Editor’s Observe: This tale firstly seemed on The Penny Hoarder.

Don’t underestimate the money-saving may of a humble library card.

You don’t need to be a bibliophile to have the benefit of your native library’s choices. Some library methods mean you can reserve loose or discounted passes to native museums, zoos, aquariums and different arts and tradition organizations like theaters and orchestras.

Incessantly, museum cross systems are introduced in partnership with city-level governance and are designed to permit loose or diminished value access to essential arts and cultural assets. Call to mind the systems as an extension of the venture of public libraries to supply public get right of entry to to knowledge.

No longer best are loose passes an important possibility for households with kids, but additionally for other folks of every age who love visible and appearing arts and animals. Some cross systems, even though, are best open to households with kids.

We’ve highlighted a couple of systems.

Take a look at together with your native library to peer whether or not it operates one thing equivalent. As an alternative of loose tickets, some library methods be offering reductions on products or parking.

New York Town

Brooklyn, Queens and New York Public Libraries be offering the Tradition Go museum program for get right of entry to to an extended listing of cultural establishments. We misplaced rely at 50.

The spectacular listing of museums contains the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Jewish Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork.

Any common card holder, ages 13 and up, can reserve passes, however Ecards and Educator card holders aren’t eligible.

Passes are to be had at the first of every month for the next month, and the quantity of other folks admitted for every cross varies via establishment.

Boston

To be had in any respect places of the Boston Public Library Device are passes to 6 museums, plus the New England Aquarium and Massachusetts State Parks.

Passes to further museums and sights, together with the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Zoo New England, are to be had at choose branches.

To reserve a cross, you will have to display evidence of Massachusetts residency and feature a bodily library card, no longer an e-pass.

Some passes are disposable and a few wish to be returned. Returnable passes come with fines if no longer returned on time, so make sure you learn the principles.

Atlanta

The Fulton County Library Device provides a price tag to the town for card holders during the partnership cross program.

Taking part Atlanta sights come with the Alliance Theatre, Middle for Puppetry Arts, state parks, the Museum of Arts and Sciences and the Georgia Aquarium. Passes to the Atlanta zoo are to be had for a circle of relatives of 3 after testing the Zoo Atlanta DVD.

You’ll be able to even take a circle of relatives of 4 to peer a efficiency on the Shakespeare Tavern, simply don’t lose the cross or it’s important to pay a hefty price.

Tampa Bay Space

With over 30 museums in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties of Florida, public library methods within the Tampa Bay space beef up cross systems that may get you into one of the most space’s most well liked museums and venues. All you wish to have is a library card.

Hillsborough County’s Discovery Go provides get right of entry to to twelve museums and sights together with the Glazer Youngsters’s Museum, Stageworks Theatre and the Florida Orchestra.

The choice of admissions varies with every venue and a few have ready lists. You’ll be able to take a look at availability on-line, and whilst passes aren’t renewable, misplaced ePasses can also be changed.

Pinellas County Library Device’s museum cross program options 13 museums together with circle of relatives favourite Nice Explorations Youngsters’s Museum, in addition to the James Museum of Western and Flora and fauna Artwork and the Museum of Nice Arts.

Passes can also be looked at in individual on a first-come, first-served foundation and are excellent for a seven-day mortgage length.

Miami

The Miami-Dade Public Library Device’s museum cross program shall we library card holders take a look at loose passes to 18 native sights, together with the Coral Gables Museum, the Miami Youngsters’s Museum and Pérez Artwork Museum Miami.

Even though no longer technically a museum, Zoo Miami could also be a part of the museum cross program.

Library buyers can take a look at one cross consistent with seven-day length. Passes supply at some point of loose admission for a circle of relatives of 4, with age necessities for youngsters at Deering Property, Fruit & Spice Park and Zoo Miami.

Consumers can’t renew the passes or reserve them for a particular date. Passes are first-come, first-served.

Chicago

The Chicago Public Library in partnership with Discover Extra Illinois has a Virtual Museum cross program that gives loose museum passes for an extended listing of native sights, together with the Artwork Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Historical past Museum and the Museum of Science and Trade.

Library card holders may also get loose admission at puts that aren’t museums — like Brookfield Zoo and City Appearing Arts Middle.

Merely log in together with your library card and somebody age 18 or older could make as much as 3 lively reservations, print or obtain the passes and also you’re to your method to taking part in one of the most best artwork and tradition the town has to supply.

Denver

Those that have library playing cards with the Denver Public Library can get loose admission to 19 museums and cultural facilities together with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Historical past Colorado Middle, the Molly Brown Area Museum and the Museum of Fresh Artwork Denver.

Museum passes can also be reserved as much as 30 days prematurely, however can best be reserved each and every 182 days for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. A birthday party of 7 can discuss with the character and science museum with one museum cross.

The Historical past Colorado Middle and Molly Brown Area allow best teams of 4 consistent with every museum cross.

The cross for the Museum of Fresh Artwork covers admission for 4 adults as a result of admission is loose for ages as much as 18.

Dallas

The general public library machine in Dallas companions with the Town of Dallas Workplace of Arts and Tradition to give you the Tradition Go Dallas program, permitting buyers with a library card get right of entry to to museums, theaters and different arts venues.

With a catalog of 34 cultural establishments, the Tradition Go Dallas program is among the maximum powerful on our listing.

Library card holders will have as much as 5 reservations at a time and once a reservation date passes, some other can also be added. There’s no prohibit to the quantity of cross reservations you’ll make in a yr.

Phoenix

The Tradition Go program on the Phoenix Public Library offers library card holders loose access for 2 other folks at 18 cultural organizations, museums and outside sights.

Taking part arts and tradition organizations come with the Phoenix Artwork Museum, Reid Park Zoo and the Sedona Heritage Museum.

Passes can also be looked at in individual, right through library hours and are best to be had one consistent with circle of relatives, as much as two passes per thirty days. Passes expire seven days from take a look at and don’t wish to be returned.

Los Angeles

The County of Los Angeles Public Library and the town’s public library machine percentage Uncover & Cross, a museum cross program that provides library card holders loose admission at 14 organizations, together with the Craft Fresh museum, the Chinese language American Museum and the Los Angeles Zoo.

Library buyers can make reservations as much as 3 months forward of time however will have best two lively reservations at a time.

Some passes will admit as much as 4 museum guests. Then again, the choice of loose tickets consistent with cross varies via appeal.

San Francisco

The general public library machine in San Francisco additionally provides the Uncover & Cross museum cross program, which gives library buyers get right of entry to to over 60 museums and different sights within the Bay Space.

Passes would possibly come with the Conservatory of Vegetation, Exploratorium, Haas-Lilienthal Area and the Museum of African Diaspora.

On-line reservations are to be had and passes can’t be canceled as soon as revealed. Passes to a couple museums are best to be had for households with kids.

Seattle

Seattle Public Library card holders can discuss with 13 native sights, together with the Museum of Flight, the Seattle Artwork Museum and the Nationwide Nordic Museum.

The museum cross program even contains sights that aren’t museums, just like the Seattle Aquarium and the Wooded area Park Zoo.

Library buyers can reserve one cross as much as 30 days forward of the scheduled date. New passes turn into to be had each day and house is restricted.

Museum passes be offering loose admission for a minimum of two adults, some come with 4 or extra.