Museum & Cultural Passes

Borrow a Museum or Cultural Pass

As a River Forest Public Library (RFPL) patron, you have access to museum and cultural passes with your RFPL card. The Library participates in the Museum Adventure Pass program as well as the Explore More Illinois Program.

Museum Adventure Pass logo

Museum Adventure Pass

The Museum Adventure Pass grants free or reduced admission or other discounts to Chicago area museums and attractions, including the Brookfield Zoo, Cantigny Park, and the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

  • River Forest card holders, age 14 and up with cards in good standing (non-expired cards with less than $10 in fines) may check out passes.
  • One Museum Adventure Pass may be checked out per family, per loan period.
  • The Library has 4 passes to each of the participating museums, and the passes are available on a first come, first served basis.
  • The passes are valid for 7 days from the date of checkout. While you may call the Library to check pass availability, staff members cannot reserve passes or check them out over the phone. Visit the Children’s Services Desk or Adult and Teen Services Desk in person to checkout a pass.
  • You may also fill out a form to request a pass via email. This is not an immediate process. A pass will be sent to your email within 48 hours.
  • Passes may not be duplicated, are non-transferrable, must be used by the person checking out the pass, and may only be used once.
  • You may be asked for photo identification and your RFPL card to gain admission to the participating museum.
Explore More Illinois logo

Explore More Illinois

Explore More Illinois is a free service provided by your library that provides instant online access to free and discounted tickets to museums, zoos, arts centers, historical societies, park districts, and more. Discounts include the Chicago Children’s Museum and the Discovery Museum. You can view all the offerings and check out passes at home or anywhere – no need to come in to check out your pass.

  • Log in with your RFPL card and PIN, then browse the discounted offerings.
  • Click on Show First Available Offer to reserve the date of your visit. Reservations are available within the next three months. Using the calendar, you can choose what date you want to make your reservation for, then choose the Reserve option under the attraction. A confirmation box will appear, and you will receive a confirmation email. You have the option of printing out a pass at that time, or choose to print it out from your email later.
  • You can have two active reservations at one time. Once one of the reservation dates has passed, you can make another reservation.
  • Adults 18 and over can make reservations in Explore More Illinois. Photo ID must be shown at the attraction on the day of the reservation.
  • Attractions can limit how many times a patron can make a reservation. If you are out of reservations, you will not see the offer when you log into Explore More Illinois.  
  • You will need to bring a photo ID and either a smartphone with the pass available on the phone or a printed copy of the pass. Some attractions require a printed copy, and that will be indicated when you make the reservation.  

Museum Passes

Chicago Botanic Gardens logo

Botanic Gardens

Visit Chicago Botanic Garden! This pass allows a family of four general admission during regular public hours. Group must include at least one child under 18; maximum of two adults admitted with this pass.

View Museum Pass
Chicago Brookfield Zoo logo

Brookfield Zoo

Visit Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo. This pass admits 2 over the age of 2, and does not include parking.

View Museum Pass
Cantigny Park logo

Cantigny Park

Cantigny Park features gardens, museum, hiking trails and more! Pass admits 1 vehicle on days with a parking fee - limited to one car per use.

View Museum Pass
Cernan Earth & Space Center at Triton College logo

Cernan Earth & Space Center at Triton College

The Cernan Earth & Space Center MAP pass is good for one free adult or two free youth/senior tickets with the purchase of one adult ticket.

View Museum Pass
Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum logo

Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Explore nature at the Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum with this pass. Receive complimentary admission for library card holder plus 1 other adult and 2 children.

View Museum Pass
Chicago Children's Museum logo

Chicago Children's Museum

Visit the Chicago Children's Museum with this pass, which allows River Forest Library patrons 4 admissions for the price of 1.

View Museum Pass
Chicago History Museum logo

Chicago History Museum

Learn about Chicago history at the Chicago History Museum! This pass allows River Forest Library patrons to buy one admission ticket and get one free.

View Museum Pass
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago logo

Museum of Contemporary Art

Explore Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art! The Explore More Illinois Pass allows a family of four (4) general admission during regular public hours. Group must include at least one child under 18 for this pass to be valid.

View Museum Pass
Chicago Museum of Science and Industry logo

Museum of Science and Industry

Visit Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry and receive $5 off general admission on both child and adult tickets with the Explore More Illinois pass.

View Museum Pass