Use your Vernon Area Library card to save at cultural attractions

Vernon Area Library cardholders can enjoy local color on the cheap this winter break. The Lincolnshire-based facility recently added Explore More Illinois to the many benefits available to patrons. The cultural pass program provides library cardholders with access to free or discounted tickets to museums, park district facilities, historical societies, performing and visual arts centers and other attractions. Explore More Illinois is free and can be accessed anytime at http://vapld.info/museum-passes.

The discounted passes are accessible online, so patrons do not need to visit the library to take advantage of an Explore More offer. The patron’s library card account must be in good standing, with no fees or other blocks that would prevent them from checking out materials. Adults age 18 years and older can log in using their library card number and PIN (usually the last 4 digits of their telephone number) to place reservations by attraction and specific dates.

There are currently 24 destinations participating in Explore More including Chicago’s Harris Theater for Music and Dance, the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, Blocks to Bricks in Schaumburg and the Discovery Center in Rockford.

At Vernon Area Library, the new program expands the existing list of museum discount options available to patrons. For several years the library has participated in the Museum Adventure Pass program, which offers cardholders free admission or discounts at 20 Chicago area cultural destinations including Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Botanic Garden and Legoland Discovery Center. With both Explore More and Museum Pass, families looking for things to do while school is out have more options to get out of the house for an enriching shared experience.

The Explore More program was developed through RAILS, a government agency serving libraries in northern and west-central Illinois.