To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
Canterbury Shaker Village
288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, NH 03224
603-783-9511 http://www.shakers.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Canterbury Shaker Village was founded in 1969 and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1993. The historic site, dedicated to preserving the heritage and 200-year legacy of the Canterbury Shakers, has 25 restored original Shaker buildings, 4 reconstructed Shaker buildings, and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement. Visitors can engage in guided and self-guided tours, family activities, exhibits, educational programs, and the occasional special event. The Museum Store and the Shaker Box Lunch & Farm Stand are on the premises.
Categories: Architecture, Crafts, Family, History
Pass Benefits
Two coupons available per day. Each pass offers free admission to two adults and two children. Pass also offers 10 % off in the Museum Shop
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
Cheshire Children's Museum
149 Emerald Street, Unit C, Keene, NH 03431
603-903-1800 https://www.cheshirechildrensmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Dedicated to experiential learning and play, the 5,000 sq. ft. Cheshire Children's Museum is home to 22 unique hands-on exhibits for children, including Space Station, News Anchor Desk, Auto Repair Shop, Post Office, Construction Zone, Veterinarian Clinic, NH Cog Railway, A Day on the Water, Lego Station, and Puzzle Station, among others. There is also a dedicated play space—the Monadnock Munchkin zone—for those under the age of three.
Pass Benefits
One pass per day. Each pass admits four people for half price.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
Currier Museum of Art
150 Ash Street, Manchester, NH 03104
603-669-6144 http://currier.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Currier Museum of Art, located in Manchester, NH, features European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. The permanent collection includes works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, Calder, John Singer Sargent, Frank Lloyd Wright, Andrew Wyeth, and Sol LeWitt. Special exhibitions provide opportunities to present work by contemporary and/or local artists, as well as take in-depth looks at certain objects or areas of the Museum's collection. Public programs include tours, live classical music and “Family Days” which include activities for all ages. The Museum also offers tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Zimmerman House, now listed on the Register of Historic Places (reservations required). There is a museum store on the premises.
Categories: Architecture, Art, Family, History
Pass Benefits
One coupon is available per day. Coupon admits two people for half price.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
EcoTarium
222 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA 01604
508-929-2700 http://www.ecotarium.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The EcoTarium is a unique indoor-outdoor museum in Worcester, MA. Set in an urban oasis, the museum offers a chance to walk through the treetops, take a multimedia journey through the galaxy at a digital planetarium, meet wildlife, stroll nature trails, and get hands-on with family-friendly exhibits.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Science
Pass Benefits
Each pass allows half-price admission for two adults and two children to the museum and wildlife center.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
**This coupon is not valid for the Planetarium, Explorer Express Train or the Tree Canopy Walkway.**
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002
413-559-6300 https://www.carlemuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, located in Amherst, MA, is the first sizable institution dedicated to picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world. Its collection encompasses more than 11,000 objects—7,300 of which are illustrations—including art by Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak, and Leo Lionni. On the 40,000 sq. ft. premises are three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and a gift shop.
Categories: Art, Children, Family
Pass Benefits
One pass is available; it offers free admission to two adults and up to four children.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
Hildene: The Lincoln Family Home
1005 Hildene Road, Manchester, VT 05254
800-578-1788 https://www.hildene.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Built at the turn of the 20th century, Hildene is the former home of Abraham Lincoln's son Robert. Now open to visitors, the 412-acre estate—with its Georgian revival mansion and 14 historic buildings—includes the home, formal garden and observatory; the Welcome Center and Museum Store in an historic carriage barn; a 1903 Pullman car, Sunbeam; and Hildene Farm. The farm includes a solar-powered goat dairy and cheese-making facility, and, in the lower portion of the property—the dene—a teaching greenhouse, composting facility, animal barn, vegetable gardens, apple orchard, a 600-foot floating wetland boardwalk, and an 1832 schoolhouse used for education programs. A system of trails allows visitors to explore the grounds. An introductory video may be seen in the Welcome Center.
Categories: Architecture, Family, History, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
One pass per day; each pass admits one adult and two children under 16 for free.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
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
One coupon is available for each day the museum is open. The coupon admits up to four people with a $5 admission fee per person.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
John Hay Estate at The Fells
456 Route 103A, Newbury, NH 03255
603-763-4789 https://thefells.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Fells, originally the summer home of 20th century American statesman John Milton Hay, is an 83.5 acre estate with a 22-colonial Revival home, extensive formal and informal gardens, and trails overlooking Lake Sunapee. The property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, includes land and buildings originally part of the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1987 for migratory bird conservation. Guided and self-guided tours of the garden and house, which include history and ecology exhibits and an art gallery, are available—check the website before going. A souvenir shop is on the premises.
Categories: Architecture, Family, History, Nature
Pass Benefits
Two passes are available daily; each pass admits two adults and all accompanying children under 18.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
Magic Wings
281 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield, MA 01373
413-665-2805 https://www.magicwings.com/
[Details/Reserve]
Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens, opened in 2000, consists of an 18,400-square foot facility with an 8,000-sq. ft. glass conservatory filled with butterflies, moths and tropical vegetation. The conservatory is home to some 4,000 free-flying foreign and domestic butterflies in a tropical environment that includes exotic reptiles, frogs, fish, birds & insects. There is a gift store and food court on the premises.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature
Pass Benefits
Two passes are available. Each pass provides free admission to two people. Limit of one pass per library account.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
Manchester Historic Association Millyard Museum
200 Bedford Street, Manchester, NH 03101
603-622-7531 https://www.manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum/
[Details/Reserve]
The Millyard Museum is housed in Mill No. 3 in the historic Amoskeag Millyard. The Museum features a permanent exhibit that tells the story of Manchester and the people who have lived and worked here—including the native peoples who fished at Amoskeag Falls 11,000 years ago; the area's early farmers and lumbermen; and the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, critical to the development of the city and once one of the largest textile producing companies in the world. The Museum's Henry M. Fuller State Theatre Gallery features rotating exhibitions on a variety of topics. There is a museum shop on the premises.
Categories: Architecture, Crafts, Family, History
Pass Benefits
Two passes per day. Each pass offers free admission for up to 4 people to the Millyard Museum and the MHA Research Center.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
Mariposa Museum
26 Main Street, Peterborough, NH 03458
603-924-4555 https://www.mariposamuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Originally a museum of folk art, the Mariposa Museum now additionally explores human experience and culture through a range of media. Changing exhibits—for all ages—are presented with the intention of fostering understanding of the world in its diversity. In addition to the exhibits, the museum is home to the “Inventing Room,” with a library of stories from around the world; cabinets of crafts and games to try; a hands-on puppet theatre; a child-sized play kitchen; floor puzzles; and musical instruments to play. There is a gift shop on the premises. The Mariposa is ADA-compliant with an elevator, spacious passageways and restrooms, and exhibits at multiple eye-level heights.
Categories: Art, Children, Family, Music
Pass Benefits
One pass per day. Each provides free admission to one adult and two children.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH 03301
603-271-7827 https://www.starhop.com/
[Details/Reserve]
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, located in Concord, NH, is dedicated to the two astronauts who came from the granite state—Christa McAuliffe and Alan Shepard. The museum offers a range of permanent and changing exhibits that focus on astronomy, aviation, earth and space science, including full-sized replicas of Mercury 7 and Mercury-Redstone rockets, a 1956 XF8U-3 Crusader jet, and items from Star Trek movies, a planetarium, and an observatory. There is a museum shop and café on the premises.
Categories: Children, Family, History, Science, Technology
Pass Benefits
* Two passes are available each day the center is open. Each pass is valid for free admission to the Discovery Center exhibit halls for four people. There is a charge of $7 per person for the Planetarium shows.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
**Reservations are required. Call ahead. * *
* Library passes can be used for our monthly Super Stellar Fridays! These occur on the first Friday evening of every month. For more information, visit www.starhop.com/ssf
Montshire Museum of Science
1 Montshire Road, Norwich, VT 05055
802-649-2200 https://www.montshire.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Situated on 110 acres in Norwich, VT near the Connecticut River, the Montshire Museum of Science is dedicated to fostering a community of lifelong learners through engagement with science. The museum has over 150 hands-on exhibits on nature, technology, astronomy, and the physical sciences. The grounds are home to a forest-inspired play area, nature trails, a 3-mile Planet Walk, and—during warm weather months—the David Goudy Science Park, which features a host of interactive water-based exhibits centered around The Rill, a 250-foot long watercourse. There is a gift shop on the premises. The museum's first and second floors and bathrooms are entirely wheelchair accessible, with an elevator providing access to the second floor. Several outdoor exhibits and walking trails are wheelchair accessible with assistance. An adult-sized wheelchair is available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Science, Recreation
Pass Benefits
Two passes are available. Each pass provides free admission for one person. Both passes may be taken on one account.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum
18 Highlawn Road, Warner, NH 03278
603-456-2600 https://www.indianmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, located on 12 1/2 acres in Warner, NH, is dedicated to Native American culture across North America, both past and present. Outside, the Medicine Woods includes plants, shrubs, and trees used by Native Americans for food, medicine, dye, shelter and tools. Inside, exhibits in the galleries and the lobby present artifacts from tribes from all over the country, as well as contemporary work. There is a gift shop on premises.
Categories: Children, Crafts, Family, History
Pass Benefits
Two passes per day are available. Each pass offers free admission to one family.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
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
One coupon is available for each day. The coupon admits two people with a $10.00 per person admission fee and may be used whenever the museum is open.
The coupon may also purchase special exhibit tickets for an additional $10.00 per person.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
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 Benefits
One coupon is available for each day. This coupon admits four people into the Exhibit Halls for half price.
The coupon does not include discounts on tickets for the Omni Theater, Planetarium, or Laser Show and cannot be used to purchase combination tickets.
This is a coupon pass and does not need to be returned to the library.
New Hampshire Historical Society
30 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301
603-228-6688 https://www.nhhistory.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Founded in 1823, the New Hampshire Historical Society collects objects, books, manuscripts, and images that document New Hampshire's history. Exhibitions at their headquarters in Concord, NH contain a range of objects, photographs, and documents that illuminate the state's history, art, and culture. These include Native American artifacts; items from the Revolutionary period through the Civil War and World War II; the 1818 eagle that once sat atop the state capitol; portraits of notable New Hampshire residents such as Franklin Pierce and Daniel Webster; early furniture, silver, and other decorative arts; 19th-century White Mountain landscape paintings; and memorabilia from New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primaries. Temporary exhibitions focus on various aspects of the society's holdings. Research may be conducted in the on-site library.
Categories: Art, Crafts, Family, History
Pass Benefits
Two family passes for free admission are available.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
Strawbery Banke Museum
14 Hancock Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-433-1100 http://www.strawberybanke.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Strawbery Banke Museum is located in the South End Historic District of Portsmouth, NH, on a 10-acre campus that features more than 37 restored buildings built between the 17th and 19th centuries. Visitors may visit the historic buildings, some with staff in period dress engaged in traditional crafts such as boat-building, coopering, and wood-working; enjoy interactive exhibits about the history of the neighborhood and its preservation; and stroll and appreciate the heritage gardens and orchards, various heirloom breeds, and beehives. Themed centers provide different pathways for understanding the history. A museum store and a couple of restaurants are on the premises.
Categories: Architecture, Children, Crafts, Family, History
Pass Benefits
Two passes are available. Each pass provides free admission to a family of two adults and their accompanying children under 17 per day from May 1 through October 31. Limit of one pass per library account.
Each pass also includes free admission for up to 4 individuals to the following special events: Baby Animals: Heritage Breeds at the Banke, Ghosts on the Banke, and Candlelight Stroll (excludes the Member Preview Night).
50% discount on admission to Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond.
10% off purchases at Pickwick's at the Banke (Museum gift shop) and merchandise in the Lawrence J. Yerdon Visitors Center.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
VINS Nature Center
149 Natures Way, Quechee, VT 05059
802-359-5000 https://www.vinsweb.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Headquartered in Quechee, VT, on 47 acres of forest, meadow, and rolling hills, the VINS Nature Center features 17 state-of-the-art raptor enclosures that house hawks, eagles, falcons, owls, and other birds of prey. In addition, the site has two songbird aviaries, home to a cedar waxed wings, cardinals, and other species; the Forest Canopy Walk; interpretive nature trails; the heated four-season Neale Pavilion; and the outdoor August Pavilion. Exhibits at the Center include “Birds Are Dinosaurs,” the Adventure Playscape, and the Forest Exhibit. The VINS Nature Center campus is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, and the McKnight Trail and the Forest Canopy Walk are ADA-accessible. There is a gift shop in the premises.
Categories: Children, Family, Nature, Recreation
Pass Benefits
One pass per day is available, which admits up to four people for $5 each.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.
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 Benefits
One pass per day. Each pass admits two people for half-price admission.
Pass must be returned to the library by 10 AM the day after the reservation. Pass may be returned in the drop box.