of the party must be a MA resident.  

Library coupon pass needs to be picked up at the Library and does not need to be returned.  

For more information, please visit the Harvard Museum of Science & Culture

Reserve a Pass
Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston, MA 02210
617-478-3100
https://www.icaboston.org/
[Details/Reserve]

The building that houses the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston on Fan Pier is the first in the US designed by the architectural firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The museum was founded in 1936 as a sister institution to New York’s MoMA, though it had no permanent collection until starting one after moving into the new building on the waterfront in 2006. In addition to the collection, changing exhibitions, music, dance, film, talks, tours, family activities, and teen programming are offered throughout the year.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Art, Family, Music, Dance

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

Library Pass Coupon admits two (2) tickets at $10 per ticket.  Pass needs to be picked up at the Library.  Pass does not need to be returned. 

Two (2) Library Passes are available for each day to be reserved.

To reserve tickets online

-- Visit ICA Boston website. Once you've selected the date of your visit, then select the “Library Pass” pricing for your ticket(s). After completing the purchase, your ICA tickets will be emailed to you. Visitors will also still have the option to purchase their tickets on-site as usual.

Reserve a Pass
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Art, Family, Music

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

Library pass admits four (4) people at $5 per person. Children under the age of 18 are always admitted free. 

Advanced timed tickets are required. Reserve online or by calling 617-278-5156 at least 48 hours prior to visiting. 

The Library's confirmation email for your Library Pass reservation with the Promo Code serves as your Library Pass.  You must present both the Library Pass (digitally or printed) and ISG Museum Admission Timed Entry Tickets for entry into the Museum. 

For more information, please visit Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum

Reserve a Pass
John F. Kennedy Library & Museum

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Family, Governance, History

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

No Reservation and No Discount Pass are needed. 

Please present your physical or digital Massachusetts Library Card at the Admissions Desk to receive a 50% discount on the cardholder's admission ticket. 

This offer is valid for visitors aged 13 and over, and the visitor must present a Massachusetts library card to receive the discount. 

Visitors aged 12 and under receive free admission. 

For more information, please visit the JFK Library & Museum or call  617-514-1600.

Reserve a Pass
Museum of Fine Arts

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Art, Family, History

Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)

Pass Benefits

Discount admits 2 adults for $10 each (special exhibition + general admission) and up to 4 children ages 7-17 at $10 each (special exhibition). There is no discount for children ages 7-17 for general admission, currently $10.   Children 6 and under are free.

MFA tickets can be purchased online OR in person at the museum by using the Library Pass email with the Promo Code to purchase discounted tickets.

For more information, please visit the MFA

Reserve a Pass
Museum of Science

Museum of Science

1 Science Park, Boston, MA 02114
617-723-2500
http://www.mos.org/
[Details/Reserve]

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Children, Family, History, Nature, Science, Technology, Sky

Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)

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.

Your Library Discount Pass can only be used on the date printed on the pass.

For more information, please visit the Museum of Science

Reserve a Pass
New England Aquarium

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Science, Ocean

Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)

Pass Benefits

Sherborn Public Library:  65669

Coupon admits four (4) people at 50% off full price admission only. Children under age 3 always admitted free. This coupon does not provide any other discounts and cannot be applied to combo tickets. Coupon does not need to be returned. 

Library patrons should present their coupons at the Aquarium ticket booth. Please note that coupons to the Aquarium are valid only on the date printed on the coupon.

For more information, please visit the NE Aquarium

Reserve a Pass
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

11 French Drive, Boylston, MA 01505-0598
508-869-6111
https://www.nebg.org/
[Details/Reserve]

Located in Boylston, MA, and open year-round, the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill features carefully planned gardens and collections of ornamental, edible and native plants, with a number of trails that traverse the 132-acre property. In addition, there are many programs and events, including classes, lectures, art exhibits and concerts. The Garden is run by the Worcester County Horticultural Society, the third oldest active horticultural society in the United States.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Art, Crafts, Family, Nature

Pass Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)

Pass Benefits

Library Discount Pass admits two (2) people at half-price. Not valid for special events such as Night Lights. Laminated passes must be returned to the Library by 10 AM on the day after use. 

We now have 2 passes available for each day that you can reserve!

 Online reservations are available for those who would like to purchase discount tickets in advance of their visit.  Please go to the New England Botanic Garden website purchase.nebg.org ahead of your visit with the Library's discount code.  Or you can purchase discount tickets at Tower Hill ticket booth with the Pass.

You will need to pick up the Pass from the Library  to present at the ticket booth with the advance purchased tickets or to purchase discount tickets.

Reserve a Pass
Peabody Essex Museum

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Art, Family, History, Ocean

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

Each Discount Pass admits two (2) people to general admission at $12 per person.  Pass holders who wish to visit Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese House and special ticketed exhibitions must pay an additional charge. Pass holders are not entitled to any other member discounts or benefits. Pass does not need to be returned.


To reserve Library Pass: 

Reserve the Pass through the Library in order to receive the Promo Code. 

Visit pem.org to buy date specific tickets.  Enter the Promo Code for the Library Discounted Tickets of $12 per adult.  You do not need to bring a pass with you to the museum to receive the discount (or pick anything up from the Library).

You can also reserve discounted passes by calling PEM's reservation line at 978-542-1511. 

Reserve a Pass
Trustees of Reservations (with deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum)

Trustees of Reservations (with deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum)

MA
978-921-1944
http://www.thetrustees.org/
[Details/Reserve]

The Trustees of 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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Art, Family, History, Nature, Recreation

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

Coupon pass admits two (2) adults & children under 18.  Coupon does not need to be returned. 

Two Passes can be reserved per day.  

Some locations require or strongly recommend advance ticket purchase through the Trustees. Check the Trustees website for the most up to date information.

Click HERE to reserve tickets to the deCordova.  Select date. Under "GO PASS" choose up to 2 people and place order.  Coupon must be presented upon arrival. 

Reserve a Pass
Zoo New England

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.

[Get Directions]

Categories: Family, Zoo

Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)

Pass Benefits

Coupon pass admits 6 people. $9 per adult and $6 per child.  Under 2 is free. Pass is valid for only daytime admission.  It cannot be used for Stone Zoo Zoolights or Franklin Park Zoo Boston Lights. Pass does not need to be returned. 

2 Passes can be reserved per visit.

No reservation is required.

For more information, please visit Zoo New England

Reserve a Pass