Libraries help with free Museum Adventure Pass

I’ve always envied residents of Chicago for the ability to get free museum passes from the Chicago Public Library. What great opportunities these passes provide, especially to families who may find themselves spending more than $100 just to get everyone in the door.

Finally, thanks to Macy’s, there’s now a similar program for library cardholders who live in the suburbs.

How would you like to take your kids to Brookfield Zoo this summer for free? Or, how about going to the Lake County Discovery Museum, the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston, or the Graue Mill Museum in Oak Brook, all for free?

These opportunities and more are available to anyone holding a library card who lives in the districts of multiple libraries participating in the Museum Adventure Pass program, presented by Macy’s.

The response from library patrons has been “very good,” said Tina Birkholz, a Youth Services librarian at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin.

“People are very into it and say they’ve gone to museums they wouldn’t have gone to because of this.”

First on my list is picking up a pass for Morton Arboretum. One of my favorite places, admission does cost $11 per adult and $8 per child ages 2 to 17. But with one program pass from my local library, we can buy one ticket and get one free.

There are a few guidelines one must follow, which are universal at all the participating libraries:

Ÿ Check out a Museum Adventure Pass using your library card at your home library. These passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and can only be checked out in person by an adult. Some libraries also require a photo ID.

Ÿ One pass can be checked out per seven-day loan period. Each pass is good for one visit. The passes are not transferable and your name will be printed on the pass. Turn the pass in when you arrive at your destination.

Ÿ Check out the lists of participating libraries and museums at museumadventure.org. Local communities with libraries offering this program include: Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Dundee Township, Bartlett, Elgin, Kaneville, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Huntley, Aurora, West Chicago and others.

At each library, “Patrons can pick up a pass anytime the library is open,” said Birkholz. There are a limited number of passes and they go fast.

“The most popular passes are for Brookfield Zoo, the Chicago Botanic Garden, Cantigny and Morton Arboretum. It’s a very valuable service,” she said.

Each of the 17 participating museums offer different benefits when you come with a Museum Adventure Pass, so be sure to read the fine print.

Park for free when you bring a pass to Cantigny in Wheaton, and the same goes for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, where parking is usually $20 per car.

Plenty of local museums are included in this Museum Adventure Pass program. A family of four can go to the Elgin History Museum, 360 Park St., for free, and with a pass, you get a 10 percent discount at the gift shop at the Elgin Public Museum, 225 Grand Blvd.

Check out the authentic operating water wheel gristmill at Graue Mill and Museum, where a family of four get free admission with a pass.

Do you have a future aviator in the house? You can get two people in for free at the Air Classics Museum of Aviation at the Aurora Airport in Sugar Grove, where the regular admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids.

Plan a visit to the Bronzeville Children’s Museum in Chicago, where you can get two free admissions (a savings of $16) for a family of four. This unique interactive museum is the first and only African-American children’s museum in the country.

Bring your little ones for a day of fun with an Explore Art Studio, Air Maze and more at The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, where you can buy up to two admissions and get up to two more free. With admission prices at $6 per person, you could treat the kids to lunch with your savings.

This Museum Pass program concludes in September. It is a partnership between Macy’s and the DuPage, Metropolitan and North Suburban Library Systems, in collaboration with 17 local arts and cultural organizations and more than 100 suburban libraries.