Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Reciprocal Membership At Museums

Here’s a great deal you may already have access to: Paying for membership to one museum can actually mean free entry into several museums across the country.

The concept is called reciprocal membership, and if you can find a museum in your hometown that’s part of an affiliate network, it really pays off whether you’re at home or on the road.

The Smithsonian has a mile-long list of affiliate museums.

So, for example, if you pay for full annual membership at The Headley-Whitney Museum in Kentucky, you also get membership to the Smithsonian Institute and other museums within the reciprocal program.

Other benefits may include discounted travel opportunities, and reduced rates to special exhibitions and lectures.

Membership to the Yale Peabody Museum includes free access to more than 300 science museums worldwide.

Of course, some programs are pricier than others. The Metropolitan Museum of Art requires a minimum of a $550 membership.

But if you’re a serious museum buff, it means entry to some of the country’s most coveted collections including the Andy Warhol Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

For more great experiences like these, don’t miss our Museums section.

And of course, there are always plenty more Travel Tips on PeterGreenberg.com.