To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
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.
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
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.
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
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.
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
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 Type: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
Pass Benefits
One passes per day is available. The pass offers free admission to one family.
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: Coupon Pass (must be picked up from the branch, but does not require returning)
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.
* The museum will close at 2:00 PM on November 27th and December 24th 2024.*
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
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 Type: Circulating Pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch)
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.