WESTAMPTON – Looking for an affordable day trip or outing this summer? The Burlington County Library System offers its cardholders free access to more than three dozen different museums, zoos and historic sites through its Museum Pass Program.
Now in its 14th year, the BCLS Museum Pass Program recently expanded with the addition of two new locations: The Newark Museum of Art and the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Philadelphia.
There are now 38 different museums, zoos and historic sites in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York that library cardholders can visit with the passes, including the Academy of Natural Sciences, Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, the Battleship New Jersey, Please Touch Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Eastern State Penitentiary, Guggenheim Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, and the Museum of the American Revolution.
Last year, library museum passes were checked out 3,629, a record-high number for the program since it debuted in 2012.
“A Burlington County Library System membership isn’t just a place to find books, music and movies. Amazing works of art, exotic animals and ancient artifacts are also reachable with the Museum Pass Program,” said Burlington County Library Commission Chair Jonathan Chebra. “It’s a great example of the value of a Burlington County Library System membership and how BCLS libraries help enrich residents’ lives in different ways. The program supports museums in our area while simultaneously providing a great benefit to our cardholders.”
“The growth of the Museum Pass Program is one of the Burlington County Library System’s many success stories and it reflects how the libraries continue to evolve to better serve Burlington County residents and their changing needs,” added Burlington County Commissioner Tom Pullion, the liaison to the BCLS. “Visiting an area museum is a fantastic way to spend a summer day, and the Museum Pass program makes dozens of locations accessible to all.”
The Museum Pass Program is funded by both the BCLS and the nonprofit Friends of the Burlington County Library System groups associated with the library system and its individual branches and member libraries. BCLS cardholders can reserve passes up to 45 days in advance in-person at the libraries or online with the BCLS website. Passes to some locations can be downloaded and printed; others must be picked up in-person from the respective library.
More than 100 passes are available, though there are limits on how many can be reserved or checked out by one cardholder.
“Books, pictures, and databases are fantastic tools for learning, but so are first-hand experiences, and the museum passes offer BCLS cardholders the opportunities for experiences at many of the most coveted art, culture and education centers in our area. In this way, we’re able to extend our learning-focused mission outside our libraries’ walls to museums and other partners in the region,” said BCLS Director Ranjna Das. “Even by conservative estimates, the passes save Burlington County cardholders more than $181,000 a year on admission fees to these locations. That’s significant and helps make these museums accessible to Burlington County families that might otherwise be challenged by the admission fees.”
The library system and its partners continue to pursue opportunities to acquire passes to additional museums and cultural sites, including locations in Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C.
“One of the biggest benefits Burlington County enjoys is its location in the center of the Northeast between several major metropolitans,” said Burlington County Commissioner Randy Brolo. “The BCLS Museum Pass program allows residents to take advantage of our close proximity to so many great museums, zoos and cultural sites. From science and nature to history, art and culture, there’s plenty of destinations within a day’s drive to visit and discover.”
Learn more about the Museum Pass program.