To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
Boston Children's Museum
308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
617-426-6500
http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Founded in 1913 by the Science Teachers' Bureau, the Boston Children's Museum is the second oldest children's museum in the world and one of the few that maintain a collection. Designed for both children and families, the Museum exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts, emphasizing hands-on engagement and learning through experience, and employing play as a tool to spark the inherent creativity, curiosity, and imagination of children.
Categories: Children, Crafts, Family, Technology
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
This pass provides admission at half price for op to 4 people (children under 12 months are admitted free).
Visit the Boston Children’s Museum website to review museum visitor requirements and any updates to operating hours. The library pass reservation calendar may not reflect changes to museum open dates and hours of operation.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of the library).
Donated by the Friends of Melrose Public Library.
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-9400
http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Harvard Art Museums include three different institutions, all located near each other on the Cambridge campus of the university. The Fogg Museum's holdings include Western paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photographs, prints, and drawings dating from the Middle Ages to the present. The Busch-Reisinger Museum contains Austrian Secession art, German expressionism, 1920s abstraction, and materials related to the Bauhaus, as well as late-medieval sculpture, eighteenth-century art, and noteworthy postwar and contemporary art from German-speaking Europe. The Arthur M. Sackler Museum is dedicated to works from Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.
Categories: Art, Family, History
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Admission:
A pass in no longer required.
Admission is free to all visitors every day. Please check in at the Visitor Services desk upon arrival to allow us to share information about special exhibitions, gallery tours, programs, and other amenities available to ensure that you have a great visit!
Free admission is made possible by a generous contribution from the Estate of David Rockefeller and support from the Office of the President at Harvard University.
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
The library’s pass admits up to 4 people with a 50% discount off regular admission rates to all four HMSC museums.
Full admission prices and hours vary by museum - please go to https://hmsc.harvard.edu/ for more information before your visit.
The library pass does not guarantee admission on a chosen date.
Alternative discounts are available for active military, SNAP, EIB, MA teachers, and MA residents with IDs.
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: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
This pass offers free admission for two adults (free admission for children under 18) to 38 historic sites and the Library and Archives of Historic New England. Please go to historicnewengland.org for a full listing of historic sites to visit and to verify hours of operation. The library pass does not guarantee admission on a chosen date.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of the library).
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: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY - INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART / BOSTON
The library’s pass admits 2 people with a $10 co-pay each, youth 18 and under are free. Discounts are available for active military, teachers, and EIB with IDs. Closed Mondays except certain holidays when admission for all is free. The ICA is free to all on Thursday nights from 5-9pm. ICA current hours, admission prices and discounts.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of the library).
Funded by the City of Melrose.
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
Melrose Public Library – Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Pass Program (T)
Each pass admits up to 4 adults with $5 admission per person (General Admission Only), children under 18 are admitted free and should be reserved as child tickets. Purchasing tickets in advance to avoid the line and guarantee entrance at your preferred time is highly recommended.
Visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum website to review visitor requirements and any updates to operating hours. The library pass reservation calendar may not reflect changes to museum open dates and hours of operation. The library pass does not guarantee admission on a chosen date.
For more information, including health and safety requirements, please visit isgm.org/welcome
MUSEUM HOURS:
MON/WED/FRI 11 AM – 5 PM | (THURS 11 AM – 9 PM | WEEKENDS 10 AM – 5 PM | CLOSED TUESDAYS
John F. Kennedy Library & Museum
Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125
617-514-1600
https://www.jfklibrary.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, dedicated to the memory of the nation's thirty-fifth president, is located on a ten-acre park which overlooks the sea in an building designed by I.M. Pei. The Museum portrays the life, leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy, conveys his enthusiasm for politics and public service, and illustrates the nature of the office of the President, all through permanent and changing exhibits. The Library is available to students and scholars to conduct research using its collection of historical materials chronicling mid-20th century politics and the life and administration of the institution's namesake.
Categories: Family, Governance, History
Pass Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
UPDATE: Your library card is now your pass.
Present your physical or digital Massachusetts library card at the Admissions Desk to receive a 50% discount on your admission ticket.
A valid Massachusetts library card grants the cardholder 50% off one admission ticket. In order to receive the discount, visitors must show their physical or digital Massachusetts library card to staff at the front desk. The discount is valid for the library card holder only. Each patron will need to present a Massachusetts library card in order to receive the discount.
This offer is valid for visitors aged 13 and over and the visitor must present a Massachusetts library card to receive the discount. No pass is needed. Visitors aged 12 and under receive free admission. Please reach out to the JFK Library Visitor Services department with questions at kennedy.groupvisits@nara.gov or 617-514-1600.
Mass Audubon (Drumlin Farm)
208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773
781-259-2200
http://www.massaudubon.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Mass Audubon maintains about 100 wildlife sanctuaries in Massachusetts, more than half of which may be visited for walks on trails and visits to nature centers and museums. Among these is Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, a working farm with animals and crops, plus exhibits that include native wildlife, such as owls, foxes and deer. A shop on the premises sells items related to nature, such as bird feeders and binoculars.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Mass Audubon Library Partner Admission Pass – Melrose Public Library
Please visit https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/trails for hours of operation and the latest information, including safety guidelines. This is not a ticket. The library pass does not guarantee admission on a chosen date. This one-day Library Partner Admission Pass admits up to 4 people to a Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary. With this pass, admission is discounted to $2 per visitor over the age of 2. This Admission Pass will not be accepted after May 31, 2026. Pass must be presented to Mass Audubon staff upon arrival for your wildlife sanctuary visit.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of the library).
Funded by donations to the Melrose Public Library.
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
The MFA is currently open Wednesday to Monday, 10am-5pm (closed Tuesday).
The library’s pass admits 2 adults, and up to 4 children (ages 7 – 17) for $10 each (general admission & special exhibition). Children 6 and under are free. Please Note: Starting 1/20/26 ticket prices will change to admit up to 2 adults at $15 per person, and up to 4 children (ages 7 – 17) for $10 each (general admission & special exhibition). Children 6 and under are free.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of the library).
Many additional discounts are available for the MFA, check their website for details. Some discounts include active military, college students, MA teachers, first year US citizens, EBT card holders and the Bank of America Museums on Us program and MFA Free Open House Days. Museum current hours, admission prices and discounts.
Funded by the Donation Account.
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.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of 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 IS NOT A TICKET. THE LIBRARY PASS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMISSION ON A CHOSEN DATE.
Visit the New England Aquarium website to review museum visitor requirements, updates to operating hours, and safety information. The library pass reservation calendar may not reflect changes to museum open dates and hours of operation. Discount coupons to the Aquarium are only valid on the date printed on the coupon. Each coupon admits up to four people at a discounted ticket price of 50% off per person (children 2 and under are free).
North Shore Children's Museum
10 Main Street, Peabody, MA 01960
978-538-5765
https://www.nschildrensmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Located in downtown Peabody, MA, the North Shore Children's Museum offers 15 hands-on exhibits geared towards explorative and imaginative play for children ages 2 to 8. A child may become a superhero in the Comic Room, a builder in the Gross Motor Room, an artist in the Makerspace, and more. All exhibits are in ADA-accessible spaces.
Categories: Children, Family, Science
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
50% off admission for a family of up to 5 adults/children.
Tickets may be purchased in advance by selecting the Library Museum Pass option on the museum website. If the library pass is not presented at the museum, you will be charged the difference for full price tickets. It is highly recommended that tickets be purchased in advance during school vacation weeks.
Valid only on the date listed on the pass, subject to museum capacity.
Visit the North Shore Children's Museum website to review visitor requirements and operating hours.
Note: The library pass reservation calendar may not reflect changes to museum open dates and hours of operation. This is not a ticket - the library pass does not guarantee admission on a chosen date.
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
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY – PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM PASS
This pass admits 2 people with a $12 co-pay per person (Thursday through Monday- children 16 and under are free, but still require a reservation). The library pass may only be used for the date printed on the pass. The library pass does not guarantee admission on a chosen date. Please visit the PEM website to review museum visitor requirements and any updates to operating hours. The library pass reservation calendar may not reflect changes to museum open dates and hours of operation.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of the library).
THE LIBRARY PASS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMISSION
Funded by the City of Melrose
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
Are you ready to Go Outside? We are making it even easier for you with the Trustees GO Pass! This pass provides 2 free or reduced admissions (member rate) to Trustees properties all over Massachusetts. Children under 18 have free admission. Get outside and explore historical homes, wander through cow pastures, marshlands and view waterfalls as you hike through all that Massachusetts has to offer. Visit the Trustees website for more information on places to visit with the pass.
Pass must be picked up at the library.
Some venues may required a timed ticket.
GO Passes are valid for admission only (not valid for discounts at parking kiosks, stores, cafes, inns, campgrounds, special events/programs, or equipment rentals).
Go Passes are NOT valid for Crane Beach.
Walk-in admission with a GO Pass will only be permitted if there is available capacity at the venue.
THE LIBRARY PASS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMISSION
Funded by the Donation Account.
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: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
Pass holders will receive free admission to the museum. One pass allows free admission for up to 5 people per day.
Visit the USS Constitution Museum website to review museum visitor requirements and any updates to operating hours. The library pass reservation calendar may not reflect changes to museum open dates and hours of operation.
Reserve your Melrose Public Library pass for desired date. You will receive a confirmation email with an "Access Pass" link (if you do not have an email account, a printed confirmation may be picked up at the Main Desk of the library).
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
The library’s pass admits 6 people with a $9 co-pay for adults and $6 for children ages 2 - 12 years, children under 2 are free. Zoos current hours and admission prices. This pass is good at both the Stone Zoo in Stoneham and the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. No pets are allowed at the Zoos. Zoolights is not discounted with the pass.
Pass funded by the City of Melrose.