By Charles 
As a stay-at-home-dad, I’m always on the lookout for frugal ways to provide enriching experiences for my two boys. I found a great way to do this by taking advantage of museum reciprocal memberships. These memberships allow you to explore multiple museums with just one membership. In this post, I’ll show you how you can maximize your museum visits by using.
What Are Museum Reciprocal Memberships?
Museum reciprocal memberships are agreements between museums that allow members to visit other participating museums for free (or at a discount). The three main reciprocal networks I will focus on are:
- Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) — This program gives members free admission to a huge collection of science centers.
- North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM) – These are mainly art museums with some specialty museums thrown into the mix. All are free to enter with a membership.
- Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM) – A smaller collection of art museums, history museums, and gardens to offer members.
Reciprocal Network Limitations & Exclusions
Reciprocal networks offer access to a variety of museums, from science centers to art museums. However, each network and individual museum may have exclusions, particularly regarding distance from your home museum or residence.
- ASTC: Excludes museums within 90 miles of your home institution or residence. This distance is measured as a linear radius, not driving distance. Use this tool to measure
- NARM: Excludes museums within 15 or 50 miles.
- ROAM: Excludes museums within 25 miles.
To visit multiple museums close to home, you’ll probably need to support a museum 25 miles or more from your residence (see below). Additionally, always check for specific exclusions.
For more information on other reciprocal networks like ACM (Children’s Museums) and AZA (Zoos), which offer discounted admissions, visit the Fulltime Families Blog here: The Best Money Saving Reciprocal Memberships | Fulltime Families
My Personal Experience With a Museum Membership
At the end of this past summer, our family went on vacation to Santa Barbara. On our first night there, we decided to take the kids to the Moxi Children’s Museum the next day. However, when I checked the admission fees, I was shocked!
Then, I remembered a post I saw on Slickdeals about museum memberships with reciprocal benefits.
I wanted a local membership, but the exclusions and limitations made me realize I couldn’t really use it locally. It wasn’t until that night in Santa Barbara that I really sat down and read the terms and conditions.
Because of the 90-mile museum and residence restriction, I never considered the ASTC useful. That changed when I saw that the two most kid-friendly museums in San Diego didn’t have a residence restriction. I realized that as long as my museum membership was 90+ miles away, I could visit all the local museums (ROAM/NARM), plus two of my favorite kids’ museums in San Diego: the San Diego Natural History Museum and the Ruben H. Fleet Museum.
Buying the Museum Membership
I wanted to get the membership, but it was the night before we planned to go to the Moxi. I found many museums with multiple reciprocal memberships, but it was unclear which memberships had physical or digital cards and how quickly they were sent after obtaining a membership. After reading a few forums, I was confident that the Cleveland Natural History Museum would get my pass to me in time. I was happy with their membership price of $100, which would get my family and me into a handful of local museums in Southern California.
Using the Membership with Reciprocal Network Partners
It was easy! The digital membership card came in through email a few hours after purchase and gave me the option to load it into my Apple Wallet.
I’ve used it a handful of times and it was the same every time: pulled it up on Apple Pay, they checked my ID, and the whole family was able to enter with no hassle. The Moxi did also check my wife’s membership and our home address, but they were the only institution to do so.
Spreadsheet & SoCal Map of Reciprocal Network Museums
To make it easier for you, I’ve created a spreadsheet with details of 10 museums that belong to multiple reciprocal networks. The spreadsheet includes the price of the museum reciprocal membership, the original price range, location, link, and type of membership (physical or digital card). You can access the spreadsheet here.
Museum Membership type
A membership will either provide you with a digital membership card, typically via Apple or Google Wallet, or a physical membership card which you will have to wait for in the mail, which can take up to two weeks to receive.
SoCal Reciprocal Network Musuem Map
Check out our new map of Southern California museums that participate in reciprocal networks! With just one membership, you can unlock access to a variety of museums, offering endless educational and entertaining experiences for your young children. This map helps you plan your visits more efficiently and ensures you get the most value out of your membership. It’s a fantastic resource for families looking to explore new places without breaking the bank.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1R3i2Z5htU5tuwBjBv5IVBNukVeMQzQk&ehbc=2E312F
Supporting Museums
While saving money is great, it’s also important to support the museums we visit. Many museums rely on donations to fund their programs and exhibits. For instance, the Moxi in Santa Barbara supports STEM education initiatives, and the San Diego Natural History Museum focuses on conservation efforts. By donating, we can help these institutions continue their valuable work in the community.
I hope this post inspires you to explore the benefits of reciprocal memberships and visit more museums with your family. For the latest updates and more tips on saving money with technology, follow me on Instagram @frugaltechdad and Threads @frugaltechdad