To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
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 Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: Through December 31, this is a coupon pass that must be picked up at the library. You may then purchase discounted tickets at the ICA or through the ICA website using the Library Pass Coupon option, and must also present the library pass to validate the discount.
Beginning January 2, PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic pass that you will receive in your email. You may then use the code on the pass to purchase advance tickets online, or to purchase tickets in person.
The library’s pass admits 2 people at $10.00 each. (Regular admission prices: General Admission, $20; Seniors: $17; Students: $15; Youth 17 and under, free.)
Current pricing and visitor information: https://www.icaboston.org/visit
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 an electronic pass that you will receive in your email. You may then use the code on the pass to purchase advance tickets online.
The library’s pass allows general admission for 4 people at $5.00 each. (Regular admission prices: Adult $20, Senior $18, Student $13, Children under 18 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 Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic pass that you will receive in your email. You may then use the code on the pass to purchase advance tickets online or same-day tickets at the museum.
Children 6 and under are free. Each pass allows 2 adults for $10 each (special exhibition + general admission) and up to 4 children 7 – 17 $10 each (special exhibition + general admission). There is no discount for children 7-17 for general admission, as it is already $10.
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 returnable pass that must be picked up at and returned to the library. You will receive a code on the reservation confirmation screen, and in your confirmation email that you will need if you prefer to purchase timed tickets online. (Timed tickets are now optional.) In either case you will need to show the physical pass at the Garden.
The pass admits 2 people at half price. (Regular admission prices: Adults, $19; Seniors 65+, $16; Youth aged 6–18, $9; Children 5 and under, free;
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 Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is an electronic pass that you will receive in your email. You may then use the code on the pass to purchase advance tickets online.
Each pass admits 2 people at $12 each Thursday through Monday (closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.) Children under 16 admitted 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 Benefits
PLEASE NOTE: This is a coupon pass that must be picked up at the library. Patrons must first reserve a coupon from the library, then reserve timed tickets ONLY for museums and parks that require a timed entry by using the promo code on the back of the library coupon. This code will also be available on the reservation confirmation screen, and in your confirmation email. You will need to show the physical pass at the property of your choice.
Each pass admits two adults and children under 18 at the Family Membership admission price at the properties that change admission. This varies from property to property; please check The Trustees' website before booking a pass.
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 Benefits
One pass allows free admission for up to nine people per day.