Friends of the Dedham Library Offer Three New Museum Passes

At the February meeting of the Friends of the Dedham Library, board members voted to sponsor three new museums in their Museum Pass Program. The new museums include the Concord Museum, The Worchester Art Museum and The Discovery Museum. The Museum Pass Program is funded by proceeds from FDPL books sales. Their next book sale is coming up on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14th.

Visitors to the Concord Museum in Concord, MA may now use the pass available through the library. Founded in 1886, the Concord Museum is a repository of local history and a gateway to the town of Concord. It educates visitors from around the world about the history of Concord and its continuing influence on American political, literary, and cultural life through permanent and changing exhibits, educational programs, and publications. Its collection contains a range of unique items from the area, including a Paul Revere lantern; many objects that once belonged to Henry David Thoreau; a reproduction of Ralph Waldo Emerson's study; and furniture, artwork, and objects from the colonial era on. Concord Museum membership cards provide the following benefits: a $5 discount for each of up to four visitors; free or discounted admission to Museum programs and events; and a 10% discount on Museum merchandise in the Shop. This is a circulating pass which means it must be picked up and returned to the branch.

Acton's Discovery Museum, located on a 4-acre campus, is aimed at providing an environment in which play becomes a conduit for learning about science, technology, and nature. The museum's building contains a number of galleries dedicated to teaching scientific concepts in a fun, hands-on environment, as well as themed play spaces for younger visitors. Outdoors, Discovery Woods includes a nature playscape with a cargo net climb, nest swing, and beaver lodges, as well as a treehouse with an observation deck and a bouncy bridge. There are opportunities to practice orienteering with provided maps and instructions on trails on the property. A museum shop is on the premises. The museum building is fully ADA compliant, with exhibits based on Universal Design principles. Patrons using library passes will pay one-half price admission ($9.50) per person (for each of the three people) which allows access to the Discovery Museum, as well as Discovery Woods. Any people accompanying the three pass users will still pay the regular admission fee of $19. This is a Printable/Digital Coupon Pass (link delivered by email).

The Worcester Art Museum is recognized for its 35,000-piece collection of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings, and new media created over the last 5 millennia. Works include those by El Greco, Monet, Rembrandt, Gauguin, van Gogh, Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Paul Revere, and Nam June Paik. Special exhibitions showcase the masterworks, seldom-seen gems, and important works on loan—including some contemporary art. Of note are the floor mosaics from the ancient city of Antioch (Syria) in the entrance, the Japanese print collection, and the “Arms and Armor” collection. There are a café, museum shop, and library on the premises. Passes for the Worcester Art Museum offer a 50% discount on the admission fee for up to two visitors. Admission for children under seventeen is free! The Worchester Art Museum is a circulating pass (must be picked up and returned to the branch).