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Reciprocity Revealed: The ACM, the ASTC and how to get the most out of your museum membership

PLEASE NOTE: This post was written in 2013. While we are not aware of any major changes to the reciprocal museum membership programs, it is possible that information in this post could be outdated. Please check with the museum that you would like to purchase a membership to and/or the museum that you plan to visit to make sure they are still participating in the reciprocal membership program. Additionally, membership rates for individual museums may have increased since this post was published. Please be sure to check each museum’s website for the most current information.

To check if a museum participates in the ACM Reciprocal Program, click HERE.

To check if a museum participates in the ASTC Passport Program, click HERE.

2013 Post

If you’ve been following our blog, you may remember that I recently took Boo to the Providence Children’s Museum. Well, I have a confession to make. Here I am writing a blog filled with “insider” tips for getting out with your kids, and I made a doozy of a mistake! You see, I’m a member of a museum in Connecticut that is part of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). And guess what? The Providence Children’s Museum is also part of the ASTC. Do you know what that means? It means that I paid for 3 tickets to the museum when I could have gotten in for FREE! Yup. That’s right. BIG mistake.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t such a travesty. I don’t mind supporting the Providence Children’s Museum. It’s a fabulous place and we had a great time. But it got me thinking. If someone like me–someone who spends a good chunk of her “free” and waking hours researching and writing about things to do with kids–could make this mistake, then I am probably not alone.

Many museums offer these types of reciprocal memberships, but often the ins and outs of that reciprocity can be a little hard to follow.

And to make matters even more confusing, there are going to be some significant changes to one of the major reciprocal programs, the Association of Children’s Museums, going into effect on April 1st, 2013.

So when Mandy suggested that we should put together a post outlining the basics of the two major reciprocal programs, the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), I jumped at the chance to educate myself right alongside our readers.

Now, as Julie Andrews playing Fräulein Maria famously sang in The Sound of Music, “Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start.”

1. What the heck is a reciprocal program anyway?

Many museums, especially children’s museums, offer membership levels that include reciprocity with other museums. This means that by purchasing such a membership to your primary museum, you may also qualify for free or reduced admission to numerous other museums across the state and around the country.

The two major member organizations that offer these reciprocal programs are the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). If your primary museum is a member of one or both of these organizations, it means your museum membership may qualify for reciprocal benefits (i.e. free or reduced admission to other museums that are also members of these organizations).

2. What is the difference between the ACM and the ASTC?

These programs are completely separate, although many museums in our state belong to both organizations. As such, they each have different rules when it comes to reciprocity. Here are the important details:

Association of Children’s Museums (These guidelines will go into effect April 1st, 2013)

    • The reciprocal benefit will be 50% off regular admission (currently and until 3/31/13 admission under this reciprocal program is FREE but there may be other restrictions).
    • Up to 6 people will be admitted at this reduced rate. These can be any six people and do not all need to be people named on your membership. So long as one person who is named on the membership is present, they can bring any 5 people that they wish and all 6 of them will receive 50% off admission.
    • There will no longer be any local restrictions. The same benefits will apply at all member museums.
    • This change applies to EVERYONE currently holding a reciprocal membership. Whether you purchase your membership on April 1st or you purchased it 6 months ago, these new rules will apply to you.
    • The minimum purchase price for a qualifying membership will be $125. This means participating museums that do not currently meet this pricing requirement are obliged to raise their membership rates as of April 1st, 2013. However, if you purchased (or decide to purchase) your membership prior to that date (and that price increase) you will still be entitled to the full set of new reciprocal benefits.
    • Some museums in CT that will be raising their price for a reciprocal membership on April 1st, 2013 include:
      • The Lutz Children’s Museum (changing from $100/year to $125/year)
      • Kidcity (changing from $100/year to $125/year, although Kidcity will still offer a Kidcity-only membership for $100/year)
      • Imagine Nation (changing from $100/year to $125/year)
      • Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut (changing from $100/year to $125/year)
    • Don’t forget to bring your valid membership card and a valid ID with you. Otherwise, you will not be able to receive the reciprocal benefit.
    • For more information on the new ACM reciprocal program (effective 4/1/13), click here.
    • For a list of participating ACM museums, click here.
    • To search the ACM database, click here.
Association of Science-Technology Centers (This program is NOT changing)
  • The reciprocal benefit is 100% off the price of general admission (i.e. free admission).
  • Officially, your primary museum and your residence must be 90 miles away (“as a crow flies”) from a museum in order to qualify for a reciprocal benefit at that museum. You may be asked to provide proof of residency. Click here for details.
  • Some museums have special reciprocal arrangements or waive the 90 mile restriction, so it never hurts to call ahead and check if you will be able to receive the reciprocal benefit. For example, the Lutz Children’s Museum in Manchester and the Peabody Museum in New Haven offer reciprocity even though they are not 90 miles apart. UPDATE 6/18/13: I have actually found several local (CT, MA, RI) museums that will accept an ASTC museum membership even though they are not 90 miles apart, so it never hurts to ask.
  • It’s always best to call the museum you plan to visit to verify that the reciprocal benefit applies even if you believe that you meet the distance requirements (that’s a long way to go to be disappointed!).
  • Check your membership carefully because many museums offer reciprocity through BOTH the ASTC and the ACM, and that means in some instances you may still qualify for FREE admission through the ASTC program regardless of the changes to the ACM program.
    • For example, if you have a membership to the Lutz Children’s Museum (both a ACM and a ASTC member), you can still get into the Providence Children’s Museum and the Boston Children’s Museum for FREE since those museums also offer reciprocity through both programs.
  • Don’t forget to bring your valid membership card and a valid ID with you. Otherwise, you will not be able to receive the reciprocal benefit.
  • For more information on the ASTC’s reciprocal program (called the Passport Program), click here.
  • For a list of participating ASTC museums, click here. 
  • To search the ASTC database, click here.

 3. How do I know if my primary museum participates in one or both of these programs?

These days, most museums list all the details of their membership on their website. Make sure you look for the acronyms “ACM” or “ASTC” or the word “reciprocal” when checking out the different levels of membership. It’s always a good idea to call the membership office if you have any doubts about which membership levels include reciprocity. Here’s a quick breakdown for some of the most popular museums in and around Connecticut:

4. Got any Momsense for us as we consider all this information?

Of course we do!

  • Save a little money: If you’ve been meaning to purchase a membership to one of the museums that will need to raise its rates to comply with the new ACM $125 minimum purchase price requirement (such as the Lutz, Kidcity, Imagine Nation, or the Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut), go ahead and buy that membership now before the rates go up April 1st, 2013. You’ll save a little money and still be entitled to all the reciprocal benefits (plus, you still have some time to visit other museums for FREE).
  • Get going: If you already have a ACM reciprocal membership, use this next month to take advantage of getting into other museums for FREE before the ACM reciprocal benefit changes to 50% off general admission on April 1st, 2013.
  • Give yourself a (tax) break: Did you know that all or some of your museum membership fee may be tax-deductible? Check with your primary museum to find out.
  • Love the one you’re with: Although it may be tempting to “shop around” for the best membership price, you’re probably better off purchasing your reciprocal membership from the museum that you love the most. After all, that’s probably where you will spend most of your time, and not only will your admission be free, but many museums offer special members-only programs like Kidcity’s “Members-Only Mondays”. You won’t qualify for those if you purchase your reciprocal membership elsewhere.
  • There’s more to explore. Even museums that don’t participate in one of these reciprocal programs may still offer valuable benefits for members. For example, The CT Science Center (though a member of the ASTC, this museum does not participate in the Passport Program or offer reciprocity) offers a variety of special perks and discounts for their members. In March, CT Science Center members can enjoy free admission to the Mystic Aquarium. In the past, they have also offered other savings opportunities such as free admission to the Beardsley Zoo.

We hope our little research project has been helpful to those of you sorting through the sometimes confusing world of museum memberships. Of course, Mandy and I are not experts on the subject, so it’s always wise to consult a museum directly if you’re looking for specific information on membership or reciprocity. You can also learn more by visiting the ACM’s website or the ASTC’s website.

We are so lucky to have so many great museums in our state. Enjoy them!

 

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Comments

  1. I got blindsided by that 90-mile rule when I tried to use my Stepping Stones membership at the Children’s Museum in West Hartford! I felt terrible after hyping it up we had to turn around and get back in the car because paying full price wasn’t an option for us. What’s the point of having a reciprical membership if you can’t use it anywhere near enough to go to?

    • Hi Sara,

      Thanks for sharing your experience. I am sure there are LOTS of folks who have run into the same issue. It is unfortunate that there is that 90-mile restriction. The name of the ASTC reciprocal program is the “Passport Program”, which makes me think they are encouraging people to travel by offering reciprocity. Of course, that’s not always the easiest thing to do when you have small children! But the good news is that sometimes there are exceptions. So it never hurts to call ahead to see if your membership will be accepted. Thanks again for your feedback!

      Shawna

      • It’s not that they are encouraging you TO travel. It’s that they are encouraging you to visit other children’s museums when or if you travel.

        I haven’t used an ASTC membership, but we have an ACM and an AZA membership, and they are fantastic for those of us that take LONG road trips. Our family drives from the Chicago area all the way to southern California, and the come back through Phoenix/Tucson. We use the heck out of our AZA and ACM memberships to stretch our legs on those long drives.

  2. Hi Ladies! Thanks for de-mystifying the ACM reciprocal membership changes for everyone – I know it’s going to be a bumpy ride come April 1st, but this post will surely help folks understand the changes.

    -Jen from Kidcity

    • Hi Jen,

      Thanks so much for your feedback. We are so glad to hear that the post is helpful! Thanks again for your help in putting it together 🙂

      Shawna

  3. You should also include the springfield museums which includes both associations as well

    • Hi Jonna,

      That’s a wonderful idea! If anyone can comment with more information about other area museums, that would be great!

      Thanks so much for the suggestion.

      Shawna

  4. Thanks for this posting about reciprocal programs. One point for clarification: the Connecticut Science Center is an ASTC member; however, the center doesn’t participate in the Passport Program.

  5. Our family has found a great way to avoid the agrivation of the 90 mile rule that works for us. We purchase our membership through The Boston Children’s center on our yearly Boston trek. They did not require residency, are part of both programs and are more than 90 miles away. They also do not follow the 90 mile rule for most other participating museums in Massachusetts so we have found we can enjoy our pass at almost all of the places we love throughout our neighboring states, but mostly right here in Connecticut. I hope this works for others!

  6. I just found this post on researching the ASTC and ACM programs. I had one question–when getting in free to other museums, is it a one-time benefit? Or can you continue to visit the same museum for free multiple times? Thanks!

    • Hi Adrienne! Great question! What we have learned from our research and from talking to various museum directors is that you can get in free (or for the reduced rate) multiple times, with no limit. And that has been our experience too. However, if there is a specific museum you are interested in visiting, it never hurts to call ahead just to make sure there are no restrictions (some museums may have special times of day or certain days of the week when only card-holding museum members can visit, etc.). Hope this helps!

  7. My family has enjoyed membership at the Boston museum of Science for several years now. We regularly use our reciprocal benefits as they offer ASTC & AZA. The added benefit of visiting zoos is a real bonus for us. Roger Williams Park Zoo in RI is a favorite as is the Ecotarium in Worcester. However, we too have run into difficulties at the Children’s Museum in West Hartford in their honoring reciprocity or made it very difficult holding up the line on multiple occasions. I’ve written it off our list. Aside from that one museum, we typically plan trips with the intention of visiting museums and it’s always added value to our trips making wonderful memories.

    • Thank you for your feedback, Molly. I’m so glad to hear that you have found a membership that works well for you and your family! I actually have never looked into the AZA benefits. With your membership at Boston Children’s Museum, does that AZA get you into the Roger Williams Park Zoo for free or at a discounted rate?

      • Hi Mandy,
        We are members of the Boston Science Museum, not the Children’s Museum. As members, we receive reciprocity at AZA and ASTC (over 500 museums and zoos nation-wide and countless places world-wide.). Our membership (premium level) also includes 2hrs of fee parking, bonus tickets to Omni, Planetarium and guest passes (more tickets for Premium level vs Basic level).

        We also have reciprocity at many children’s museums (e.g., Providence, Stepping Stone, etc.), but not Boston Children’s. We found that Boston Science Museum (MOS) membership offers the most bang for our buck, so-to-speak. We always have plenty of “free” choices of museums and zoos to visit locally and when traveling with this choice. Within CT, we have free access to: Beardsley Zoo, Discovery Museum, West Hartford Children’s Museum (with a hassle), Stepping Stones (require ID), Lutz Museum, and …I can’t remember the others, but those are the ones we use regularly).

        BTW-We love the Ecotarium in Worcester, MA. (Free access with MOS membership)!

        I hope this helps.

        • Regarding Reciprocity… as part of our MOS membership benefits we receive “Free” access, (not a discounted rate) to the museums/zoos we’ve visited, including Roger Williams Park Zoo in RI. And, at some locations “Free” parking too.

          There are some museums and zoos that are listed as “discounted” admission, like the Philadelphia Zoo and are clearly identified on the MOS website.

        • Thanks so much, Molly! Sounds like you picked a great membership for your family. BTW, the Ecotarium is on our list of places we really want to visit. Hope to get there soon.

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