The Cernan Earth and Space Center at Triton College offers free planetarium admission for up to four members of the same family membership to the ASTC. 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive You will need to provide proof of your residence. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. Do you know what that means? For the last 6+ years they have explored all over North America and share their top tips on things to do in locations with kids, along with road trip ideas and tips on RVing. Zoos & Aquariums https://www.aza.org/reciprocity/ 60637 Union Station members receive FREE General or Discounted Admission to 300+ Science Museums Worldwide (including museums in Kansas and Missouri) through the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) Travel Program. Here are the important details: Association of Childrens Museums (These guidelines will go into effect April 1st, 2013). Hi Adrienne! However there are some restrictions for the ASTC one about it not working within 90 miles of your home address either I havent tested this yet but may be worth making some phone calls if this impacts you. For a reduced rate of $5.00 each as long as one person is listed on the membership card. Membership Visit an ASTC Passport Program venue today! %PDF-1.5 % Nonprofit or for-profit organizations that engage the public in science and share ASTCs commitment to diversity, accessibility, inclusion, and equity, but that do not operate science centers or museums. Our Core membership grants free general admission for one year, 50% off Museum parking, 10% off purchases at the Caf and Museum Shop, access to members-only hours and participation in the ASTC Passport Program. We love science centers, they are educational hands on learning and play areas for kids and adults. The two major member organizations that offer these reciprocal programs are the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). Country/Area The website cannot function properly without these cookies. Im so glad to hear that you have found a membership that works well for you and your family! Included for up to 2 adults and 6 youth (ages 3-17) in the same household plus 2 named caregivers (nannies, grandparents, etc.) 2. 180 0 obj <>stream This essentially means that if you have two ASTC-participating museums in your city and you belong to one of them, you cannot go to the other one for free. Purchase tickets online They also do not follow the 90 mile rule for most other participating museums in Massachusetts so we have found we can enjoy our pass at almost all of the places we love throughout our neighboring states, but mostly right here in Connecticut. If you are a member of a science center or museum participating in the ASTC Passport Program, you are eligible for benefits such as free general admission when you travel outside of your local area. The price we would have paid to get into the science center for 1 day was $140. Thanks for this posting about reciprocal programs. Free visits to Science City, Planetarium. Paid for family admission at the Museum of Science and Industry last time we were in Chicago. Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Those with an AZA pass will receive free or half-price admission to a large number of zoos and aquariums across the country. Allied Members currently include companies and independent contractors; emerging science centers and museums not yet open to the public; foundations; scientific societies; community organizations; North American Federal, state, provincial, tribal, or local government agencies; and more. Taking advantage of the ASTC Travel Passport Program is easy. Give thegiftof education, entertainment, and discovery. Yes! The Natural History Museum of Los Angelos County will allow two adults and up to four children admittance and includes the La Brea Tar Pits and the museum. 4:00 Parking passes for Premium members must be picked up at the Box Office during business hours. Military Discount Active, Reserve, and Retired Military - $2.00 off per person in the immediate family with proper ID. * Facility must be located at least 90 miles or more from both the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and your home address. This got us an ASTC membership. Now, as Julie Andrews playing Frulein Mariafamously sang inThe Sound of Music, Lets start at the very beginning. You will have admittance to the Extreme Mount Washington Museum in the Mt. We purchase our membership through The Boston Childrens center on our yearly Boston trek. Make sure you look for the acronyms ACM or ASTC or the word reciprocal when checking out the different levels of membership. Were all digital these days and do not have the capability to print cards. For answers to your Membership questions please call, Monday through Friday 9:00am-5:00pm: Membership Office Email: members@mdsci.org . Thanks for sharing! Participation in and the benefits of reciprocity programs can change at any time, so please keep these tips in mind: MSI members at all levels enjoy 50 percent off admission at the following museums: Can't find your answer online? Thank you for your feedback, Molly. Thanks for the clarification! Our favorite three favorite reciprocals have been the ASTC, ACM, and AZA. This one offers reciprocal benefits for ASTC, ACM, NARM, and Time Travelers. Wondering what museums are on the list? Members save $50 on birthday party packages. As a 501(c)3, Union Station relies on multiple revenue sources, including YOUR tax-deductible membership. Bryanna has been full time RVing with her husband and 4 kids since May 2014. Located in Oakland, California, this wonderful space and science center will awe your family while you learn and explore space for the day. The San Diego Natural History Museum allows two adults and children under eighteen to spend the day exploring. Basically you buy an annual membership from a participating museum, zoo, or science center and you can use your membership for free or reduced admission at hundreds of others across the country. If youve been following our blog, you may remember that I recently took Boo to the Providence Childrens Museum. Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Reciprocal admission through this program is an . Enter your name and email and get our latest blog post straight to your inbox it's FREE! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Members can also receive dollar-off access to see the OMNIMAX theater and special exhibits that are there. Entry through Members' Only ticket lines via our Harborside Entrance. Not long ago. My family has enjoyed membership at the Boston museum of Science for several years now. I am sure there are LOTS of folks who have run into the same issue. This membership costs $125, but during the week of Black Friday, they had a sale and it was only $62! To order Baltimore Orioles tickets, click this link and enter promo code: mdsciencecenter. Creating last memories for our community. You can get a membership for as little as $60/year with ASTC privileges. Read here for the family zoo and science museum membership we bought. The fine print - both conditions have to be true: The museum you are visiting has to be more than 90 miles from your "home" museum that you are a member of. Western NC Nature Center has reasonably priced dual memberships: https://wildwnc.org/membership, $69 for 2 adults and up to 4 children (age 3-17) a.m. to Can You Use a National Parks Pass at State Parks, Save Thousands on Your Next Family Road Trip with Reciprocal Programs. Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. You can apply the tickets you recently purchased toward the price of a membership. Exclusions apply and benefits vary. Pacific Science Center offers two membership programs for low-income families, foster youth, and youth experiencing homelessness. These programs are completely separate, although many museums in our state belong to both organizations. Core 2. So glad to hear that the reciprocal program has been useful for your family. Let us send you an automatic notification of new posts straight to your email inbox by signing uphere. Of course, thats not always the easiest thing to do when you have small children! Proof of eligibility required - a valid membership card with ASTC logo. 109 0 obj <> endobj Exclusions apply and benefits vary. Member benefits such as Science City admission cannot be used by guests who are not on the membership. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium first visit for free and additional tickets for only $4. Google Universal Analytics short-time unique user tracking identifier. Sometimes its a good price and other times well use our other memberships instead. If you use Bank of America they do "museums on us" allowing their card holders one free ticket per card during the first weekend of every month (http://museums.bankofamerica.com) there's over 150 participating museums all over the US! Member Tickets: Only $18 per member nonmembers pay up to $45 per person! Thanks for all the info Jen at www.free2breathe.com! The Mount Washington Observatory located in Conway, New Hampshire, will allow two adults and up to four children six and over into the observatory for free. However, we too have run into difficulties at the Childrens Museum in West Hartford in their honoring reciprocity or made it very difficult holding up the line on multiple occasions. They are a blast for kids under 10, but even our older kids love them. Actually The Children's Museum isn't part of ASTC. I actually found out about the two deals I was considering through family and a Facebook-friend. Its not that they are encouraging you TO travel. We always go to the free ones is we are nearby and we check the rates if they are half off. The gift of Membershipto Union Station is guaranteed to please, with great savings to year-round attractions and special touring exhibitions. We paid $109 for the day, but then we could get into other zoos for free or half price for the rest of the year. Click for Privacy Policy / Disclosure Policy. The Indiana State Museum is though. Date, time and usage will be mutually agreed upon with Union Station management; catering and other special requests (i.e., audio-visual) not included. IL LACMA-ArtMuseums Free admission to 24 art museums nationwide. Discounts at zoos and aquariums -AZA Association of Zoos & Aquariums (https://www.aza.org), Half price at Childrens Museums ACM Association of Childrens Museums (http://www.childrensmuseums.org). When you consider the amount youd like to gift, you can personalize the membership to the needs of the family. This site uses different types of cookies. Deepen your relationship with us and ensure Union Station continues to serve Kansas City. We have literally saved hundreds of dollars since we bought ours back in January! Check out this great list of the Best Museums For Kids In The US all of these may not be on the reciprocal program as it is always changing so be sure to check the website before you go. Thanks for de-mystifying the ACM reciprocal membership changes for everyone I know its going to be a bumpy ride come April 1st, but this post will surely help folks understand the changes. Stacey Hi! All who currently serve or have served in the U.S. Military receive a $3 discount on Museum Admission and a 10% discount on Dual through Family Plus memberships. Thanks for sharing your experience. It is basically a big play area for kids, usually with different themed play areas. Reserve Tickets. Preserving Union Station and her stories. Guaranteed to inspire and excite everyone in the family! You can always search for reciprocal memberships and find even more, but these are some of the most popular. Members can get two adults and their children under seventeen for free. I felt terrible after hyping it up we had to turn around and get back in the car because paying full price wasnt an option for us. We were so lucky to learn about the awesome reciprocal museum membership that you can buy. We got our ACM membership in San Diego, which was one of the more expensive childrens museums, but we were just learning and we still got our moneys worth. Members of these organizations can receive a variety of exclusive benefits and privileges, such as free admission, gift shop discounts, and more. I made the mistake several years ago when I (living in Indianapolis) bought a Field Museum (Chicago) membership. Learn about Science Center and Museum Member Benefits. Military. Thanks for sharing your experience, Susan! Thanks so much for your feedback. Enjoy extra benefits during the holidays, free mini-train rides, and access to other free holiday events. Thats a wonderful idea! 3. Open tomorrow It is an awesome program for anyone that likes to visit museums but especially for people who travel a lot! that they could search online for the ASTC member museum that offered the cheapest membership with Travel Passport benefits, then join that museum and visit their local institutions for free. While we are not aware of any major changes to the reciprocal museum membership programs, it is possible that information in this postcould be outdated. Students, Seniors 55+, and Military can receive $5 off when they purchase their membership at the box office with a valid ID. When she visits us in MA, we use the Durham pass to go to the Museum of Science in Boston. Your membership is tax-deductible and, with it, you remain part of our historic family of supporters helping ensure our place in the community for years to come. Then we found a zoo we wanted to go to and we knew to shop around. ASTC had=s attractions in all fifty states and some other countries, including Mexico and Canada. We apologize for any inconvenience. hb```) eaq4CaE?X\````h `*mb)H( f2 En62.ozc~~`NaA&N4#-KyAD A+ Members receive instant savings on tickets to our exhibits. (Any Country/Area)United StatesAustraliaBelgiumBermudaCanadaChinaColombiaCzech RepublicFinlandGermanyIndiaIsraelItalyJapanKenyaKuwaitMalaysiaMauritiusMexicoPanamaPhilippinesPolandPortugalSaudi ArabiaSingaporeSouth KoreaSpainSwitzerlandTaiwanThailandTrinidad And TobagoTurkeyUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom, U.S. State (if applicable) Thanks for being your awesome selves. Current Premium Members can pick up their parking passes Any particular favorites? }{?Fo~.a/>{_|'??vM It depends on the museum and who runs it. Contact [emailprotected] for details. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. ASTC currently has two types of institutional membership, as described in the associations bylaws. As someone who lives in Canada and travels to the US frequently with my young children this has been a god send the last few years. For details, phone our Membership Office. When visiting a partner museum, just show your digital card for your membership to be honored. Childrens Classes, Playtimes, & Storytimes, Childrens Museum of Southeastern Connecticut, The NEW Playground at Elm Ridge Park in Rocky Hill, The Lutz Childrens Museum (changing from $100/year to $125/year), Kidcity(changing from $100/year to $125/year, although Kidcity will still offer a Kidcity-only membership for $100/year), Imagine Nation (changing from $100/year to $125/year), Childrens Museum of Southeastern Connecticut (changing from $100/year to $125/year). The kids could spend days playing at these museums. All other family members over four will get to pay the youth price. I got blindsided by that 90-mile rule when I tried to use my Stepping Stones membership at the Childrens Museum in West Hartford! Regnier Extreme Screen theatre popcorn for only $1. Patrons receive all the benefits of membership for up to 6, plus: Science centers and museums located within 90 miles* of the science center/museum where the visitor is a member. **Free or discounted admission to ASTC Passport . Not long ago. I feel dumb now. Memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. Before traveling we had no idea about these reciprocals. The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is a membership organization of science engagement institutionsespecially science and technology centers and museums in North America and around the world that provide opportunities for lifelong learning about science and technology; connect science, technology, and society; engage diverse If you arent close to Ohio I dont think it will impact you much. Regarding Reciprocity as part of our MOS membership benefits we receive Free access, (not a discounted rate) to the museums/zoos weve visited, including Roger Williams Park Zoo in RI. Core memberships are 100% tax deductible. Click on each one to go to their website and check out the participating museums, centers and zoos and read about any special rules. It didnt include the zoo membership, but we can always get online and buy from Baton Rouge again, or we can do some more research and possibly find another one that will save us more money. Birthdays at Science City are a blast of epic fun! Great question! I dont mind supporting the Providence Childrens Museum. Taking advantage of the ASTC Travel Passport Program is easy. Within a couple of visits, your experiences will have been paid in full. One point for clarification: the Connecticut Science Center is an ASTC member; however, the center doesnt participate in the Passport Program. But the good news is that sometimes there are exceptions. Our first stop was Seattle Science Center. The spirit of a Union Station membership is for the benefits to be used by the family members listed on the membership. Its always a good idea to call the membership office if you have any doubts about which membership levels include reciprocity. You can get free admission when you travel outside of your local area to other institutes participating in the program. USA. https://www.astc.org/find-a-science-center, https://www.astc.org/membership/find-an-astc-member/passport/, 2 World-class Traveling Exhibit Guest Passes, 4 World-class Traveling Exhibit Guest Passes, 16 World-class Traveling Exhibit Guest Passes, Exclusive Invite to Behind the Scenes Tour of USKC, Exclusive Invite to Annual CEO Meet and Greet, Members-only invitations for exclusive offerings and events, Free admission to Science City for 12 months, ASTC Travel Passport Program with discounted admission to 300+ museums. I was surprised how many where close to my hometown too! Located in Columbus, Georgia, the Coca-Cola Space Science Center offers a fun day of exploration. Members also can get up to 10% off purchases from Star Store except for autographed books. Members save 10% at Union Station Restaurants and Retail Stores, including: Escape Room, Museum of Illusions, Harvey's, Parisi Coffee, Pierpont's, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory & the Science City Store. endstream endobj startxref MSI belongs to the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), a global organization of science centers and museums. Hi Ladies! Out and About Mom is a blog providing Connecticut parents with fun and creative ideas for family-friendly outings. Tips to finding the best zoo and museum memberships for you or your family. Guests must present proof of current ASTC museum membership and a valid photo ID to receive . It allows free parking with a valid membership and six free tickets to a Discovery Room session or a planetarium show. If you do decide to visit the Chicago museums, it's totally worth buying the $70 Indiana State Museum family membership. AZA Association of Zoos & Aquariums https://www.aza.org/. Cookies are required for this site to operate correctly. Family Plus Membership $140. You can apply the value of your current membership and receive a prorated price based on your current expiration date. She takes us and other visitors to Durham there to see the exhibits and for a break from the summer heat. They will tell you it will not work within 90 miles of the museum you purchased from. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. The Providence Childrens Museum is also part of the ASTC. Free admission for two additional guests and all children in household and grandchildren under 21. MOSI in Tampa and the Orlando Science Center were both really cool! This one offers reciprocal benefits for ASTC, ACM, NARM, and Time Travelers. ASTC- Association of Science-Technology Centers This membership gets you into about 300 science centers and museums for free. h%yoe],8{dI:wZ33 UEqT2o-ny[T GWY-PV5=wJ]RNJ^*C*-hV1P}yYJMGPZ'IRi,CHPkW,}v=+%FGZG|uW4GS##'47ETC}O}4RF[}]iZ>jHWz?__~EG?3?/;37? PATRON MEMBERSHIP: Donate $250 to receive a Membership for 6 with parking and more, SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP: Donate $500 to receive a Membership for 8 with parking and more. These are only a few of the dozens of participating attractions you can get free or reduced admission to with an ASTC membership. Admission benefits at more than 300 different science centers and museums through the ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers) Passport Program Supporting Memberships: Supporting Memberships help to create world-class exhibits and STEM educational programs. Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in. Looking for a place to camp? And guess what? TimeTravelers-HistoricalMuseums Reciprocal membership network for historical museums, sites, and societies throughout the United States. I had one questionwhen getting in free to other museums, is it a one-time benefit? endstream endobj 110 0 obj <>/Metadata 10 0 R/Pages 107 0 R/StructTreeRoot 20 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 111 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 107 0 R/Resources<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 112 0 obj <>stream 1. Becoming a member is a great way to support your local accredited zoo or aquarium. With all the ASTC offers, you will want to learn more about the places you can enjoy with your children. To check if a museum participates in the ACM Reciprocal Program, click HERE. Members receive their first visit for free and additional tickets for only $4. We continued learning and the following year when the memberships were up for renewal we bought a membership from Dayton Society of Natural History, also called Boonshoft, for $145 and this membership gave us all three of the reciprocals. Admissions, guest passes or discounts granted as a privilege of membership can never be sold to another person or entity. 1. However, you can only go to their general, and traveling exhibits are and the public simulators. Thanks again for your help in putting it together , You should also include the springfield museums which includes both associations as well. Copyright Union Station. I got screwed a second time over by not being able to get free admission to Museum of Science and Industry (also Chicago) because it was within 90 miles of the museum that I was a member of. Of course, Mandy and I are not experts on the subject, so its always wise to consult a museum directly if youre looking for specific information on membership or reciprocity. 4 World-class Traveling Exhibit Guest Passes, including Auschwitz. The 12-month membership would begin when your recipient redeems the voucher. Not far away. Give the gift of membership in the form of a gift voucher by clicking here. Our family has found a great way to avoid the agrivation of the 90 mile rule that works for us. If we bought our membership from the Living Desert zoo that we were visiting it would have cost us $130 for the year and all other zoos would be half off, none would have been free. Not far away. Union Station including Science City and all of our vital offerings is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, with an operating budget that is sustained through donations. Sometimes we pay just a couple dollars per person and other times we opt out and use one of our free reciprocals. Check back everyTuesdayandThursdayas we dish up more Momsense for getting out and about with your little ones. Discounted tickets to touring exhibitions. Call us at (773) 947-3161 or email us. Example ASTC Travel Passport science centers and museums: Google Universal Analytics long-time unique user tracking identifier. All Rights Reserved 2023. When we first started traveling we bought a membership online to the Montana Natural History Center. Many museums, especially childrens museums, offer membership levels that include reciprocity with other museums. Then we got into the Living Desert Zoo for an additional $50 which was the half price discount. You will need to prove where you live because you must be at least ninety miles from your residence to qualify. ACM Associations of Childrens Museums https://www.childrensmuseums.org/. from Members receive free admission to Science City year-round. Sci-Store purchases - 10% off. With your ASTC passport, two adults and up to four children can get into the attraction for a day of fun. You can learn more about your local zoo or aquarium's membership program on their website or by contacting them directly. and MORE! Copyright Out and About Mom 2011 - 2021. Dont have time to check back in? Click here to learn more. ***Business member facility rental includes Grand Plaza, Science City, Extreme Screen, Haverty Family Yards, Arthur Stilwell, Jarvis Hunt, Innovation Center. Government owned museums are mostly free, but some charge if the museum is fairly new and was expensive to build. Stay up-to-date with whats new to see and do at Union Station with our weekly e-newsletters. Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies. The next year got even better. Yes! Membership at my museum easily pays for itself in a year. The EAA website is currently undergoing maintenance. This means that by purchasing such a membership to your primary museum, you may also qualify for free or reduced admission to numerous other museums across the state and around the country. Natural History Museum of Los Angelos County. We paid for our annual membership online to the Baton Rouge zoo in Louisiana for $59. Below you will find a few examples of the incredible opportunities that await your memberships with ASTC. https://tickets.unionstation.org/resend. We always have plenty of free choices of museums and zoos to visit locally and when traveling with this choice. Or can you continue to visit the same museum for free multiple times? For questions or assistance, please contact Membership Services at membership@visitmosac.org or call us at 916 674-5000. 2020 Association of Science and Technology CentersSite map | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. Frugality is the mental approach we each take when considering our resource allocations. MSI members at all levels enjoy 50 percent off admission at the following museums in Illinois and Wisconsin: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago): (773) 755-5100 Milwaukee Public Museum (Milwaukee, Wis.): (414) 278-2700 Contact us Can't find your answer online? And we also got Boonshoft. What is the difference between the ACM and the ASTC? Senior Discount Seniors (ages 60 and up) receive a $2 discount on COSI general admission. Located in Hickory, North Carolina, the Catawba Science Center is an excellent place to explore the day with your family. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. IF you have more than six members in your family, regular rates apply for the rest of the group. These museums are primarily for younger kids. The unauthorized use of images of Union Station for commercial purposes could falsely suggest endorsement and therefore is prohibited. Discounts from a variety of organizations such as the Baltimore Orioles and Stroller Strides.