The Museum Adventure Pass is a free pass from public libraries in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the Metro Area. Each pass gives the holder up to two free admissions to a museum or attraction.
Around twenty museums, galleries, zoos and historic sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul are offer free admissions every year. The organizations in the scheme change every September.
Library card holders can visit one of the hundreds of libraries in the Twin Cities, and check out a free Museum Adventure Pass.
Each Museum Adventure Pass is valid for one week. Only one pass can be checked out at a time, but there's no overall limit to how many can be checked out - you can go to all twenty - or how many times a pass for a location can be checked out. So, you can visit destinations several times.
Each library has a limited number of passes for each museum, and the most popular ones go quickly, especially during the summer. Visit the library mid-week for the best chance of getting a popular pass, like for the Minnesota Zoo.
It's really, truly free, and there's no catch. The free admissions are donated by the museums and attractions, so if you wanted to make a donation towards the cost of your visit, that would certainly be appreciated.
Some organizations also have special offers for Museum Adventure Pass holders, like discounts in the museum store or restaurants, free gifts, or savings on memberships.
If you are not yet a library card holder, it is free to join the library. Visit a library location in the city where you live with a photo ID, and the library can issue a library card.
Here's a list of the currently participating organizations for the 2010-2011 season.
American Swedish Institute
The Bakken Museum of Electricity and Magnetism
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden And Bird Sanctuary
Foshay Museum and Observation Deck
Hennepin History Museum
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minnesota History Center
The Minnesota State Capitol
Minnesota Streetcar Museum
Minnesota Transportation Museum - Jackson Street Roundhouse
Minnesota Zoo
The Museum of Russian Art
Walker Art Center
The Weisman Art Museum (Opens October 2, 2011)
The Works: A Technology Discovery Center
Observant people will notice that a couple of the above - the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Como Zoo and Park, have free general admissions anyway. Visit the Museum Adventure Pass website for each of these destinations to see valuable special offers and discounts for Museum Adventure Pass holders.
