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
Each Library pass admits up to 2 people with a $5 co-pay per person. 18 and under are free.
You need to present your Library pass at the museum when purchasing your tickets to receive the discount.
Advance online tickets cannot be purchased with a library pass.
Ipswich Museum
54 South Main Street, Ipswich, MA 01938
978-356-2811 https://www.ipswichmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Ipswich Museum was started in 1890 as an organization dedicated to the collecting and preserving of documents and artifacts related to the town of Ipswich, MA. The museum consists of two historic houses—the Heard and Whipple Houses—and gardens that reflect different eras and styles. The collections encompass nearly 400 years of history, including art, artifacts of all kinds, and archives of personal papers, documents related to the Ipswich Female Seminary, and photographs that date back to the 19th century. Of note is a number of works by a group known as the Ipswich Painters, including the largest single collection of works by Arthur Wesley Dow, around whom the group coalesced. Special exhibits are offered on a seasonal basis.
Categories: Art, Family, History
Pass Benefits
Each Library pass admits 1 person for free.
Regular admission is:
Adults: $10 for 1 house / $15 for 3 houses
Students ages 13-17: $5 1 house / $7.50 3 houses
Children 12 and under: Free with an adult
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
Each Library pass admits 4 people with a $5 co-pay per person. Children under 18 are free.
Regular admission is $20.00 for adults. Seniors are $18.0, Students are $13.
Please pick up pass at the Library.
The Library pass and your museum online tickets must be presented to the museum.
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
Children 6 and under are admitted free. Each pass now 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, currently $10.
The Museum of Fine Arts offers a promo code that may be used online to purchase tickets at a discounted price. You do not need to pick up anything from the library.
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
Each Library pass admits 2 people with a $12.00 co-pay per person.
Regular Prices are: Adults $20, seniors (65 and over) $18, students (with ID) $12, youth (16 and under) and Salem residents free (does not apply to student tour groups).
Timed museum entry via online reservation is required.
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
Each Library pass admits up to 9 people for free admission.
The regular museum admission is:
$10 – $15 for Adults
$5 – $10 for Children
This pass must be returned to the Library the next morning.
Ship Admission
The Ship is free to visit on a first come, first serve basis. Please be aware that visitors must pass through a security inspection and show federal or state photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, before embarking on USS Constitution. Visitors under the age of 18 do not require a photo identification card.