Hi neighbor!
My youngest is in a phase where new beats familiar every single time. He'd rather try something new than go back somewhere we've already been, even if he doesn't love the activity itself. I love his sense of adventure but am constantly surprised by how much things cost.
That’s why I’m such a big fan of Discover and Go. It’s a program through the Contra Costa County Library that offers free and low cost passes to museums, science centers, gardens, theaters, and other activities in our area. You pick a date, reserve a pass, and show up on your own schedule.
We used Discover and Go over Fall Break to visit the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. They offered a free admission for one child when accompanied by a paying adult, saving us $7. It’s not a lot, but I think it covered our delicious pretzel in their café next door!
My son's favorite part was the museum's movie theater. I fell for the cutest ice skating rink I've ever seen — it looks like it’s straight out of a European village movie set.
Other passes, like the Oakland Museum of California, offer completely free admission for one or more people with no requirement to buy anything at all.
How to get a pass
Get a Contra Costa County Library card. You need to meet the library's minimum age and live in its service area.
Log in at ccclib.discoverandgo.net with your library card.
Browse by date or by attraction, and make your reservation.
Wait to print or download your pass until shortly before your visit. Your pass can’t be cancelled once you print or download it.
Bring your printed or downloaded pass (a screenshot won't work) and a valid ID.
A few more things to know:
You can have two active reservations per library card. Make sure you cancel passes you don’t plan to use, or they’ll count toward your limit (it’s also a nice gesture that frees up the pass for someone else).
Most attractions allow one pass per card per calendar year. A few let you book more often.
Some attractions require a printed pass and each pass covers a set number of people, so check the details for your attraction before you go.
Go to the library for questions about your pass, rather than the attraction.
Where you can use Discover and Go
Walnut Creek
Live native California animals, a hands on discovery room for kids, and animal encounters and feeding demonstrations throughout the day.
A 3.5 acre dry garden full of water wise plants, with free parking on site.
The City of Walnut Creek's art gallery, with rotating exhibitions of historic, modern, and contemporary art.
East Bay
Art, history, and natural science exhibits all about California.
An art museum and film center one block from Downtown Berkeley BART.
34 acres with more than 13,000 kinds of plants from around the world, including many rare and endangered ones.
A nonprofit music venue in Berkeley where every show is all ages, including kid-focused performances.
Play pinball machines from the 1940s to today, plus vintage jukeboxes, all set to free play so no coins are needed.
A working farm in Fremont where weekend programs let kids feed animals, help with farm chores, and watch demonstrations like hay hoisting and wool spinning.
The story of Richmond from the Native American period through World War II.
San Francisco
A hands on science museum built for tinkering, experimenting, and exploring.
An aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, and a four story rainforest all under one roof in Golden Gate Park.
One of the largest museums in the Western world devoted to Asian art, with programs for all ages.
Art from around the world in Golden Gate Park, from American painting to textiles and contemporary art.
European art and ancient treasures in a grand building overlooking the Golden Gate.
Modern and contemporary art across seven floors in downtown San Francisco.
North Bay
The life and art of the Peanuts creator, with Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the whole gang. Santa Rosa.
Hands on play and discovery designed for kids 10 and younger. Santa Rosa.
An outdoor field of 35 aircraft where kids can peer into cockpits, and even sit in some planes on Open Cockpit Weekends. Santa Rosa.
Rotating art and history exhibitions in a historic 1910 post office, plus a sculpture garden. Santa Rosa.
The world's largest marine mammal hospital, where you can watch veterinarians and volunteers care for rescued animals before they're released back to the wild. Sausalito.
Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum
Five galleries of Vallejo and Mare Island Navy history, plus a working submarine periscope that looks out over the city.
Peninsula and South Bay
Hands on science exhibits plus a native California animal zoo with otters, bobcats, and more. San Mateo.
The history and future of flight, with aircraft from aviation's early days to today. San Carlos.
Interactive history exhibits inside the old county courthouse, two blocks from the Redwood City Caltrain station.
A historic home, formal gardens, and nature trails on a 654 acre estate. Woodside.
An organic farm and 1,600 acres of open space in the Santa Cruz Mountain foothills. Los Altos Hills.
Hands on science and technology labs and design challenges in downtown San Jose.
Art from the West Coast and around the world in downtown San Jose.
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles
The first museum in the United States devoted to quilts and textiles, with rotating exhibits.
Two floors of rotating art and history exhibits in the Civic Center Plaza.
Touch pools, an aquarium, and a working marine lab, including a friendly shark you can touch. Santa Cruz.
Sacramento and farther
More than 25 storybook play sets, a family of rare and miniature breed farm animals, and learning gardens in William Land Park. Sacramento.
Hands on exhibits designed for kids from birth to age 8.
Exhibits on the California Gold Rush, pioneer life, and early Sacramento.
The first public art museum in the western United States, founded in 1885. Sacramento.
More than 70 hands on science exhibits on energy, electricity, magnetism, optics, and more. Downtown Lodi.
Art exhibitions, classes, and performances in a historic 1916 library building. Turlock.
The oldest home in San Luis Obispo County, with exhibits on California's rancho era and hiking trails on the property. Nipomo.
Save your pass for places without a free day
Some of these museums already have regular free days, so you may want to save your one pass a year for somewhere else:
de Young and Legion of Honor: Free every Saturday for Bay Area residents. Reserve tickets in advance.
Asian Art Museum: Free on the first Sunday of the month.
Oakland Museum of California: Free on the first Sunday of the month.
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive: Free on the first Thursday of the month.
Have a favorite family activity on this list? Let me know! I’d love to check it out.
Jen
