Do you like to visit museums? If so, you may have heard about a Bank of America program called Museums on Us. If you haven’t heard of it, read on!
This program can give you access to hundreds of museums across the United States. Here’s some information about how the program works and how you can qualify for it.
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What is Bank of America’s Museums on Us?
Bank of America’s Museums on Us is a program started by Bank of America (BOA for short). BOA is a big believer in the arts.
According to their website, they believe that the arts “help economies thrive, help individuals connect with each other and across cultures, and educate and enrich societies”.
Because of their strong belief that the arts make the world a better place, BOA has created a program that allows its cardholders to visit museums across the country for free.
There are some stipulations to the program, such as the following.
- Free admission only applies on the first full weekend of each month
- Only the cardholder gets free admission; any non-cardholder guests or family members must pay the regular entrance fee
- The program includes general admission only, and doesn’t include access to special exhibitions, ticketed shows or fundraising events
Even with its stipulations, Museums on Us program is a great deal. Here are the remaining dates the program is available for the year 2018.
- August 4th and 5th
- September 1st and 2nd
- October 6th and 7th
- November 3rd and 4th
- December 1st and 2nd
So, if you visit your favorite museum on one of these weekends you could get in for free.
Remember, though, that you have to be a Bank of America cardholder.
Note: Merrill Lynch debit and credit card holders qualify too, since BOA is Merrill Lynch’s parent organization.
Which Museums Qualify for the Program?
You’ll be happy to know that it’s not just museums that qualify for the program. Depending on the city you want to visit in, you may be able to access zoos, aquariums, science centers and more.
Here is a list of the museums and other centers that take part in this program. We’ll organize the museums by state. Be sure to check each museum’s hours of operation before visiting.
Also, check the Bank of America website for any updates on this list.
Alaska
The Anchorage Museum. Note that the Museums on Us program for this museum is only operational on Saturdays and not on Sundays. It could be that the museum is not open on Sundays as well.
Arizona
Arizona has four centers that currently qualify for this program.
- The Heard Museum in Phoenix
- The Phoenix Art Museum
- Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
- Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
Arkansas
In Arkansas there is one museum that qualifies for this program: The Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.
California
California has several museums that qualify under this program. Here is a list.
- The Bakersfield Museum of Art (Saturdays only, closed on major holidays)
- The Fresno Art Museum
- The Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach
- Long Beach: The Museum of Latin American Art
- Los Angeles: Autry Museum of the American West, Skirball Cultural Center, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- The Monterey Museum of Art in Monterey
- Mountainview: The Computer History Museum
- Oakland: The Oakland Museum of California
- Orange County: The Discovery Science Center, Discovery Cube OC (Sundays only)
- Palm Desert: The Living Desert
- Palm Springs: The Palm Springs Art Museum
- Redlands: San Bernadino County Museum
- Riverside: Riverside Art Museum
- Sacramento: Crocker Art Museum, The California Museum, Powerhouse Science Center – Discovery Campus
- San Diego: Birch Museum at Scripps, The San Diego Museum of Art, Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA)
- San Francisco: Contemporary Jewish Museum, Legion of Honor, de Young Museum
- Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Museum of Art
- San Jose: San Jose Museum of Art, The Tech Museum of Innovation
- San Luis Obispo: San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum (Saturdays only)
- Stockton: The Haggin Museum
- Yountville: The Napa Valley Museum Yountville
Colorado
Colorado has four museums in the Denver area that qualify for this program:
- Denver Art Museum (Sundays only)
- Clyfford Still Museum
- Denver Botanic Gardens
- Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Connecticut
Connecticut currently has six museums that are participating in this program:
- Fairfield: The Fairfield Museum and History Center
- Greenwich: The Bruce Museum
- Hartford: The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
- New Britain: The New Britain Museum of American Art
- Ridgefield: The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
- Waterbury: The Mattatuck Museum
Delaware
Delaware has two museums currently participating in this program:
- The Delaware Art Museum (Saturdays only)
- The Delaware Museum of Natural History
District of Columbia (Washington DC)
The Newseum Museum in Washington DC currently qualifies for this program.
Florida
Florida has several museums and centers qualifying under the BOA Museums on Us program as of this writing:
- Bradenton: South Florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium
- Daytona Beach: The Museum of Arts and Sciences
- Fort Lauderdale: NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
- Islamorada: The History of Diving Museum
- Jacksonville: Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, The Museum of Science and History
- Jensen Beach: The Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast
- Miami: American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, Coral Gables Museum, History Miami Museum, Miami Children’s Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Perez Art Museum Miami
- Miami Beach: Bass Museum of Art
- Naples: The Baker Museum/Artis Naples
- Orlando: Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center, The Mennello Museum of American Art
- Sarasota: Selby Gardens
- Petersburg: The Florida Holocaust Museum, Museum of Fine Arts
- Tallahassee: The Tallahassee Museum
- Tampa: The Tampa Museum of Art, The Florida Aquarium
- West Palm Beach: South Florida Science Center and Aquarium
Georgia
Georgia currently has seven locations on the roster that qualify for Museums on Us.
- Atlanta: Atlanta History Center, Center for Civil and Human Rights, High Museum of Art
- Augusta: Morris Museum of Art
- Cartersville: Tellus Science Museum
- Pooler: The National Museum of the Mighty Eight Air Force
- Savannah: SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) Museum of Art
Idaho
The Boise Art Museum in Boise, Idaho, qualifies as a part of this program.
Illinois
Illinois has several museums that participate in this program, primarily in Chicago.
- Chicago: Adler Planetarium, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago History Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, National Veterans Art Museum (Saturdays only), Shedd Aquarium (Sundays only), The National Hellenic Museum
- Lisle: The Morton Arboretum
- Skokie: Illinois Holocaust Museum and Educational Center
Indiana
The Conner Prairie Museum in Fishers, Indiana currently qualifies for the program.
Iowa
The Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa currently qualifies for the program.
Maine
There are two locations in Maine that are participating in the program: The Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine, and the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine.
Maryland
There are four locations currently participating in this program, and all are in Baltimore: The American History & Culture Center, The American Visionary Art Museum, and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts has several museums participating in the program:
- Boston: The Isabella Steward Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Cambridge: The MIT Museum
- Fitchburg: The Fitchburg Art Museum
- Springfield: Springfield Museums
- Williamstown: Clark Art Institute
- Worcester: Worcester Art Museum
Michigan
Michigan has several museums that are participating, including:
- Dearborn: Arab American National Museum, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
- Detroit: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Michigan Science Center and the Motown Museum
- Flint: The Flint Institute of Arts
- Grand Rapids: The Grand Rapids Art Museum, The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA)
Minnesota
Minnesota has four centers participating in the program:
- St. Paul: The James J. Hill House, The Minnesota History Center, and Historic Fort Snelling
- Minneapolis: The Mill City Museum
Missouri
Missouri has three locations participating in the program:
- Louis: International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum
- Kansas City: National World War 1 Museum and Memorial, Union Station’s Science Center, Science City
Nevada
Here are the names of the Nevada state museums participating:
- Las Vegas: Discovery Children’s Museum, Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Springs Preserve
- Reno: Nevada Museum of Art
New Hampshire
The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester is currently participating in the program.
New Jersey
New Jersey has several locations involved in the program, including:
- Cherry Hill: Garden State Discovery Museum
- Clinton: Hunterdon Art Museum
- Jersey City: Liberty Science Center
- Millville: Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
- Montclair: Montclair Art Museum
- Morristown: Morris Museum
- Newark: Newark Museum
New Mexico
The Albuquerque Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico is on the list of participating museums.
New York
New York State has several museums participating in this event.
Museums in New York City
- American Museum of Natural History
- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
- Museum of the City of New York
- Queens Museum
- Staten Island Zoological Society
- The Jewish Museum
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met Breuer, The Met Cloisters and The Met Fifth Avenue)
- Whitney Museum of American Art
You can also visit other centers throughout the state of New York, including:
- Albany Institute of History and Art in Albany
- The New York Botanical Garden in Bronx
- The Buffalo Museum of Science in Buffalo
- Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City
- The Hecksher Museum of Art in Huntington
- Hudson Valley Maritime Museum in Kingston
- Old Westbury Gardens in Old Westbury
- Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester
- Long Island Museum in Stony Brook
- Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse
- Hudson River Museum in Yonkers
North Carolina
North Carolina has several centers participating here as well, including:
- Charlotte: Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts & Culture, Levine Museum of the New South, Mint Museum Randolph, Mint Museum Uptown
- Winston-Salem: Reynolda House Museum of American Art
- Raleigh: Marbles Kids Museum
- Wilmington: Cameron Art Museum
Ohio
The state of Ohio has two participating museums: The Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, and the Dayton Art Institute in Dayton.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has a total of five museums taking part in the program, including:
- Bartlesville: Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve
- Oklahoma City: National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Museum of Art
- Tulsa: Gilcrease Museum, Philbrook Museum of Art
Oregon
Oregon has four museums participating in the program:
- Eugene: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
- Portland: Portland Art Museum, Portland Children’s Museum, Portland Japanese Garden
Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania has several museums taking place in the program.
In Philadelphia, you can go to:
- African American Museum in Philadelphia
- Museum of the American Revolution
- National Constitution Center
- National Museum of American Jewish History
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
In Pittsburgh you can visit:
- The Andy Warhol Museum
- The Carnegie Museum of Art
Rhode Island
In Rhode Island you can visit one of three museums with the program:
- The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport
- The Providence Children’s Museum in Providence
- The RISD Museum in Providence
South Carolina
South Carolina has several museums you can visit under the program, including:
- The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston
- The EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia
- The Upcountry Museum in Greenville
- The Children’s Museum of South Carolina in Myrtle Beach
Tennessee
The state of Tennessee has three museums participating in the program:
- The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville (Saturdays only)
- Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis
- The Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville
Texas
The state of Texas has several museums participating in the program.
Austin
- Bullock Texas State History Museum
- The Contemporary Austin (Laguna Gloria)
- The Contemporary Austin (The Jones Center)
- The Thinkery (at the Meredith Learning Lab)
Canyon
- Panhandle Plains-Historical Museum
Dallas
- Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance
Fort Worth
- Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Houston
- The Children’s Museum of Houston
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
San Antonio
- McNay Art Museum
- San Antonio Museum of Art
- The DoSeum: San Antonio’s Museum for Kids
- Witte Museum
Virginia
The state of Virginia has three locations taking part in this program:
- The Virginia Discovery Museum in Charlottesville
- The Children’s Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth
- The Children’s Museum of Richmond in Richmond
Washington State
The state of Washington has several centers participating in the program.
Bellevue
- The Bellevue Arts Museum
Seattle
- The Northwest African American Museum
- The Seattle Art Museum
- The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American
- Experience
Spokane
- The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
Tacoma
- The Tacoma Art Museum
As you can see, the Bank of America Museums on Us program has many participating museums and centers in nearly every state. Use (or open) your Bank of America card today and join in the fun!
Have you ever visited any of these museums? Do you have any favorites on this list? Tell us in the comments section.