Hours: Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays & Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.
-
Books
-
Events
-
Calendar of Events
- All Ages
- Kids
- Teens
- Adults
- Suggest a Program
Classes & Schedules
- Author Visits
- Book Discussions
- Art on View
- Lectures
- Film Screenings
- Performances
- Storytimes
- Tech Classes
-
-
Research
Museums
Museum Passes are Unavailable at the Current Time
Due to COVID-19, we are not circulating museum passes for the time being.
NYC and Connecticut are home to some of the greatest museums in the country. Renaissance masterpieces, visionary modern art, and celebrations of great historical figures are an easy train or car ride away. As part of our continuing dedication to enriching the lives of our patrons, Darien Library is pleased to provide a variety of museum passes that will engage, excite, and inform you in a cultural learning experience.
Start Here
Beardsley Zoo
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is one of Connecticut's top family attractions with over 300 animals representing primarily North and South American species.
- Pass is valid for $6 admissions per person for up to 6 guests.
- Limited to one family per day.
- Always present your photo ID with this card.
- Cards are non-transferable.
Bruce Museum
A regionally based, world-class institution highlighting art, science and natural history in more than a dozen changing exhibitions annually. The Bruce Museum has reciprocal agreements with several museums.
- Each pass admits two adults and their children under the age of 18.
- Children under 5 are free.
CT State Parks
Explore your backyard with this pass to Connecticut State Parks and Forest Recreation Areas. The pass will no longer be needed to cover parking fees at state parks and forests for CT residents, as all CT registered vehicles will be allowed in without a fee.
View list of parks
The pass also covers the admission fee for two adults and four children at
- Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill
- Fort Trumbull State Park in New London
- Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam
CT's Old State House
The 1796 National Historic Landmark is one of the nation's oldest state houses. Visitors can explore the Old State House's exhibit, Want Change?, which features historic figures from Connecticut's past demonstrating different ways to be engaged citizens.
- Pass admits up to two adults and two children.
- General admission only.
Cooper Hewitt Museum
Housed in the former home of Andrew Carnegie Cooper Hewitt Museum is devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design.
- Each pass admits two adults and children under the age of 18.
Earthplace
Earthplace consists of a 62 acre wildlife sanctuary with trails, a natural history museum, a nature center and wildlife for public viewing.
to historic and contemporary design.
- This pass is good for free admission for four people.
The Frick Collection
It is housed in the former residence of Henry Clay Frick. The collection includes some of the masterpieces of European painting, sculptures and furniture.
- These two passes admit one adult each.
- Children under 10 are not permitted.
Guggenheim Museum
A modern art museum housed in a Frank Lloyd Wright building. The Guggenheim offers reciprocity with The Brooklyn Museum of Art.
- Each pass admits four adults or students.
- Children under 12 are admitted free.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Visit American military ships and explore maritime history at Intrepid. You'll visit an aircraft carrier, a space shuttle, a submarine, and a record-breaking British Airways Concorde.
- This pass is for free admission for up to six people per day.
Museum of Modern Art
MoMA's renowned collection of modern and contemporary art includes Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night and Andy Warhol's Gold Marilyn Monroe, along with works by Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, and many other great artists of our time.
- Each pass admits five adults (children under 16 are free).
- Each pass allows entrance to MoMA one hour before the museum opens to the public.
Museum of the City of New York
The museum contains a wealth of city history and includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, military and naval uniforms, theater memorabilia, manuscripts, ship models and rare books.
- This pass admits two adults and four children.
- Includes a 10 percent discount at the gift shop.
New-York Historical Society
Founded in 1804, the museum is New York's first museum. It works to perserve and share the multi-layed society and history of one of America's oldest cities.
- This pass offers free admission for two adults and four children under the age of 18.
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
Enjoy a day at the museum, manision, galleries, Heckscher Farm, playground, and Animal Embassy's live exotic animal exhibit. They are dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art and popular culture, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history.
- Pass allows free admission for two adults, of the same household, and their children under the age of 18.
- Free admission to the Museum and its grounds, Bendel Mansion & Galleries, Heckscher Farm, Nature's Playground, and access to Animal Embassy's live exotic animal exhibit.
- Free admission to the Observatory and Astronomy Nights programs.
- Free parking.
- 50% discount on admission to all Family Festival Weekends.
Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Their mission is to broaden and enrich the educational opportunities for children ages ten and under and enhance their understanding of the world. Stepping Stones Museum for Children is a fun, colorful and engaging environment.
- Pass admits one free admission with each regular paid admission.
- A maximum of three free admissions will be available per party, per day.
- This pass may only be used by one party per day.
- No other discounts may be applied when this pass is used.
Wadsworth Atheneum
The nation's oldest public art museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum houses more than 50,000 works spanning 5,000 years. Collections include Renaissance and Baroque paintings, African-American art and Hudson River School.
- Pass admits two adults and two children.
- Valid for general admission.
To Check Out a Library Pass
- You need to live in Darien, work full-time in Darien, or be a Friend at the $300 level
- Passes may be picked up after 3 p.m. the day before your museum visit and then returned by 10 a.m. the day after. They are not renewable.
- Late fines are $10 per day. If a pass is lost, you will need to pay the full replacement cost.
- Museum passes are very popular, so please cancel your reservation if you can't make it so that another patron can enjoy a visit to the museum. Otherwise, after not picking up two passes, you'll be unable to reserve any museum pass for six months. After that, you'll be able to reserve passes again.
- Some passes may not be valid to attend special events at that museum. If you have questions, contact that museum directly.
- All passes are to picked up and returned to the Welcome Desk.
- Please call or visit the website of the museum to verify their hours of operation.
- You may reserve a pass online or call the Welcome Desk at 203-669-5239. Passes may be reserved up to 90 days in advance.
- You may reserve two passes per month and no more than one at a time per household.