The Atwater and Smith Libraries have a variety of free and discounted passes to local museums and cultural attractions. To reserve a pass, please 203-315-6020 for the Atwater Library or 203-484-0469 for the Smith Library.
Passes may be reserved in advance and can be borrowed for 2 days. The borrower must be at least 18 years old with a valid library card. Passes can only be checked out at the owning Library and must be returned to the Library from which they were borrowed.
Pass offerings and discounts may be subject to change. Contact your lending library for the most up to date listing.
Beardsley Zoo
Location: 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport CT Admits: Up to 6 people Discount: $9 per person Regular Admission: $20 Adult | $16 Senior | $16 Child 2-11 The state’s only AZA accredited zoo features more than 300 animals, primarily from North and South America, including several endangered species, a tropical rainforest with free-flight aviary, New England farmyard and an antique carousel. Please call the Atwater Library for pass availability. Generously sponsored by the Northford-North Branford Women’s Club, GFWC |
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The Carousel MuseumLocation: 95 Riverside Avenue, Bristol CT Admits: 4 People Regular Admission: $15 Adult | $10 Senior/Student with ID Discount: Free admission for up to 4 people Travel back in time to when the carousel was the pinnacle of amusement park joy. Now on view, over 100 years of carousel art and history. See examples from turn of the century carvers like Dentzel, Herschell Spillman and Stein and Goldstein.The Museum of Fire History is also located in the Carousel Museum Building,admission is for both museums! Please call the Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Connecticut’s Old State HouseLocation: 800 Main Street, Hartford CT Admits: 2 adults & 2 children Discount: Free ($5 validated parking) Regular Admission: $8 Adult | $4 Senior | $4 Child 6-17 Dating back to 1796, this is the very spot where CT’s government was born. You’ll meet the people who made it happen and find out how they did it. Also on display are Mark Twain’s bicycle, a two-headed calf, and dozens of other eccentric pieces from CT’s history. Please call either the Atwater or Smith Library for pass availability. |
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CT River MuseumLocations: 67 Main Street, Essex CT Admits: 2 adults & their children (under 18) Discount: Free Regular Admission: $12 Adult | $10 Senior | $8 Child 6-12 Please call Atwater Library for pass availability. |
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CT State ParksLocations: Throughout CT Admits: 2 adults & 4 children Discount: Free admission to buildings & museums (Dinosaur State Park, Gillette Castle, Fort Trumbull) Regular Admission: Price varies according to the location Please call Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book ArtLocation: 125 W Bay Road, Amherst, MA Admits: 2 adults & 4 children under 18 Discount: Free Regular Admission: $15 Adult | $8 Senior | $8 Child 1-18 The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the international champion for picture book art. They collect, preserve, and exhibit original art; encourage guests of all ages to read and create art; and foster an ever-growing audience passionate about picture book art. Please call Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Florence Griswold MuseumLocation: 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme CT Admits: 2 adults & 2 children under 18 Discount: Free Regular Admission: $15 Adult | $14 Senior | $13 Student Located on thirteen acres in Old Lyme, this art museum serves as the home of American Impressionism. In the early part of the 20th century, Miss Florence opened her mansion (once a wealthy sea captain’s home) to many young artists. It soon became renown as the Lyme Art Colony. Right behind the home is a magnificent walking garden. Café on premises. Please call the Atwater Library for pass availability. |
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Mark Twain House and MuseumLocation: 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford CT Admits: 1 adult or 2 children Discount: Free with 1 paid adult Regular Admission: $27 Adult | $25 Senior | $15 Youth 6-16 The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, was the home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) and his family from 1874 to 1891. Clemens wrote many of his best-known works while living there, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court Please call the Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Mystic Seaport MuseumLocation: 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic CT Admits: 2 adults & 3 child Discount: 50% Off Admission Regular Admission: $31 Adult | $29 Senior | $27 Youth 13-17 | $21 Child 4-12 Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” Please call the Atwater Library for pass availability. |
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New Britain Museum of American ArtLocation: 56 Lexington Street, New Britain CT Admits: 4 people (at least 1 adult) Discount: Free Regular Admission: $20 Adult | $15 Senior | $10 Youth 6-17 Houses a permanent collection of more than 8,300 paintings, photographs, sculptures, and illustrations by American artists, including Norman Rockwell. There are also colonial and federal portraits, as well as works by artists from the Hudson River School. You can view a prized pastel by Mary Cassatt and each year there is at least one special temporary exhibit by a famous American author. Reservations are encouraged, but not required. Admission is free every Saturday from 10am – noon. Please call the Smith Library for pass availability. |
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New England Air MuseumLocation: 36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks CT Admits: 6 people Discount: 50% Off Admission Regular Admission: $23 Adult | $18 Senior | $13 Youth 4-14 The New England Air Museum is an American aerospace museum located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The museum consists of three display hangars with additional storage and restoration hangars. Its collections include aircraft ranging from early flying machines to supersonic jets, as well as engines, and other pieces of flight-related equipment. Please call either the Atwater or Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Pez Visitor CenterLocation: 35 Prindle Hill Road, Orange CT Admits: 4 people Discount: Free Regular Admission: $5 Adult | $4 Senior | $4 Youth 3-12 PEZ museum featuring history, trivia & memorabilia related to the classic candy & dispensers. Includes the PEZ motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers, the world’s largest PEZ dispenser, viewing area into the production area, PEZ trivia game, retail area and interactive historical time line. Please call either the Atwater or Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Regional Water AuthorityLocations: 9 recreation areas located in 13 communities: Lake Bethany (Bethany), Big Gulph (Northford), Lake Chamberlain (Bethany), Genesee (Madison), Lake Hammonasset (Killingworth), Maltby Lakes (West Haven), Pine Hill (Seymour & Woodbridge), Lake Saltonstall (Branford), Sugarloaf (Guilford) Admits: 4 people Discount: Free Regular Admission: RWA Recreation Permits range in cost from $25 for a one-year Individual Permit for seniors, the disabled, veterans or students to $50 for a two-year Family Permit. Hike, jog, cross-country ski or just meander along almost 60 miles of trails through Regional Water Authority watershed lands. Fish from the shores in the sparkling clean water of five secluded reservoirs or from our 70-foot long, wheelchair accessible dock at Lake Saltonstall. Bike through an 18th century settlement at Little Genesee in North Madison. With nine recreation areas located in 13 communities, there is bound to be an area close to you. Photos from the annual photo contest will give you an idea of how much there is to offer. Pass includes maps and parking permit. Please call either the Atwater or Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Sacred Heart University
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Shore Line Trolley MuseumLocation: 17 River Street, East Haven CT Admits: 4 people Discount: 50% off admission Regular Admission: $12 Adult | $10 Senior | $8 Child 2-15 A visit to the museum is a multi-sensory voyage into the past, from the growl of the motors to the feel of rattan seats and varnished hardwood detailing. The railway is the oldest continuously operating suburban trolley line in the U.S. Some cars you may ride and some are just for viewing. Please call the Atwater Library for pass availability. |
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USS Constitution MuseumLocation: Boston, MA Admits: up to 9 people Discount: Free Suggested Admission: $10 – $15 Adult | $5 – $10 Child The USS Constitution Museum is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard and serves as the memory and educational voice of the USS Constitution by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the stories of “Old Ironsides” and those associated with her. With exhibits and programs, the museum engages all ages in the story of Constitution to spark excitement about maritime culture, naval service, and the American experience. Please call either the Atwater or Smith Library for pass availability. |
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Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of ArtLocation: 600 Main Street, Hartford CT Admits: 2 adults Discount: Free admission to general museum only, additional fees to exhibitions Regular Admission: $20 Adult | $15 Senior | $10 College Student with ID Founded in 1842, the collection exceeds 50,000 works of art. This includes sculptures, costumes, textiles, and Contemporary Art. On-loan exhibits change periodically. Please call either the Atwater or Smith Library for pass availability. |