Museum Adventure Passes
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Messenger Library cardholders in good standing can receive free or discounted admission and other discounts to a variety of exciting museums and recreational facilities in the Chicago area.
- Museum Passes are available on a first come, first served basis. Passes may not be reserved. Each museum specifies dates when passes cannot be used and other restrictions that may apply.
- Visit any library service desk to find out if a pass is available for the museum of your choice. Passes are not available via email; they must be collected in person.
- Each pass is valid for 7 days from the date of issue. The library can issue one museum pass per family, per 7 days. Each pass is only valid for one use.
- When you visit your museum of choice, make sure you have the pass, the library card used to get the pass, and a photo ID. Passes will be collected by the museum.
Explore More Illinois
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Explore More Illinois allows library cardholders from participating public libraries to reserve free and discounted admission, parking, and gift store purchases from museums, cultural centers, zoos, gardens, and more!
To obtain a pass log in with your library card credentials and browse for passes by date or attractions. When you log in, you will see the current day’s events. To view all attractions, click the text link “All Attractions” that is located next to today’s date at the upper left-hand side of the page. Make your reservation and print or download your pass shortly before your visit. You can have two active reservations per library card. Please cancel your reservation(s) if unable to attend. Otherwise the reservation will count as being used. Remember that once you print or download your pass you cannot cancel your reservation.
• Find an attraction/make a reservation
• For more information visit: https://exploremoreillinois.org/
Participating Attractions
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum / Springfield
American Writers Museum / Chicago
Anderson Japanese Gardens / Rockford
*Art Institute of Chicago / Chicago
Bistro Verde / Springfield
Bronzeville Children’s Museum / Chicago
*Brookfield Zoo / Brookfield
Buffalo Grove Park District Community Arts Center / Buffalo Grove
Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House / Moline
Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum / Chicago
Chicago Botanic Garden / Glencoe
Chicago Children’s Museum / Chicago
Chicago Maritime Museum / Chicago
*Children’s Discovery Museum / Normal
Civil War Museum / Kenosha, WI
David Davis Mansion Historical Site / Bloomington
Des Plaines History Center / Des Plaines
Dinosaur Discovery Museum / Kenosha, WI
Discovery Center Museum / Rockford
DuPage Children’s Museum / Naperville
DuPage Symphony Orchestra / Naperville
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center / Chicago
Edwards Place / Springfield
Ellwood House / Dekalb
Exploration Station / Bourbonnais
*Field Museum / Chicago
Fox River Grove Memorial Public Library / Fox River Grove
Galesburg Parks & Recreation Lake Storey Beach Boats / Galesburg
Galesburg Parks & Recreation Lakeside Water Park / Galesburg
German American Heritage Center & Museum / Davenport, IA
*Glencoe Beach / Glencoe
Goodman Theatre / Chicago
Haitian American Museum of Chicago / Chicago
Historic Auto Attractions / Roscoe
Illinois Holocaust Museum / Skokie
The Insect Asylum / Chicago
Kenosha Public Museum / Kenosha, WI
Kidzeum of Health and Science / Springfield
Lincoln Heritage Museum / Lincoln
Lincoln Land Community College Athletics / Springfield
Lincoln Park Zoo / Chicago
Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art / Oak Brook
Love’s Sweet Arrow / Tinley Park
Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art / Evanston
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage / Glen Ellyn
McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum / Chicago
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago / Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry / Chicago
National Museum of Mexican Art / Chicago
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture / Chicago
North Suburban Library District / Loves Park and Roscoe
Normal Theater / Normal
Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum / Peoria
*Peoria Riverfront Museum / Peoria
Pritzker Military Museum & Library / Chicago
Raupp Museum / Buffalo Grove
Soulside Healing Arts / Peoria
Springfield Art Association / Springfield
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum & Gardens / Rockford
Whim Chicago @ Stage 773 / Chicago
Vermilion County Museum / Danville
Volo Museum / Volo
Western Illinois Museum / Macomb
Young People’s Theatre of Chicago / Chicago
This list was last updated on April 30, 2024. The list of participating and attractions and their offers are subject to change, Please log into Explore More Illinois to see the most current offerings.
*Not all attractions will be available to all libraries.
Ravinia Lawn tickets (all tickets for this season have been claimed)
We have free lawn passes for Messenger Public Library cardholders thanks to Ravinia Festival’s Words & Music program! Tickets to the performances below will be available first come, first served at the Adult Services Help Desk.
- Patrons can pick up tickets for 2 shows maximum to allow everyone an opportunity to attend.
- Patrons must take either 2 tickets or all 4 tickets, no single tickets will be issued.
- Words & Music Words & Music lawn passes are only valid on the date printed, may only be used on the evening of the performance
- Tickets may not be exchanged for a dated ticket and cannot be sold.
Fri, Jul 12 at 7:30pm – 2 lawn passes
CSO + Marin Alsop with Michelle Cann and Masabane Cecilia Rangwnasha
88th CSO Residency Opening Night
Sat, Jul 13 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
CSO + Marin Alsop with Abel Selacoe
Beethoven’s Fifth, Abel Plays His Four Spirits
Sat, Jul 20 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
CSO + Marin Alsop: Mahler’s Ninth
Sun, Jul 21 at 5:00pm – 4 lawn passes
CSO + Marin Alsop with Hayato Sumino
Chopin’s First Concerto, Strauss’s Don Juan
Thu, Jul 25 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
CSO + Marin Alsop with Augustin Hadelich
Hadelich plays Mendelssohn; 2024 Taki Alsop Fellow Alena Hron conducts Walker
Fri, Jul 26 at 7:30pm – 2 lawn passes
CSO + Marin Alsop: The Planets and the Moons Symphony
Breaking Barriers Festival
Thu, Aug 1 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
Karen Slack + Kevin Miller: African Queens
Seven rulers and warriors celebrated by Black composers
Fri, Aug 2 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
CSO + Valentina Peleggi with Jorge Federico Osorio
“Emperor” Concerto, Pines of Rome
Tue, Aug 6 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
Gustavo Dudamel + National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela
Works by South American composers, Shostakovich’s Fifth
Sat, Aug 10 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
CSO + James Conlon with James Ehnes: All Mozart
Fifth Violin Concerto and the G-minor Symphonies
Thu, Aug 15 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
Apollo’s Fire: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Rediscovered
Sun, Aug 18 at 5:00pm – 4 lawn passes
CSO + Jonathan Rush with Rachel Barton Pine
White & Paganini Concertos, Symphonie Fantastique
Tue, Aug 20 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
Matthew Polenzani + Kevin Murphy
Tue, Aug 27 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
Third Coast Percussion + Sérgio & Clarice Assad
Tue, Sep 10 at 7:30pm – 4 lawn passes
Music of the Baroque + Dame Jane Glover with Anthony McGill
Mozart, Bach & Handel
Check Out IPO (check out at Messenger)
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We are excited to participate in the Check Out IPO Library Partner Program! Use your Messenger Library card to “check out” a FREE Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) concert this season! Here’s how it works:
- Present your MPL library card in person to staff at the library’s Adult Services Desk to receive your pass.
- Each pass is valid for two tickets (student and/or adult).
- IPO requests that a patron household reserve a pass not more than twice per season.
- The pass must be presented at the box office window on concert night to claim tickets.
- Box office opens 90 minutes before concert time.
Concert Venue:
Ozinga Chapel
Trinity Christian College
6601 W. College Drive
Palos Heights, IL
* Programs & artists are subject to change. Limited passes are available on a first come, first served basis.
