I owe a great debt to my local library for helping to maintain my mental health. When I’m at my wits end and need a place to take the children without spending money, the library is my #1 destination. As a result, my children and I have spent countless hours attending story time, browsing for books, playing computer games, and reading. Here’s some fun things to love about the library.
But my favorite love for my local library is in the cultural pass services available through the library system. Cultural and discovery passes offer card holders in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties free entry or huge discounts on a wide variety of fun and educational destinations around Oregon. Not a resident of a county that has a pass you’d like to use? Not a problem. Residents of Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties can become cards holders within other library systems to access admission to even more destinations.
Cultural and discovery passes available through the library provide wonderful opportunities for families to learn and grow without spending a fortune. Take a look at these passes available through your local, county libraries:
Multnomah County Library My Discovery Pass
The reservation procedure for the Multnomah County Library system’s My Discovery Pass is similar to Washington County’s. Multnomah County card holders can simply log onto the website, decide on a destination and date, reserve, and print the pass. But once the pass it printed, it cannot be cancelled.
Visit these destinations for free or discounted prices with the discovery pass:
Washington County Cooperative Library Services Cultural Pass
The Washington County Library system has recently upgraded its cultural pass to an online system that makes claiming and using your pass easier than ever. If you have a Washington County library card, simply log onto the county’s website, search by the date and name of the your destination, reserve and print your pass. Remember, though, that once a pass it printed, it cannot be cancelled.
Washington County Cooperative Library Services offers these destinations for free or discounted prices to:
- Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
- Gilbert House Children’s Museum
- Lan Su Chinese Gardens
- The Oregon Garden
- Pittock Mansion
- Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals
- Washington County Museum
- Wings and Waves Waterpark
Clackamas County Library Cultural Pass
Clackamas County library card holders can reserve a cultural pass up to thre months in advance. However, the pass must be reserved at least one hour before the library closes the day before the pass is used (hours differ between libraries). Passes must be returned inside the building (not the book drop) no later than one hour before closing on the day of use (with a few exceptions). Non-reserved passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis and may be picked up on the non-reserved day. Passes can be reserved from multiple libraries for the same destination and day.
Clackamas County destinations include:
- Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
- End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
- Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
- Gilbert House Children’s Museum
- Japanese Garden
- Lan Su Chinese Garden
- Pittock Mansion
- The Oregon Garden
- Oregon State Parks
- Portland Art Museum
- World of Speed Museum
