Museums on Us 2016
During the first weekend of every month, Bank of America credit and debit cardholders are able to get into select museums around the country for free. The program is called Museums on Us and I think it is probably one of the coolest unknown perks around.
I wrote in detail about the program back in January including the terms and which dates and museums are available. Since this Saturday and Sunday will be free museum days (November 5 & 6), I thought I would just poke around the country to find some of the cooler sounding places that perhaps I might want to try to visit.
Note: You need a valid Bank of America or Merrill Lynch debit or credit card to receive free museum admission. While I love the perks of this program, I don’t believe anyone should go out of their way to get a card just for Museums on Us. If you already have an account with Bank of America, then this is just another added benefit.
2016 Museums on Us Dates
Before we go further, here is a reminder of which dates Museums on Us is running in 2016. Let’s hope it is renewed for 2017 & beyond!
Coolest Museums
One of the neatest things about Museums on Us is finding places that aren’t traditional museums. Of course there are the standard art and history museums around the country, but here are a few more interesting places that you can get into for free. You can find the full list of available museums here.
Newseum – Washington DC
According to their website, “The Newseum, promotes, explains and defends free expression and the five freedoms of the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.” In a city full of museums, this one seems unique and is on my list to visit. I’m sure it can be tough to survive as a paid museum in the land of “free” but thankfully you don’t have to pay this weekend!
General Admission: $22.95 Free this weekend
MIT Museum – Cambridge, MA
Ever wanted to visit the world famous MIT? Did you know they have a museum. Described as, “The MIT Museum engages the wider community with MIT’s science, technology, and other areas of scholarship in ways that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century,” this museum looks pretty cool.
General Admission: $10 Free this weekend
Portland Japanese Garden – Portland, OR
I didn’t want to leave the left coasters out, so here is one on your side of the country. Not everyone wants to be stuck inside a stuffy building, so why not get outside into nature. I have been to this Japanese Garden and it is very nice. It also is located near the city’s famous Rose Garden, train and zoo so there is plenty to do in the area.
General Admission: $9.50 Free this weekend
Conclusion
Every time this promotion comes along I like to look around and see some of the neat places I should plan to visit. I know the Museums on Us program only saves $10-$20 per person, but it has become a way for me to discover really cool places and I thankfully have enough BofA debit/credit cards to treat the whole family to a fun free afternoon.
What neat museums have you visited for free courtesy of Bank of America?
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Locally, still no STL museum on the list, except the Smithsonian came through recently. One needs to travel to Chicago and Kansas City to take advantage of this promo. I used my Amtrak card to visit the Newseum last spring and the ticket is good for two days. Be aware, it’s the only museum on the list for D.C. So taking a bus or train to Baltimore, Philly and even NYC might be an idea for those visiting the nation capital.
Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Palm Desert, CA. Never would have known it was there but for the BOA program. Nice half day stop on the way to Johua Tree Natl Park. You can even ride a camel for a few bucks….