Visit a Museum for Free!

An illustration of a museum, labeled as such on the arch, with columns, stairs, and a large set of doors, with windows on either side and above. In the lower-right corner a ticket, also labeled as such.

Note: Some museums have timed admissions or require reservations for tours. Please check with each museum before checking out a pass or visiting.

Museum passes are made possible by a grant to the Columbia County Libraries Association from the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. Passes are available to all Columbia County residents with a library account in good standing.

Guidelines

  1. Patrons can reserve passes online at the links below or by calling the library.
  2. Passes are good for the day of reservation only.
  3. Most passes can now be printed at home using the links below or displayed on a phone.
  4. For those museums that require a pass picked up from the library, passes must be returned either at the main desk or in the book drop before 9:00 am on the day following their use.
  5. One museum pass per family per day.
  6. The fine for late return of physical passes is $5.00 per day. If the pass is lost or stolen, you will be required to pay the full replacement cost.
  7. If you are unable to use a reserved pass, please call to let us know, even for the print at home passes, because only staff can cancel a reservation and make it available to someone else.

Click here to access the reservation system. Links to museum websites and details on how each pass works are available on the reservation system website.

Included in this Museum Pass program are the following: Albany Institute of History & Art, Bennington Museum, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Bidwell House Museum, Chesterwood, Clark Art Institute, Empire Pass, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, FDR Presidential Library & Museum, Hancock Shaker Village, Herman Melville’s Arrowhead, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Iroquois Museum, MASS MoCA, Olana State Historic Site, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Underground Railroad Education Center, and USS Slater.

We also have a pass to the FASNY Museum of Firefighting available for borrowing. To reserve this pass, contact us at 518-828-1792 x100 or holds@hudsonarealibrary.org