Going out
Free things to do in any city: library passes, museum days, and the stuff nobody tells you about
Going out is the budget line that feels impossible to cut without staying home. It isn't. Most cities give away museum admission, films, concerts, fitness classes and workshops every week; the trick is knowing where the passes and calendars live. This guide is the list, starting with the one card that unlocks most of it.
The short version
- A library card is a museum pass in most big cities: 100+ institutions in New York, 29 attractions in Toronto, 200+ venues across California's Discover & Go.123
- Bank of America cardholders get free general admission at 225+ US museums on the first full weekend of every month.4
- Most museums have a free day or evening; universities, parks departments and libraries run free events every week.
- Book passes on release day; the good ones go in minutes.
Start with the library card
Public libraries have quietly become the biggest free-admission programme in North America. The card is free to residents, usually takes five minutes to get, and in many cities it is the key to museums, zoos, gardens, theatres and sports.
| Programme | Who | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culture Pass, New York City | Brooklyn, Queens and New York Public Library cardholders, 13 and up | Free admission to 100+ museums, gardens and cultural institutions | culturepass.nyc; passes released on the first of each month, one pass per venue per year |
| tpl:map, Toronto | Toronto Public Library adult cardholders | 29 attractions including the AGO, ROM, Aga Khan Museum, Gardiner, Hot Docs, Toronto FC and more | Released the first Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m.; book online and print or download |
| Discover & Go, California and beyond | Cardholders at hundreds of participating libraries | Free or discounted passes to museums, science centres and gardens | Reserve online through your library's Discover & Go page |
| Museum Adventure Pass, Chicago area | Suburban library cardholders | 17 cultural destinations | Limited passes per library, first come first served |
| Museums on Us, United States | Bank of America, Merrill and U.S. Trust cardholders | One free general admission at 225+ museums | First full weekend of every month; show the card and photo ID |
Programme details from each programme's own page, October 2026.1234 Smaller cities usually have a version: search your library's site for "museum pass" or "experience pass".
Two rules of thumb. Book on release day: Toronto's AGO and ROM passes and New York's most popular venues go within minutes of release. And use what you book; Toronto locks you out of an attraction for the year if you reserve and don't show.
What else the card unlocks
- Films: Kanopy and Hoopla stream films and series free with most library cards, including the Criterion-style back catalogue that no streaming service has.
- Audiobooks and ebooks: Libby, covered in our Audible guide.
- Things: Many libraries lend tools, musical instruments, board games, sewing machines, projectors and park passes. Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago and Seattle all have a "library of things".
- Courses: Free language learning, software training and test prep through LinkedIn Learning, Mango or similar, via the library's login.
- Events: The branch calendar is the most underused free listing in any city: author talks, concerts, repair cafés, kids' programmes, workshops.
The museum's own free days
Most major museums set aside a free evening or day each week or month, often with the best atmosphere of the week. Search the museum's name with "free admission" and check the visit page; look for pay-what-you-wish policies (New York's Met for state residents, many natural history museums), free hours for students and under-25s, and "community access" programmes for people on low incomes, such as the ROM's.5 Science centres, zoos and botanical gardens frequently join city-wide free weekends in spring and autumn.
Free fitness, films and music
- Parks departments run free outdoor yoga, boot camps, skating and swimming in summer; check the city's recreation calendar. Run clubs at running stores and group rides at bike shops are free and weekly.
- Universities host free public lectures, concerts by music faculties, film screenings and gallery shows. Their event calendars are open to anyone.
- Outdoor cinema and concerts fill most cities' summers: parks series, waterfront stages, festival free stages.
- Galleries and open studios: commercial galleries are always free, and open-studio weekends and art walks come with the artists.
- Volunteering at events such as festivals, marathons and film festivals gets you in free and often comes with a shirt and food.
Make it a habit, not a hunt
Pick a day each month, right before the passes release, and book the next month's outings in one sitting. Put the free-day calendar for your three favourite museums in your phone. Going out does not have to be the line you cut; it can be the line you plan. Our guide on where the average household's money goes shows how much the recreation line typically carries, and money habits that last has the monthly review that keeps it in check.
Sources
- Culture Pass (Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, Queens Public Library). Culture Pass: free passes to 100+ cultural institutions across NYC
- Toronto Public Library. tpl:map: free passes to participating attractions, released the first Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m.
- Jen33Travel. How to get free museum passes from your local library (2026 guide): Discover & Go, Museum Adventure Pass and other programmes
- Danny the Deal Guru. Bank of America Museums on Us 2026 dates and locations (first full weekend of each month, 225+ museums)
- Royal Ontario Museum. Community Access (ROMCAN)
This guide is general information, not financial, tax, or investment advice. Rules and limits change; check the sources for the current figures before acting.
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