The library offers a variety of free and discounted museum and cultural passes available at the circulation desk for our members, courtesy of the Friends of the Newfields Library.
Don’t have a library card? No problem. Library cards are free to all Newfields residents. Stop by to sign up for a free account today.
Check out our current list of museum offerings below:
- Bedrock Gardens (Lee)
- Children’s Museum of NH (Dover)
- Children’s Museum + Theater of Maine (Portland)
- Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Amherst, MA)
- Historic New England (NH, MA, ME, RI, VT)
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston)
- Mt. Washington Observatory (Mt. Washington State Park)
- Seacoast Science Center (Rye)
- Seashore Trolley Museum (Kennebunkport, ME) -Limited, while supplies last.
- Strawbery Banke Museum (Portsmouth)
- USS Albacore (Portsmouth) -Limited, while supplies last.
- Zoo New England (Stoneham & Boston)
+ Limited FREE passes to 2025 Season Fisher Cats home games in Manchester. While supplies last. Limit 4 per family.
If there is a museum you’d like to see included, please reach out to the Friends of the Newfields Library to request it at FriendsofPML@comcast.net
Bedrock Gardens (Lee) – Closed for the season
- Limit one pass per family, per day.
- Pass admits 2 adults + any number of children/grandchildren (FREE)
- Children 12 and under are always free*
- Pass does not include entry to events.
- No appointment necessary.
*Except for the October Fairy Hobbit House Festival Fundraiser Oct. 12-14th.
2024 Schedule
Season runs May 15th – October 14, 2024
Weekdays: Tues – Fri
Weekends: 1st and 3rd weekends each month*
Hours: 10 am – 4 pm
*NOTE: Gardens are CLOSED May 12+13, May 25+26, June 8+9, June 22+23, June 29+30, July 13+14, July 27+28, and July 29+30, August 10+11, August 24+25, August 31 and September 1, September 14+15, and September 23+24, and September 28+29.
Last day of the season is October 14.
Visit the gardens website: https://www.bedrockgardens.org/
Children’s Museum of NH (Dover)
- Pass admits up to 4 guests at 50% reduced admission.
- Library passes do not guarantee reservation. You must reserve your date/time online.
- Pass is only valid on the date listed on the letter.
- Your reservation is good for 1 play session.
- Only one pass per patron/group per day.
Pick up passes at the library circulation desk. You’ll receive the pass and instructions on how to schedule your reservation.
MUSEUM HOURS
Wednesdays – Saturdays, 9am-Noon or 1-4pm
Sundays and Tuesdays, 9am-Noon
Closed Mondays
SCHOOL VACATION WEEK HOURS
Tuesdays – Saturdays, 9am-Noon or 1-4pm
Sundays, 9am-Noon.
Closed Mondays
Children’s Museum + Theater of Maine (Portland, ME)
- Pass admits up to 4 guests at 50% reduced admission for one play session/day.
- All parties must include at least one adult and one child.
- Library can only give out 1 pass/day.
- No reservations required.
*Pass must be signed and dated by authorized library staff to be valid. Present your library pass to the front desk museum staff upon arrival.
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Amherst, MA)
- Free admission for 2 adults and up to 4 children.
Hours of Operation:
Wednesday – Friday 10 am – 4 pm
Saturday 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday 12 pm – 5 pm
Location: 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002
The Carle, as it’s known, has more than 8,500 illustrations, representing more than 200 artists and a century of picture books, in its permanent collection. The building has three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, and picture book and scholarly libraries.
Historic New England (NH, MA, ME, RI, VT)
Historic New England is the nation’s largest independent preservation nonprofit, managing 38 historic homes, gardens, and farms throughout five New England states.
- Free tour admission for up to 2 adults and children under 18
- Reserve tour online using the promo code on the back of the pass.
- Present the pass when you arrive for your tour.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston)
- Discounted admission for up to 4 adults ($5 per person)
- Children under 18 always free.
- Must redeem the pass online using the promo code on the back of the pass.
- Reservations with the museum must be made in advance. Pass does not guarantee entry.
>>Instructions: How to redeem your pass online
Hours of Operation:
Monday | 11 am–5 pm
Tuesday | Closed
Wednesday | 11 am–5 pm
Thursday | 11am–9pm
Friday | 11 am–5 pm
Saturday | 10 am–5 pm
Sunday | 10 am–5 pm
Location: 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA 02115
Mt. Washington Observatory (Mt. Washington State Park) – Closed for the Season
For Mount Washington Observatory:
(Season runs mid-May to mid-October)
- Free weather station tour for 2 adults and 3 kids (17 and under)
- NO TOURS ON WEDNESDAYS
- Free access to Gladys Brooks Memorial Library (appointment by request)
+June & July discounts to the Cog Railway and Auto Road (see details below)
>>Learn more: https://mountwashington.org/education/weather-station-tours/
How to Reserve:
- Pick up your library pass at the library.
- Patrons can book in advance with their library code at https://mountwashington.org/education/weather-station-tours/
- OR: Patrons can bring the Library Pass to Extreme Mount Washington Museum on the summit (lower level), but space may limited. Advance reservations recommended.
For Mount Washington Cog Railway:
(For June + July Only: Discounted admission with Library Pass)
- Buy 1 Adult Ticket and get 1 Adult Ticket Free
- Monday-Friday (Saturdays and Sundays excluded)
- 9:00AM, 2:00PM, or 3:00PM platform A trains
How to Reserve:
- Reserve pass from the library. The library will provide you with a unique ticket code.
- Use your code to book online here: https://www.thecog.com/tickets
- Purchase tickets online and enter the ticket code at checkout to receive 1 free ticket
For Mt. Washington Auto Road:
(For June + July Only: Discounted admission with Library Pass)
- One passenger in each “Drive Yourself” vehicle rides free
- Bring printed Library Pass to ticket office at base of Mt. Washington Auto Road to redeem. (Note: This is not the toll house at the base of the mountain, patrons should bring it across the street to the big lodge building to receive this deal.)
Seacoast Science Center (Rye)
- Two passes available per day (once they are claimed, other patrons will have to wait until the next day)
- Each pass admits 2 adults and up to 4 children at a 50% discount
- Pass holder receives a 10% discount in the Nature Store
- Please purchase tickets and reserve your visit in advance
Hours: Wednesday – Monday, 10am-4pm ; Closed Tuesdays
Note: Library pass holders are still required to pay NH State Parks use fee.
How to Reserve Your Tickets
- Go to http://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org
- Hover your cursor over the “Visit” tab and select “Buy Tickets” in the dropdown.
- Click on the box that says “Admission Ticket”
- Choose the “Pass Holder Admission” option.
- Click on the date of desired visit on the booking calendar.
- Choose the desired entry time and number of tickets per age group.
- For each ticket, select:
-Member or Pass Holder: Pass Holder
-Type of Pass: Library
-Name of Library: Paul Memorial Library
-Enter your Zip Code
*Note: If a time slot if full, please choose another time/date.
**All online ticketing transactions incur a small processing fee.
Patrons will receive an email confirmation that will serve as their ticket for entry. Library Pass Holders must show their pass when they check-in.
Seashore Trolley Museum (Kennebunkport, ME) – Closed for the Season
Visit the first and largest museum of mass transit!
The library has 5 day passes (first come, first served, while supplies last) to the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
- Library Day Pass admits up to 2 adults and 3 children (FREE)
- Pass cannot be used for special events.
- Guests can ride the different trolleys throughout the day and as often as they’d like.
- Bring a picnic lunch or get snack food at the facility.
Hours of Operation: 9:30AM to 4:30PM (the last tickets sold are at 3:45PM)
Open May – December, RAIN or SHINE.
May: Open Weekends (Saturdays & Sundays)
June – October: Wednesdays – Sundays
December: The first two weekends (Fri-Sat-Sun)
Trolleys depart promptly at 9:45, 10:30, 11:15, 12:00, 12:45, 1:30, 2:15, 3:00 and 3:45.
Take a ride on the heritage railroad in a vintage trolley from the early 1900s. Explore three car-houses filled with beautiful, restored trolleys and several other precious transit artifacts around our outdoor campus.
The world-renowned collection includes vehicles from almost every major city in the United States that had streetcar systems, as well as from across the world. From the omnibus, to electric streetcars, buses, light rail vehicles, and rapid transit cars, we’ve got them all. Visit the Restoration Shop where you can view many cars in the process of maintenance or comprehensive restoration.
Located on 195 Log Cabin Rd. Kennebunkport, ME.
Strawbery Banke Museum (Portsmouth)
- Free museum admission for up to 2 families per day from May 1 through October 31
- Free admission for up to 4 individuals to Baby Animals: Heritage Breeds at the Banke, Ghosts on the Banke, and Candlelight Stroll (excludes the Member Preview Night)
- 50% discount on admission to Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond
- 10% off purchases at Pickwick’s at the Banke (Museum gift shop) and merchandise in the Lawrence J. Yerdon Visitors Center.
Hours of Operation:
Strawbery Banke Museum is open daily, from May 1 through October 31.
- May-June:
Weekdays 10 AM-4 PM
Weekends and holidays: 10 AM-5 PM - July-August:
Daily10 AM-5 PM - September-October:
Weekdays 10 AM-4 PM
Weekends and holidays: 10 AM-5 PM
Outdoor Ice Skating at Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond:
Daily December through February, weather dependent. Click here for more information about skating.
USS Albacore (Portsmouth)
- Free admission for 1.
- Patrons may reserve up to 2 passes.
Located at Albacore Park, 569 Submarine Way, Portsmouth, NH
Hours of Operation:
- OPEN Mid-February through Memorial Day
7 days a week, 9:30am – 4:30pm (Last ticket sold at 4:00pm) - OPEN Memorial Day through Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day
7 days a week, 9:30am – 5:30 pm (Last ticket sold at 5:00pm) - OPEN Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day through Mid-December
7 days a week, 9:30am – 4:30pm (Last ticket sold at 4:00pm)
CLOSED Mid-December through Mid-February
The USS Albacore was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and launched in 1953 by the U.S. Navy as a research submarine. Decommissioned in 1972, the USS Albacore was later brought to what is now known as Albacore Park, where it was landlocked and opened to the public in 1986. Visitors can go inside this historical submarine, look through the periscope, and explore the control room, engineering spaces and bunk rooms. Recordings by former crew members share fascinating stories from their time aboard the submarine. Come take a tour!
Zoo New England (Stoneham & Boston)
- Pass admits 6 people at discounted rates:
- Adults: $9
- Kids: $6
- Under 2: Free
- Valid for daytime entry to Franklin Park Zoo in Boston or Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA.
- Open year-round. Not valid for Boston Lights or Zoo Lights.
Hours of Operation:
October – March 31
Daily, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day)
April – July
Weekdays: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Weekends: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
August & September
Daily, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Museum passes are made possible by the generous donations of our patrons and the Friends of the Newfields Public Library. Thank you!