Visit Over 20 Museums in the Bay Area for Free This Summer
By Greg Enholm
Have you wanted to go a museum but could not go on a free day or afford the entrance fees? Thanks to our Contra Costa County Library, any Library cardholder can receive a FREE or REDUCED PRICE pass for 30+ museums and other cultural institutions in the Bay Area. All you need to do is know about when you want to go, go to the County Library website (www.ccclib.org), look at the left-hand side column, and click on “Discover & Go” under MUSEUM PASSES. You will then be able to choose among all available options and print out your pass at home without going to the Library. But if you want, you can also go to any of our 26 community Libraries and a Librarian can help you find the museum or cultural institution pass you want.
As of July 1, the following museums and other cultural institutions offer FREE or REDUCED PRICE passes to County Library cardholders (It is very easy to become a cardholder – it’s free and available at any of our 26 community Libraries): Aquarium of the Bay, Asian Art Museum, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Bedford Gallery, Blackhawk Museum, California Academy of Sciences, California Historical Society, California Shakespeare Theater, Cartoon Art Museum, Charles M. Schulz Museum, Children’s Creativity Museum, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, Exploratorium, GLBT History Museum, Golden State Model Railroad Museum, Habitot Children’s Museum, The Lawrence Hall of Science, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, The Marine Mammal Center, Museum of Children’s Art, Museum of Craft and Folk Art, Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), Napa Valley Museum, Oakland Aviation Museum, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland Zoo, Pacific Pinball Museum, Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, Ripley’s Believe it or Not! ODDitorium , Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art, San Jose Museum of Art, The Tech Museum, UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley, USS Hornet Museum, Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Detailed information about what kind of passes are available for each institution including time restrictions is available on the website.
Antioch’s main library is located across the street from Antioch Middle School at501 W. 18th Street. Hours are Monday & Tuesday Noon – 8 pm; Wednesday & Thursday 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday Noon – 5 pm; CLOSED: Friday and Sunday.
Antioch’s Full-screen Prewett – GenOn Gateway Center for Learning is across from Deer Valley High School at 4703 Lone Tree Way. Its hours are Tuesday 10 am – 7 pm; Wednesday and Thursday Noon – 8 pm; Friday and Saturday Noon – 5 pm; CLOSED: Monday and Sunday.
Enholm is County Library Commissioner (5th District – Antioch, Bay Point, Crockett, Hercules, Martinez, Pittsburg, and Rodeo). He can be reached at gbenholm@hotmail.com.
