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 admits 4 visitors at 50% admission per person.
Timed tickets must be purchased in advance using the Discount Tickets option on the museum website. Both ticket confirmation and email confirmation of the Library Pass must be brought to the museum. See our detailed instructions for purchasing discounted tickets.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
Discovery Museum
177 Main Street, Acton, MA 01720
978-264-4200 http://www.discoveryacton.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Acton's Discovery Museum, located on a 4-acre campus, is aimed at providing an environment in which play becomes a conduit for learning about science, technology, and nature. The museum’s building contains a number of galleries dedicated to teaching scientific concepts in a fun, hands-on environment, as well as themed play spaces for younger visitors. Outdoors, Discovery Woods includes a nature playscape with a cargo net climb, nest swing and beaver lodges, as well as a treehouse with an observation deck and a bouncy bridge. There are opportunities to practice orienteering with provided maps and instructions on trails on the property. A museum shop is on the premises. The museum building is fully ADA compliant, with exhibits based on Universal Design principles.
Categories: Children, Family, Science
Pass Type: Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email)
Pass Benefits
This pass admits 3 visitors at 50% admission per person; any additional visitors must pay the regular admission price.
This pass is NOT a reservation; you must reserve a ticket for a specific day and time prior to coming to the Museum campus. You must check into the Museum within one hour of your reservation time, and may stay as long as you like. Tickets are only valid for the date and time selected. Library patrons can reserve tickets on our website prior to their visit and pay upon arrival. On-site ticket purchases will only be available if the Museum is not at capacity. No payment will be collected online, you will pay when you arrive. See our detailed instructions for purchasing tickets.
Present this pass, either printed or on a mobile device, to Admissions staff when checking in and the discount will be applied to the cost of your visit.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
Garden in the Woods (Native Plant Trust)
180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA 01701
508-877-7630 http://www.nativeplanttrust.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Garden in the Woods (Native Plant Trust) displays rare and common native New England plants in a naturalistic setting at its location in Framingham, Massachusetts, attracting visitors from all over the world. Set on 45 acres, it includes two miles of paths that meander over glacier-sculpted ridges and through narrow valleys. A pond, a wooded bog, several springs, and a brook bring a diversity of wildlife into the garden. The garden is maintained by the Native Plant Trust, which works throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and bank seeds for biological diversity, control invasive species, conduct research, and educate the public.
Pass Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
Pass Benefits
Pass admits one adult at 1/2 price admission and children (ages 5-17) with $1.00 admission.
Passes must be picked up at the Winchester Public Library Information Desk. Printouts of reservation confirmations are not accepted by the museum.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
Griffin Museum of Photography
67 Shore Road, Winchester, MA 01890
781-729-1158 http://www.griffinmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Opened in 1992, the Griffin Museum of Photography presents exhibitions, programs and lectures that support their mission of encouraging a broader understanding and appreciation of the art of photography. Three galleries are dedicated to changing exhibitions of photography by well-known, emerging, and student photographers. (Three additional satellite galleries can be found in various locations in the Boston area.)
Pass Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
Pass Benefits
NOTICE: The Griffin Museum of Photography is closed for the summer for renovations. They will reopen on September 1st, 2023.
Pass admits 2 people free. Call the Griffin Museum of Photography at 781-729-1158 to arrange for the discount admission prior to your visit. Pick up pass at the Information Services Desk at the library.
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 admits up to 4 visitors at 50% admission per person.
Passes must be picked up at the Winchester Public Library Information Services Desk up to a week before use. Bring pass and proof of MA residency for at least one visitor to the museum to purchase discounted tickets.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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
Each pass provides two (2) people with $10 admission per person—children under the age of 18 are always
admitted free.
Advance museum tickets can be purchased online (https://www.icaboston.org) using the "Library Pass Coupon" option. These advance tickets are recommended, but not required. The museum will accommodate on-site ticket purchases, if space allows.
Both the library museum pass and museum tickets should be brought to the admissions desk at the museum.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Library pass discounts may not be used for performances or special events. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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
Each pass admits up to 4 adults for $5 each (General Admission only).
Reserve a museum pass with the library for a specific date. Click on "Print this Pass" in the confirmation email that you receive from the library, to see your promo code.
Purchase timed ticket(s) online or through the Box office at least 48 hours prior to visiting, using the promo code. See our detailed instructions for purchasing tickets from the ISG website. You can also redeem your pass over the phone with the Box Office at 617-278-5156.
Please make sure to review the health and safety requirements at isgm.org/welcome before visiting the Museum.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the Library at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
Pass admits 4 people at $2 per person. Admission is free for children 2 and under. Pick up the pass at the Information Services Desk at the library.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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
Pass gives one car unlimited day-use parking access to state park facilities that charge a parking fee.
We encourage you to visit the DCR website before making travel plans to ensure that the location you are interested in is open and you are up-to-date on current health and safety requirements.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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
Pass admits 2 adults and up to 4 children ages 7-17 at $10 per person for general admission and special exhibitions. Children 6 and under are admitted free.
To reserve tickets for the MFA at mfa.org/tickets, select the date for your visit, then enter the promo code in your pass reservation email to activate the reduced admission rate. See our detailed instructions for purchasing discounted tickets.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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 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.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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
Pass admits 4 people at half price to the New England Aquarium. This does not include admission to the IMAX theater or tickets for whale watches.
Bring email confirmation of library pass to the General Admission line at the Aquarium’s ticket booth for discounted admission.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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 people at $12 per person. Museum is free for Salem residents and youth 16 and under.
Purchase timed tickets at PEM events using the promo code to receive the discount. The promo code is in the confirmation email generated when you reserve the pass from the library. Click on "Access Pass" in the confirmation email to see the code. See our detailed instructions for purchasing your discounted tickets from PEM.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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
Pass admits 2 adults and 2 children at Trustees Membership price. Search http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/ to view all the locations you are able to visit with this pass.
Pass can be picked up at the Information Services desk at the library.
For Decordova: Online registration is available; select GOPASS as the ticket type. Bring registration confirmation AND the pass from the library.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.
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
Pass admits 6 people with a $9 charge per adult, and a $6 charge per child. Children under age 2 are admitted for free.
Coupons can be used at both the Stone Zoo and the Franklin Park Zoo. (Stone Zoo Zoolights and Franklin Park Boston Lights not included).
Pick up passes at the Information Services Desk at the library.
Passes are available to Winchester residents only. Call the desk at 781-721-7171 for assistance.