How to Use Your Sacramento Library Card to Get Into Museums for Free
Free admission to Sacramento and Bay Area museums? Yes, you read that right! The Discover & Go Program through the Sacramento Library is a little-known secret that will save you money on some of the best museums and attractions in Northern California.
Speaking of museums, check out all the best museums in Sacramento for kids.
What is Discover & Go?
Sacramento Library cardholders can reserve free passes to various Sacramento and Bay Area museums. Attractions must participate in the program. Honestly, there are not many Sacramento museums that participate, and most are in San Francisco and the Bay Area.
So long as you are 16 years old and up and have a Sacramento Public Library card, you’re eligible for these free passes.
Tips for Discover & Go Passes
One of the best deals is for the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, especially if you have young kids. Tickets are $59 per person, so it’s a gigantic savings. If you have kids under two, they are free, so take advantage of this deal when the kids are still little. We use a pass to visit Cal Academy of Sciences every year and make a day of it in Golden Gate Park!
You can also be strategic with dates when reserving passes. Some attractions will have blackout dates that coincide with their popular events. We love attending Dogs with Jobs at the Sacramento Children’s Museum, but it’s an outdoor event. So I reserved tickets for the museum on the same day, knowing we would already be there.
What to Know About Free Museum Passes
Discover & Go passes go quickly! Passes for the California Academy of Sciences and the Bay Area Discovery Museum are in high demand. I’ve never been able to get free passes to Filoli. Fairytale Town and Sacramento Children’s Museum passes tend to go quickly, too.
Each participating attraction has different offers. For example, Fairytale Town only allows one adult and one child on a pass, whereas World of Wonders in Lodi permits up to four people on the pass. It’s important to pay attention to the specific offer details for each attraction to understand if you will receive free passes or will need to pay a discounted admission rate if the passes don’t cover everyone in your family.
You may reserve two passes at a time. If you have two upcoming reservations, you have to wait to reserve another one until after one of the upcoming visits.
When are passes available?
New passes become available on the first of each month at midnight. Passes for the next three months will then be available to reserve. For example, on January 1, new passes for January, February, and March become available.
How to Reserve a Free Museum Pass
- Visit the Sacramento Library Website and click “Museum Passes.”
- Log in with your Sacramento Public Library card number and PIN.
- Select the date you want to reserve.
- Reserve your passes
- Wait to print and download until closer to the date to ensure you can visit. If you print or download your passes right away, the visit will count toward your yearly visit cap for the attraction. It’s best to wait in case a last-minute scheduling conflict arises.
What Museums Provide Free Admission?
There is a range of attractions, and the entire list of participating museums as of summer 2025 is listed below. The list occasionally has additions, so check the Sacramento Library website for any updates.
Discover & Go Northern California Museums You Can Visit for Free
Sacramento-Area Museums & Attractions
Crocker Art Museum
Fairytale Town
Sacramento Children’s Museum
Sacramento History Museum
Bay Area Museums & Attractions
Bay Area Discovery Museum
The Beat Museum
Bedford Gallery
California Academy of Sciences
Cartoon Art Museum
Chabot Space & Science Center
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Children’s Museum of Sonoma County
CuriOdyssey
De Young
Exploratorium
Filoli
Legion of Honor
Lindsay Wildlife Experience
Marine Mammal Center
NUMU – New Museum Los Gatos
Pacific Coast Air Museum
Pacific Pinball Museum
Richmond Museum of History
Ruth Bancroft Garden
San Jose Museum of Art
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
San Mateo County History Museum
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Shadelands Ranch
The Tech Interactive
UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley
Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum
Central Valley Museums & Attractions
Carnegie Arts Center
World of Wonders
FAQ: Free Museum Passes with a Library Card
Is this really free?
Yes! All you need is a Sacramento Public Library card.
Do kids need a library card?
No. Only an adult reserving the pass needs a library card.
Can I go more than once?
Most museum passes have a limit of one pass per calendar year. Once you print the pass, it’s considered used whether you visit the museum or not.
If a conflict arises and you forget to cancel your pass reservation, it will be counted against your pass reservation for the year.
Can I show the pass on my phone?
No. You must bring printed museum passes with you. Digital passes are not allowed.
How many passes can I reserve at once?
Two passes at a time.
When do Discover & Go passes become available?
On the first of every month.
What else do I need to bring with me when using a Discover & Go pass?
Besides the printed pass for the date of the visit, you also need to bring a valid government ID that matches the pass.
