To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
American Heritage Museum
568 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749
978-562-9182 https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The American Heritage Museum, located in Hudson, MA, is dedicated to military history. Exhibits examine conflicts from the Revolutionary War through 9/11 and the “War on Terror.” A good portion of the museum is focused on the sizable Littlefield collection, which includes many rare items from the U.S. and other countries. Among other artifacts, visitors to the museum will encounter aircraft, tanks, guns, and automobiles, some dating from the beginning of the 20th century.
Categories: Family, History, Military
Pass Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is a physical pass that must be picked up and returned to the library.
The library's pass admits up to 6 visitors at 1/2 priced admission.
Boston Harbor Island Ferry
15 State Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02109
617-223-8666 http://www.bostonharborislands.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The largest recreational open space in Eastern Massachusetts, the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park is comprised of 34 islands and mainland parks that deliver access to historic sites and provide opportunities to hike and camp. Transportation to the islands is by ferry and, depending on the location, your own boat. Please refer to their website for the most up-to-date information about what is open and how to get there.
Categories: Family, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic code that you will receive via email. You must purchase your tickets through the institution before your visit.
This library pass discounts tickets at a 2-for-1 rate. You can buy up to 4 tickets for the price of just 2.
Weekdays in late May to early October. Ferry from Boston to Spectacle Island runs Thursday through Sunday in the fall.
Spring Schedule: May 20 – June 11
Boston to Georges Island: Thursday through Sunday
Summer Schedule: June 15 – September 4
Boston to Spectacle Island: Monday through Friday
Boston to Georges Island: Monday through Friday
Fall Schedule: September 7 – October 9
Boston to Spectacle Island: Friday through Sunday
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic pass that you will receive via email. You must present the email or print out to the museum staff to receive the discounted admission.
This pass admits up to three people at half price.
As of January 1, 2023, admission price is $17 for both museums. Patrons using library passes will pay 1/2 price admission ($8.50) per person (for each of the three people) which still allows access to the Discovery Museum, as well as Discovery Woods. Any people accompanying the 3 pass users will still pay the regular admission fee of $17.
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is a digital pass that you will receive via email. You must present the email or print out to the museum staff to receive the discounted admission.
This pass admits up to 4 people for $5 admissions per person. Children under the age of 18 are not included in the admission count and are always free.
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is a digital pass that you will receive via email. You must present the email or print out to the sanctuary staff to receive the discounted admission.
This pass admits up to 4 people to a Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary at $2 per visitor. Children under the age of 2 are not included in the admission count and are always free. Reservations are often required for weekend visits in the summertime.
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is a physical pass that must be picked up and returned to the library.
This pass permits unlimited day-use parking access to state park facilities within the DCR that charge a parking fee, including Walden Pond.
Please visit the DCR's website at www.mass.gov/visit-massachusetts-state-parks to find a park and check current restrictions and times.
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic pass that you will receive via email. You must present the email or print out to the museum staff to receive the discounted admission, or reserve your tickets online in advance using the provided discount code.
This pass admits up to 2 adults and 4 children for $10 per person. Good for general admissions or general admissions + 1 special exhibit.
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic pass that you will receive via email. You must present the email or print out to the museum staff to receive the discounted admission.
This pass admits up to 4 people at half priced Exhibit Hall admission. Children under the age of 3 are not included in the admission count and are always free.
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic pass that you will receive via email. You must present the email or print out to the museum staff to receive the discounted admission.
This pass admits up to 4 people at half priced general admissions only.
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.
Categories: Art, Crafts, Family, Nature
Pass Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is a physical pass that must be picked up and returned to the library.
This pass admits up to 2 people at half priced admission. You will receive a discount code upon reserving a pass, which you can then use to purchase timed tickets at the museum. You must still bring the library pass to the museum to gain admission.
Salem Witch Museum
19 1/2 Washington Square, Salem, MA 01970
978-744-1692 http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/
[Details/Reserve]
Based on actual trial documents and using life-size stage sets with figures, lighting, and narration, the museum's principle exhibit examines the 1692 Salem witch trials. In a second exhibit, “Witches: Evolving Perceptions,” guides take you through changing interpretations of witches, the truth behind the stereotypes, witchcraft practice today, and witch hunting. A gift shop is on the premises.
Categories: Children, Family, History
Pass Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: Not valid in October. This is a physical pass that must be picked up and returned to the library.
This pass admits up to 6 visitors. Adults $13.25 (reg. $16.50), Seniors $13.50 (reg. $15), and Children 3-14 $10.75 (reg.13.50). Children under the age of 3 are not included in the admission count and are always free.
Symphony Pro Musica
P.O. Box 332, Hudson, MA 01749
978-562-0939 https://www.symphonypromusica.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Founded in 1983, Symphony Pro Musica presents live performances of pieces taken from classic symphonic repertoire. Over its history, the orchestra has showcased local instrumentalists and gifted young soloists. Based in Hudson, MA, concerts take place in various locations in the Metrowest/east-central area of the state—check website for details.
Categories: Children, Family, Music
Pass Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is a disposable pass that must be picked up at the library and can only be used on the date chosen.
This pass admits one person for $15. Two tickets are available per day per show.
Trustees of Reservations (with deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum)
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.
Categories: Art, Family, History, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is a disposable pass that must be picked up at the library.
This pass admits 2 adults and children under 18 at the Family Level Membership. Please check the Trustee's website before reserving a pass thetrustees.org/content/passes/ (deCordova is free). You will reserve a discount code upon reserving the pass, which you can then use to purchase timed tickets at the museum. You must still bring the library pass to the museum to gain admission.
Worcester Art Museum
55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-4406 http://www.worcesterart.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Worcester Art Museum is recognized for its 35,000-piece collection of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings and new media created over the last 5 millennia. Works include those by El Greco, Monet, Rembrandt, Gauguin, van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Paul Revere, and Nam June Paik. Special exhibitions showcase the masterworks, seldom-seen gems, and important works on loan—including some contemporary art. Of note are the floor mosaics from the ancient city of Antioch (Syria) in the entrance, the Japanese print collection, and the “Arms and Armor” collection. There is a café, museum shop, and library on the premises.
Categories: Art, Family, History, Military
Pass Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is a physical pass that must be picked up and returned to the library.
This pass admits up to 2 people at half price. Children under 17 are not included in the admission count and are always free.
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
PLEASE NOTE: This is a disposable pass that must be picked up at the library.
This pass admits up to 6 people at $9 for each adult and $6 for each child.