! The following library branch is closed on the day prior to the selected date, which may affect your ability to receive passes that require picking up in person.
- Harvard Public Library
To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
Monday, January 13, 2025
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.
Categories: Children, Family, History, Nature, Science
Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Pass is good for 50% off regular museum admission rates for up to 4 people. Includes access to all four HMSC museums.
One member of party must be a MA resident.
Not for group, institutional, or corporate visits.
May not be combined with other offers.
Nontransferrable
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Free admission with library pass for 2 Adults. Children under 18 are free.
The House of Seven Gables
115 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970
978-744-0991
https://www.7gables.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The House of the Seven Gables, one of the oldest surviving timber-framed mansion houses in continental North America, was the setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous 1851 novel of the same name. The historic site which includes the house (a National Historic Landmark District) includes a guided tour of the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion (the House of the Seven Gables) and visits to the Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace, the Colonial Revival seaside gardens, and the Counting House, with a maritime discovery zone called “Kids' Cove at The Gables.” (An audio tour of the gardens, grounds, and waterfront is available through the UniGuide App.) Lectures and seasonal living history labs are scheduled throughout the year, and a changing annual exhibition examines various aspects of the institution's 350 years of history. There is a gift shop on the premises. The website has virtual field trips and interactive exhibitions that can provide helpful background information before a visit.
Categories: Children, Family, Science
Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Library pass gives users 50% off admission for up to 4 people.
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 Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Admits 4 visitors at $5 per person. Children under 18 are 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 Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Pass admits up to 4 people to a Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary at $2 per visitor over the age of 2.
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
Pass Benefits
Free parking at MassParks facilities that charge a parking fee (not valid for camping).
Consult MassParks web site for full list of MassParks locations with information on open hours and special instructions.
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 Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Discount pass allows admission for 2 adults at $10 each (general admission and special exhibition) and up to 4 children ages 7–17 at $10 each (special exhibition only). There is no discount for children 7–17 for general admission because it is currently $10. Children 6 and under are admitted free.
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 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 pass can only be used on the date printed on the pass.
Please bring your library pass confirmation (printed or displayed on a phone) when you visit.
When you arrive at the Museum, stop at the Box Office to exchange your library pass, and purchase your Exhibit Halls tickets at the discounted rate. If you have any questions or if you would like to reserve your Exhibit Halls passes in advance to avoid waiting in line the day of your visit, please call 617-723-2500 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily).
If you are unable to show your Library confirmation on a phone, you may print out a copy using the link in the confirmation email or request a paper copy from the library.
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 Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
This coupon allows 50% off admission to the New England Aquarium.
Only applies to adult and child pricing.
This is not a ticket.
Redeem this coupon in the General Admission line at the Aquarium’s ticket booth for discounted admission for up to 4 people.
Please visit neaq.org/coupons for details.
Review the Aquarium’s website at www.neaq.org/safety ahead of your visit to ensure a safe and accessible experience.
Valid only for Aquarium admission.
This coupon does not provide any other discounts and cannot be applied to combo tickets.
Library coupons or tickets obtained with library coupons may not be sold.
Void if altered or copied. No cash value.
Hours of operation are subject to change.
Library ID: 61268
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 Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Pass admits 2 Adults for $12.00 each. Children 16 and under are free.
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
The Trustees GO Pass admits two adults & children under 18 for free or reduced admission at more than 100 Trustees properties throughout Massachusetts. You will pay an admission fee equivalent to that of a Trustees Family Level Membership. You must pick up the pass at the library.
To use GO Passes at Fruitlands, deCordova or Castle Hill please enter the promo code printed on the pass you pick up at the library.
Please visit www.thetrustees.org for information on individual property hours and fees. Not valid at parking kiosks, stores, cafes, Inns, campgrounds, or special events/programs.
*Please check individual properties for open/closed dates.
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Free admission for up to 9 people. You must pick up the pass at the library.
The Museum is open daily | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The Museum is closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day and has an early closure at 2:00 PM on December 24th.
The Ship is open Wednesday – Sunday | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Closed Mondays. The Ship is also closed on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Admits up to 6 people at the discounted rate of $9 per adult and $6 per child
You must pick up the physical pass at the library and present it to receive discounted admission.
Pass is only valid during regular daytime hours. It is not valid for Boston Lights or ZooLights.