To select a museum, click “Details/Reserve”, then select which Pass to reserve.
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 Benefits
Single coupon provides FREE admission for up to four visitors.
Does not provide access to Harvard Art Museums
Heritage Museums & Gardens
67 Grove Street, Sandwich, MA 02563
508-888-3300 https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Heritage Museums & Gardens is located on 100 acres on the banks of Shawme Pond in Sandwich, MA. The gardens feature internationally important collections of rhododendrons, a comprehensive collection of hydrangeas, a collection of over 1,000 varieties of daylilies, hostas, herb, heather gardens, and more than a thousand varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers along paths. An outdoor “Nature Explore Classroom” facilitates encounters with nature and STEM concepts for children ages 2 through 10. In addition, three gallery buildings house permanent exhibits of world-class automobiles, a working vintage carousel, American folk art, and special exhibitions. There is a café and gift shop on the premises.
Categories: Children, Family, History, Nature
Pass Benefits
Half-price admission for up to 6 individuals.
Cannot be combined with a group tour plan. Not valid for special events.
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 Benefits
With the Historic New England Pass you can enjoy free tours of thirty-eight historic sites. Visit HistoricNewEngland.org to discover more!
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 Benefits
Pass entitles bearer to free parking for one vehicle (excluding buses or vans).
Museum of Science
1 Science Park, Boston, MA 02114
617-723-2500 http://www.mos.org/
[Details/Reserve]
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
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.
Visit http://www.mos.org/ for up to date visitor information including safety protocols and procedures.
New Bedford Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740
508-997-0046 https://www.whalingmuseum.org/
[Details/Reserve]
Opened in 1907, the New Bedford Whaling Museum is focused on the history and culture of the whaling industry as practiced internationally and in the “Old Dartmouth” region of Massachusetts. Over the years, the museum has grown as it absorbed other institutions with similar mandates. The collections boast over 750,000 items which fall into a broad range of categories—fine and decorative art, folk art, photography, domestic artifacts, artifacts that represent the history of technology and industry, books, manuscripts, maps and charts, ethnographic materials, clothing and textiles, and extensive personal, business, and financial records. Highlights include half-scale models of the whaling ship Lagoda and an Azorean whaleboat; five skeletons of various types of whales, including that of a pregnant mother; and art by major American artists such as Albert Bierstadt and Albert Pinkham Ryder. The museum's holdings also include the world's largest collections of scrimshaw and whaling ship logbooks. The Whaling Museum entrance and galleries are accessible to people using wheelchairs and walking aids. Wheelchair accessible restrooms are located on the first floor.
Categories: Art, Children, Family, History, Nature, Ocean
Pass Benefits
There are two types of NBWM Passes:
Coupon Pass - Provides free admission for 1 person
Circulating Pass - Admits up to 4 people at 50% off the cost of admission
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 Benefits
Pass admits up to 4 people at 50% off the cost of admission.
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 Benefits
Pass admits 2 adults & children under 18 free or at a reduced rate (depending on property)