Your library card is a truly fantastic thing. Sure, you can use it to check out books or log in to a computer, but you can get so many things with your library card, like free admission to several local attractions with our Explore Passes.
Explore Passes grant you access to incredible local attractions
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Discovery World, Milwaukee Art Museum, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, and Mitchell Park Domes are yours to explore for free, when you check out an Explore Pass from your Library. And by the time you read this, we may have added new passes to our collection. Find the passes on the Lucky Day shelf in our lobby. Passes can be checked out for three days, but they cannot be held or reserved.
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Once a farm for Schlitz Brewery draft horses, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is Milwaukee’s comprehensive nature center. It offers six miles of trails and boardwalks that wind through 185 acres of forests, wetlands, prairies, and a beautiful stretch of Lake Michigan beach in one of the most diverse ecosystems in our region.
The trail system includes one mile of wheelchair-accessible paths, with new accessible segments to come. The Visitor’s Center offers restrooms, a Nature Store, tactile nature exhibits as well as animal exhibits throughout the Great Hall.
The Schlitz Audubon Nature Center Explore Pass is good for free admission for two adults, plus all children or grandchildren 17 and under. Parking is free and pass holders receive a discount in the Nature Store.
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum is a non-profit children’s museum located in Milwaukee. It is a place for hands-on play and interactive learning for kids 10 and younger and their grown-ups!
The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Explore Pass is good for free admission for up to six persons and discounted parking in the adjacent Museum Center Park garage.
Discovery World
Discovery World’s unique, hands-on exhibits and programs focus on two areas – technology and freshwater sciences. Enjoy eight learning labs that comprise more than 10,000 sq. ft. of space!
The Discovery World Explore Pass is good for free admission for up to six persons (limit up to 2 adults, and up to 4 kids), and $10 discount on purchase of own membership.
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the largest museums in the United States. With a history dating back to 1888, its collection includes over 31,000 works from antiquity to the present, encompassing painting, drawing, sculpture, decorative arts, prints, video art, and installations, and textiles.
The Milwaukee Art Museum Explore Pass is good for admission for up to four people with discounted museum shopping and dining.
Mitchell Park Domes
Experience a desert oasis, a tropical jungle, and floral gardens…all in one destination. The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, also known as “The Domes,” houses thousands of plant species. The unique dome shape allows a better angle for solar heating and more height for tall trees.
The Mitchell Park Domes Explore Pass is good for free admission for two adults and four children under 17, plus a 10% discount at the Gifts Under Glass Gift Shop.
Secret Explore Pass
There’s one more pass, but we’re not allowed to talk about it here. Stop by the Lucky Day Shelf in our lobby to see if it’s available. We guarantee you’ll have a wild time.