Museum Pass Program
The Kinderhook Memorial Library's Museum Pass Program is one of the library's most popular new resources. We offer a variety of passes to regional museums, historical sites, and places of interest that suit the diverse interests of our community.
The passes may be borrowed first come, first served, for a three day period. The passes cannot be reserved although if you call ahead, we can check it out to you to start your three day loan immediately and we will hold it behind the circulation desk for you. Passes must be returned by the library's closing time on the due date or a $5.00 per day fee will be incurred.
Venues include:
Berkshire Botanical Garden
The Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, MA is roughly 40 minutes from the center of Kinderhook. The public display gardens are open May through mid-October. Both functional and ornamental, they are among the oldest in the US and have been expanded over the years in breadth and variety through a series of bequests and major gifts. The collections emphasize plants that are indigenous to or thrive in the Berkshires; more than 3,000 species and varieties are represented. This pass admits four adults, seniors, or children over 12 years old. Children under 12 years old are always free.
The Berkshire Museum
Fun on every level! At the Berkshire Museum, located roughly an hour away from Kinderhook in Pittsfield, MA, there's something for everyone. The museum offers a unique blend of exhibitions, galleries, and attractions for families of all ages. See exhibitions, fine art, and sculpture from around the world. Explore our touch tank and aquarium. Be amazed at their collection of artifacts from Native American cultures and ancient cultures of Egypt, China, and more. Marvel at the technology that awaits in the new Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation. This pass admits four people per visit.
Eric Carle Museum
Less than two hours from Kinderhook, The Eric Carle Museum is located in Amherst, MA, and makes for a great day trip with kids. The Museum's 40,000 square-foot building houses three Galleries dedicated to rotating exhibitions of picture book art from around the world; a hands-on Art Studio for creating masterpieces of one's own; an Auditorium for performances, films, and lectures; a comfortable Library for reading and storytelling; a Café serving simple and delicious fare; and a Museum Shop stocked with creative gifts and old and new picture book favorites. This pass admits two adults and up to four children.
Edith Wharton's The Mount Less than an hour away in Lenox, MA, The Mount is both a historic site and a center for culture inspired by the passions and achievements of Edith Wharton. Designed and built by Edith Wharton in 1902, the house embodies the principles outlined in her influential book, The Decoration of Houses (1897). The property includes three acres of formal gardens designed by Wharton, who was also an authority on European landscape design, surrounded by extensive woodlands. Programming at The Mount reflects Wharton's core interests in the literary arts, interior design and decoration, garden and landscape design, and the art of living. Annual exhibits explore themes from Wharton's life and work. This pass admits two adults. Children and teens are always free.
Empire State Areo-science Museum
Dedicated to interpreting aviation, particularly as related to New York State, ESAM offers visitors a variety of enjoyable and educational experiences, including interpretive exhibits, a spectacular collection of restored aircraft, and the state's largest aviation library. The museum is located on the Schenectady County Airport.
The Norman Rockwell Museum
The Norman Rockwell Museum is just a 40 minute drive from Kinderhook in Stockbridge, MA, and is the authoritative source for all things Norman Rockwell. The museum houses the world's largest and most significant collection of Rockwell's work, including 574 original paintings and drawings. Rockwell's Stockbridge studio, moved to the Museum site, is open to the public from May through October, and features original art materials, his library, furnishings, and personal items. The Museum also houses the Norman Rockwell Archives, a collection of more than 100,000 items, including working photographs, letters, personal calendars, fan mail, and business documents. This pass admits four people. Children five years old and under are always free.
Mass MoCA
Mass MoCA, located less than an hour and a half away in North Adams, MA, is a great day trip from the Kinderhook region. Since opening in 1999, MASS MoCA has become one of the world's premier centers for making and showing the best art of our time. With annual attendance of 120,000, it ranks among the most visited institutions in the United States dedicated to new art. More than 80 major new works of art and more than 50 performances have been created through fabrication and rehearsal residencies in North Adams, making MASS MoCA perhaps the most fertile site in the country for new art. The museum thrives on making and presenting work that is fresh, surprising, and challenging. This pass admits two adults and two children under the age of 14.
Hancock Shaker Village
Forty five minutes from Kinderhook, in Pittsfield, MA, is the opportunity to experience hands-on history at Hancock Shaker Village. From April through October, visitors may roam the Village at their own pace, talking with interpreters and choosing from a variety of craft demonstrations and programs. In the Visitors Center, exhibitions look deeper into specific aspects of Shaker life and place the Shakers into a broader American context.
Throughout the Village, artisans demonstrate Shaker crafts, gardeners tend herb and heirloom vegetable gardens, farmers talk about livestock on the Shaker farm, guides teach about Shaker worship and work, the Shaker schoolteacher (costumed staff) gives lessons in the schoolhouse, and the Discovery Room - our center of hands-on fun - is open with activities for young and old. This pass admits two adults and two youths ages 13-17. Children 12 and under are always free.
The Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium
The Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium is a dynamic destination less than an hour from Kinderhook which celebrates science, invention, and imagination. The Museum explores the area's rich technological heritage, with some of the region's finest interactive exhibits; a must-see for families, tourists, area residents, and other visitors. The Museum's Planetarium features the GOTO Star Projector. One of only 12 in the country, the GOTO offers a real-life view of the night sky not available anywhere else in the northeast. The Museum's Archives include 1.6 million images from the General Electric Photograph Collection, and attracts researchers from across the county and the world. This pass admits two adults and all children under the age of 18.
The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
Just an hour away is the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. The Clark collection is best known for an extraordinary collection of French Impressionist paintings, which take their place within a wider ensemble of masterworks that date from the Renaissance to the late 19th century. The Clark continues to collect in the fields of paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and photographs as well as decorative arts including additions to its already extensive collection of British and American silver. The Clark's commitment to public education is centered on gallery talks for children and adults and include studio art classes, outdoor family festivals, and lectures related to the collection and exhibitions. The performing arts programs ranging from outdoor band concerts to folk and world music to the finest chamber performances are offered year-round, as are film series, special tours, and more. This pass admits two adults. Children are free.
Moored on the Hudson River in Albany, the USS Slater is the only restored World War II Destroyer Escort afloat in the United States. It was one of 563 ships that battled Nazi U-Boats on the North Atlantic during World War II, protecting convoys of men and supplies. The Destroyer Escorts also served as first in line to defend naval task forces in the Pacific from Kamikaze attacks.This fully-guided tour of the ship takes at least one hour. It will require climbing ladders and walking through tight spaces. Large bags and strollers are not permitted on the ship. This pass admits two adults and two children on tours during regular hours.
Thomas Cole Cedar Grove
This old estate is home to the American artist known as Thomas Cole. The house and studio holds many of his paintings, which are landscapes of the Catskill mountains. Patrons can even take a stroll through the flower garden or even take a lecture about the Hudson River School. Museum Pass admits 2 adults and children are free.
