To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
The Icon Museum & Study Center
203 Union Street, Clinton, MA 01510
978-598-5000
https://www.iconmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Housed in a 150-year-old former mill building in Clinton, MA, the Icon Museum and Study Center is the largest collection of icons outside of Russia, and the only one solely dedicated to them in the USA. Three floors of galleries display the permanent collection, with another gallery dedicated to special exhibitions, ranging from contemporary Russian art to icons from other Orthodox cultures. There is a museum shop and a tea room on the premises.
Categories: Art, Family, History
Pass Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
Pass Benefits
Admits up to 6 people at 50% off admission price. Children under 13 are always free.
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.
Categories: Art, Family, Music, Dance
Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Timed tickets are required, and advance purchase is recommended.
Discounted Library Pass offers a rate of $10 per ticket. When booking online, you must select the Library Pass option to get discount.
Patrons under the age of 18 are free without the pass.
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
This pass allows admission for up to four (4) people at $5 per person. Children under the age of 18 are always free.
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
This pass allows admission for two (2) adults at $10 each. There is no discount for children ages 7-17 for general admission, as the cost is already $10. Children 6 and under are free.
The pass is good ONLY for the date listed. It cannot be used on another date.
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
Pass Benefits
COVID UPDATE: Click here to book your tickets online and view their Covid-19 protocols. Use promo code LIBDI to receive the library discount. You must present both your ticket AND the physical library pass when you arrive. Tower Hill is now allowing walk-ins so you no longer need to get your tickets in advance, but you always need to present the pass.
Pass valid for 2 guests at half-price.
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
The Peabody Essex Museum pass offers discounted tickets of $12 for up to two (2) people.
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 DeCordova and Fruitlands Museums are included in the list of Trustees of the Reservations Properties. For a full list of all Trustees of the Reservations properties, please go to thetrustees.org.
The GO Pass admits two adults and children under 18 at the family membership admission price (at Trustees properties that charge an admission fee). GO Passes are valid for admission only. Not valid for discounts at parking kiosks, stores, cafes, inns, campgrounds, special events and programs, equipment rentals, 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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Pass holders will receive free admission to the museum.
One pass allows free admission for up to 9 people per day. One pass per party, please.
Please pick up pass at the library's Circulation Desk, it does not need to be returned.
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
Pass Benefits
Pass admits 2 adults and 2 children for half price. Not valid during special events, including Flora in Winter.