How to Get Free Museum Passes From Your Local Library
The Library Card Travel Hack Most People Don’t Know About
One of my favorite budget travel hacks isn't a credit card, airline miles, or a rewards program—it's your local library card.
Many public libraries across the country offer free museum passes, admission to local attractions, state park passes, and even outdoor recreation gear that can save families hundreds of dollars every year. Yet surprisingly, many people have no idea these programs exist.
Planning a staycation or traveling close to home? Before spending money on admission tickets, take a few minutes to explore your local library's website. You might be surprised by just how many free experiences are waiting for you.
✨ Pro Tip: When researching your local library’s free pass program be mindful that not every library uses the same name for its program. While one may offer “Discover & Go,” another library may call it “Community Passports,” “Museum Adventure Pass,” or simply “Museum Passes.”
Library Card Travel Hacks at a Glance
📚 Cost: FREE
🏛️ Best For: Museums, zoos, gardens & attractions
👨👩👧 Perfect For: Families, staycations & weekend trips
🚴 Bonus: Many libraries also lend bikes, state park passes & outdoor gear
💵 Potential Savings: Hundreds of dollars per year
Table of Contents
Why Your Library Card is One of the Best Travel Hacks?
Unlike credit card rewards or loyalty programs, your library card is completely free to use making it one of the best travel hacks around.
If you already have a library card, you may have access to hundreds of dollars' worth of museums, attractions, state parks, and unique experiences simply by checking out a pass.
Here are a few reasons it's one of my favorite budget travel tips:
💰 It's completely free. No membership fees, annual fees, or reward points needed.
🏛️ You can save money on expensive attractions. For example, if a museum admission costs just $20 per person, a library pass saves a family-of-five $100.
👨👩👧 Perfect for families. Passes usually admit up to four people, making them ideal for family staycations.
🚴 It goes beyond museums. Depending on your library, you may also find state park passes, e-bike rentals, telescopes, hiking gear, birdwatching backpacks, sporting equipment, and other items through a “Library of Things” program.
✨ You might discover places in your own backyard that you never thought to visit.
How Free Library Museum Passes Work
While every library has its own system, most programs work in a similar way.
Get your library card. Most public libraries for your county and/or city offer free library cards to local residents. Some even offer non-residents a libarary card for a nominal fee.
Browse available passes. Search your library's website for terms like Museum Passes, Discover & Go, Community Passports, Museum Adventure Pass, or Library of Things.
Reserve your pass. Depending on the library, you may be able to reserve passes online or in person. Attraction passes are usually limited and often book quickly so be sure to plan accordingly.
Print, download or pick-up your pass. Some libraries provide digital passes that can be downloaded then printed or displayed on your phone. Others may require you pick up your pass in person.
Enjoy your visit! Present your pass and enjoy the attraction.
Return the pass (if required). Digital passes typically expire automatically and require no action. However, if you checked out a physical pass, you may need to return it to the library by the due date just like when you check out a library book.
💡 Pro Tip: Every library is different. Some passes admit an entire family while others are valid for 1-4 adults. Be sure to read the reservation details in advance and do your research. Most libraries now have websites with information about what exactly is offered.
What Free Attractions Can You Visit With a Library Card?
Each library offers different attractions, but many offer free admission to some of the more popular destinations in their communities.
Depending on where you live, you can often find passes to:
🏛️ History Museums
🎨 Art Museums
🦖 Natural History Museums
🔬 Science & Discovery Centers
🐠 Aquariums
🦁 Zoos & Wildlife Parks
🌺 Botanical Gardens
🏡 Historic Homes & Estates
🚂 Railroad Museums
🎭 Cultural Centers & Heritage Sites
🗿 Historic Landmarks
🎬 Specialty Museums (film, music, aviation, children's museums, etc.)
💡 Good to Know: Every library offers a different selection of attractions, so it's worth checking your local library's website to see what's available. Some libraries partner with just a handful of museums, while may of the larger libraries offer passes to quite a few attractions in their area.
Library Programs Worth Looking For
Libraries often use different names for their free pass programs, but they all work in pretty much the same way. Here are a few common names to look for.
🎟️ Discover & G0
Discover & Go is one of the most popular museum pass programs in the country used by hundreds of public libraries especially those in California. Cardholders can reserve free or discounted admission to participating museums, gardens, cultural attractions, and historic sites directly through their library's website. The participating attractions vary by location, so each library offers its own selection.
🎫 Community Passports
Community Passports is the name used by some libraries, including the Nashville Public Library, for its attraction lending program. Instead of checking out books, cardholders reserve passes to participating museums and attractions for free. Depending on the attraction, passes may admit multiple guests or an entire family.
🏛️ Museum Adventure Pass
Museum Adventure Pass is offered through many libraries, especially in the Midwest. It provides free or discounted admission to participating museums, nature centers, historic sites, and cultural attractions. Availability and reservation policies vary depending on the library.
📖 Library of Things
Some libraries go far beyond books and museum passes by offering a Library of Things. This is perhaps one of the things that has surprised me the most! Depending on your library, you may be able to borrow items like telescopes, birdwatching backpacks, hiking kits, state park passes, sewing machines, musical instruments, electric bikes, and other specialty equipment. You can find more information on this below.
Find Libraries Offering Free Museum Passes Near You
Thousands of libraries across the United States participate in free museum pass programs. While every library offers a different selection of attractions, here are a few well-known examples to help you get started. I'll continue updating this list as I discover more great library programs.
📍 Nashville, Tennessee
📚 Library:
Nashville Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Community Passports
📍 Los Angeles, California
📚 Library:
Los Angeles Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Discover & Go
📍 San Francisco Bay Area
📚 Library:
Participating Bay Area Libraries
🎟️ Program:
Discover & Go
📍 Chicago, Illinois
📚 Library:
Chicago Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Museum Adventure Pass
📍 Seattle, Washington
📚 Library:
Seattle Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Museum Passes
📍 Denver, Colorado
📚 Library:
Denver Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Museum & Cultural Passes
📍 Phoenix, Arizona
📚 Library:
Phoenix Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Culture Pass
📍 Columbus, Ohio
📚 Library:
Columbus Metropolitan Library
🎟️ Program:
Culture Pass
📍 Minneapolis, Minnesota
📚 Library:
Hennepin County Library
🎟️ Program:
Museum Adventure Pass
📍 Boston, Massachusetts
📚 Library:
Boston Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Museum Passes
📍 New York, New York
📚 Library:
New York Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Culture Pass
📍 Washington, D.C.
📚 Library:
DC Public Library
🎟️ Program:
Museum Passes
🔍 Don't see your city? Search your local library's website for terms like Museum Passes, Discover & Go, Community Passports, Culture Pass, or Library of Things. You may be surprised by what you find!
⭐ I'm building a nationwide list! If your local library offers free museum passes, let me know in the comments and I'll add it to this guide.
My Favorite Library Programs
Here are a few of my favorite libraries (although I may be a bit partial given I am a Southern California native, Nashville transplant).
📍 Nashville Public Library
The Nashville Public Library offers a Community Passport that gives NPL cardholders free admssion to local favorites like the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as well as access to an electric pedal-assist bicycle (e-bike) for a week.
The NPL also offers a Library of Things. Cardholders can actually borrow an incredible variety of items, including musical instruments including guitars and violins, tool kits, electronics, kitchen appliances like ice cream makers, fitness equipment, lawn games, binoculars, sewing machines, and dozens of other hobby and specialty items. Most items can be checked out for three weeks, and cardholders may borrow up to two items at a time.
📍 Los Angeles Public Library
The Los Angeles Public Library offers an extensive program through Discover & Go allowing library card holders to explore L.A. museums, attractions, and cultural institutions. Some of the participating institutions include:
Natural History Museum Los Angeles County
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
La Brea Tart Pits & Museum
L.A. Opera
Museum of Tolerance
Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Los Angeles Kings
Center Theatre Group
Recording Academy Grammy Musem L.A. Live
📍 Chicago Public Library
Chicago Public Library offers Explore More Illinois, a service that provides access to free and discounted tickets to museums, science centers, sporting events, zoos, parks, theaters, and cultural events.
There are currently over 60 participating attractions in or around Chicago. Below are just a few of them:
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Chicago Botanic Garden
Chicago Children's Museum
Chicago History Museum
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Civil War Museum
The Morton Arboretum
Intuit Art Museum
Go Ape Zipline and Adventure Park
📍 New York City Public Library (NYPL, Brooklyn & Queens)
New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library offer the Culture Pass providing free admission to an astonishing number of attractions - over 100 major cultural institutions.
Below are just a few of them:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (“The Met”)
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (“The Guggenheim”)
Whitney Museum of American Art (“The Whitney”)
Brooklyn Museum
Bronx Museum of Art
American Museum of Natural History
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Museum of the City of New York
Staten Island Museum
Queens Museum
Other Hidden Library Perks - Library of Things
Many libraries offer much more than books and museum passes. Through a Library of Things program, cardholders can borrow everything from hiking gear and state park passes to musical instruments, power tools, and kitchen equipment—often for two to three weeks at a time, completely free.
While every library offers different items, here are just a few things you might discover.
Outdoor Activities and Health & Fitness
🥾 Hiking Gear
🎒 Backpacking Kits
🔭 Telescopes
🦅 Birdwatching Kits
🎣 Fishing Poles
🚲 Electric Pedal-Assist Bikes (E-Bikes)
🏞️ State Park Passes
Health & Fitness
🏋️ Weights & Kettlebells
❤️ Blood Pressure Monitors
👟 Pedometers
🎾 Games - Pickleball Sets, Tennis Rackets, Badminton Sets
🥏 Lawn & Outdoor Games
Games & Entertainment
🎸Musical Instruments - Guitars, Violins, Keyboards
🎮 Video Games
♟️ Board Games
Home & DIY
🪚 Hand Tools
🔨 Power Tools
💦 Pressure Washers
Crafts & Hobbies
🧵 Sewing Machines
📷 Trail Cameras
🎞️ Slide & Film Viewers
🔎 Metal Detectors
🔭 Binoculars
🌱 Gardening Equipment
🍦 Ice Cream Makers & Specialty Cake Pans
Technology
💻 External CD/DVD Drives
💾 Floppy Disk Readers
📶 Mobile Hotspots
📚 Kindles & E-Readers
📀 Blu-ray Players
📸 Digital Cameras, Go Pros, Tripods, and Gimbles
💡 Pro Tip: Before buying a specialty item you'll only use once, check your local library first. You may be surprised to find you can borrow it completely free.
Tips for Getting the Best Passes
A little planning can help you make the most of your library's free museum pass program. Here are some tips to help you get the passes you are hoping for.
Reserve Early
Passes are limited and the most popular attractions often book up weeks in advance, especially during weekends, holidays, spring break, and summer.
Every Library Has Different Rules
Each library sets its own borrowing policies, reservation limits, and guidelines. Be sure to check the details. Most libraries post these them on their website.
Check Both Your City and County Library
Many people qualify for more than one library card. If your city library doesn't offer museum passes or the attractions you are hoping to find, be sure to also check your county library and vice versa.
Residency Requirements May Apply
Most libraries require you to live within the local area to be eligible for a library card. However, some offer non-resident cards for a small annual fee.
Don't Forget the Library of Things
While you're searching for museum passes, see if your library also offers a Library of Things. You may discover everything from state park passes and telescopes to sewing machines, power tools, and even e-bikes.
More info on Libary of Things in the section above.
🔍 Use Different Search Terms
Not every library uses the same program name. If you don't immediately find museum passes online, try searching your library's website for:
Museum Pass
Discover & Go
Community Passports
Museum Adventure Pass
Culture Pass
Library of Things
⭐ Bookmark Your Favorites
If you find an attraction you want to visit, save the reservation page or sign up for email notifications. New passes are often released on a rolling basis, and the most popular ones disappear quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone get a library card?
Most public libraries offer library cards only to residents within their service area. Some libraries also provide cards to people who work, attend school, or own property in the area. If you don't qualify for a free card, some libraries offer non-resident memberships for a small annual fee that may be worth looking into.
Do all libraries offer museum passes?
No. While many public libraries, especially in metropolitan areas, participate in museum pass programs not every library does. Additionally, programs vary by library so be sure to check out your local library's website.
How can I find out if my library offers museum passes?
The easiest way to find out if your library offers museum passes is to visit the library's website. You can search terms like Museum Passes, Discover & Go, Community Passports, Culture Pass, and Library of Things. If you can't find anything online, simply visit or call your library to inquire.
Can I get a museum pass in a city I am only visiting?
You usually can’t get a museum pass when visiting a city you don’t live in because most libraries limit access to library cards to local residents only. Hoever, some offer cards for those who work, got to school, or own property in the area, and some even offer non-resident memeberships for a small annual fee.
How many museum passes can I check out at a time?
It depends on the library. Many libraries limit museum passes to one per card holder at a time. However this varies, so you’ll need to check your library's borrowing policies for specific limits.
Do libraries offer free state park passes?
Many libraries offer state park passes which allow free admission to participating state parks. If you don’t see them under museum passes, they are sometimes included as part of their Library of Things collection.
Do passes cover the whole family?
Sometimes. Many passes admit two adults and accompanying children, while others cover a specific number of guests (usually up to 4) or provide discounted admission. Be sure to read the reservation details before your visit so you know exactly what to expect regarding what's included.
What is a Library of Things?
A Library of Things is a program offered at many libraries where you can borrow an incredible variety of useful items, checking them out for free just like a library book. Items can include hiking gear, telescopes, e-bikes, musical instruments, power tools, and more. Above is more information on some of the items you can expect especially from larger metropolitan libraries.
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