If you’re like me, you love finding ways to travel the world for next to nothing by using credit card points and miles. And once I get to my destination, I’m always on the lookout for inexpensive or free activities to experience the local culture.
One of the best deals I’ve found is Bank of America’s “Museums on Us” program, which provides free general admission to over 225 museums and cultural institutions across the U.S. on the first full weekend of every month for Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and U.S. Trust cardholders. It’s an incredible opportunity to explore world-class exhibits and collections without spending a dime.
How to Get Free Access
You are eligible for free access on Free Museum Days if you hold a debit or credit card with Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, or Bank of America (U.S. Trust).
Only the cardholder is eligible for free access, and you must present your credit or debit card and ID at the admission desk for access.
If you want to bring guests, you could add them as authorized users on a debit or credit card, so they have their own card for access.
Free Museum Days for 2024
Free museum days fall on the first full weekend of every month. The dates of the Bank of America Museums on Us program for 2024 are:
- February 3rd and 4th
- March 2nd and 3rd
- April 6th and 7th
- May 4th and 5th
- June 1st and 2nd
- July 6th and 7th
- August 3rd and 4th
- September 7th and 8th
- October 5th and 6th
- November 2nd and 3rd
- December 7th and 8th
Eligible Museums for Free Days
Here is a list of eligible museums and a map view of museums. For easy access, I’ve listed all the eligible museums below for you by state:
Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska: Anchorage Museum
Arizona
- Phoenix, Arizona: Heard Museum, Phoenix Art Museum
- Scottsdale, Arizona: Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
- Tucson, Arizona: Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
Arkansas
- Little Rock, Arkansas: Clinton Presidential Center, Museum of Discovery
California
- Bakersfield, California: Bakersfield Museum of Art (Saturdays only), California Living Museum
- Fresno, California: Arte Américas, Fresno Art Museum
- La Jolla, California: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
- Laguna Beach, California: Laguna Art Museum
- Long Beach, California: Museum of Latin American Art (Saturdays only)
- Los Angeles, California: Autry Museum of the American West, LACMA, Skirball Cultural Center
- Mountain View, California: Computer History Museum
- Oakland, California: Oakland Museum of California
- Palm Springs, California: Palm Springs Art Museum
- Redlands, California: San Bernardino County Museum
- Riverside, California: Riverside Art Museum
- Sacramento, California: Crocker Art Museum, The California Museum
- Salinas, California: National Steinbeck Center
- San Diego, California: Museum of Photographic Arts, The San Diego Museum of Art
- San Francisco, California: Contemporary Jewish Museum, Legion of Honor, de Young Museum
- San Jose, California: San José Museum of Art, The Tech Interactive
- Santa Ana, California: Discovery Science Center DiscoveryCube OC (Sundays only)
- Santa Barbara, California: MOXI The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, Santa Barbara Museum of Art
- Stockton, California: Haggin Museum
- Yountville, California: Napa Valley Museum Yountville
Colorado
- Denver, Colorado: Denver Art Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, History Colorado, Museo de las Americas (Saturdays only)
- Littleton, Colorado: Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms
Connecticut
- Fairfield, Connecticut: Fairfield Museum and History Center
- Greenwich, Connecticut: Bruce Museum
- Hartford, Connecticut: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
- New Britain, Connecticut: New Britain Museum of American Art
- Ridgefield, Connecticut: Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
- Waterbury, Connecticut: Mattatuck Museum
- Westport, Connecticut: MoCA Westport
Delaware
- Wilmington, Delaware: Delaware Art Museum (Saturdays only), Delaware Museum of Nature and Science
Florida
- Bradenton, Florida: The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
- Daytona Beach, Florida: Museum of Arts and Sciences
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Museum of Discovery & Science, NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
- Islamorada, Florida: History of Diving Museum
- Jacksonville, Florida: Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, The Museum of Science and History (MOSH)
- Jensen Beach, Florida: The Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast
- Miami, Florida: HistoryMiami Museum, Miami Children’s Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Pérez Art Museum Miami
- Miami Beach, Florida: The Bass
- Naples, Florida: Naples Botanical Garden, The Baker Museum / Artis Naples
- Orlando, Florida: Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center, The Mennello Museum of American Art
- Sarasota, Florida: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
- St. Petersburg, Florida: Florida Holocaust Museum, Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg
- Tallahassee, Florida: Tallahassee Museum
- Tampa, Florida: Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa Museum of Art
- Vero Beach, Florida: Vero Beach Museum of Art
- West Palm Beach, Florida: Cox Science Center and Aquarium, Norton Museum of Art
- Winter Park, Florida: Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Garden
Georgia
- Atlanta, Georgia: Atlanta History Center, Center for Civil and Human Rights, High Museum of Art
- Augusta, Georgia: Morris Museum of Art
- Cartersville, Georgia: Tellus Science Museum
- Savannah, Georgia: Georgia State Railroad Museum, Harper Fowlkes House, Old Fort Jackson, Pin Point Heritage Museum, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah Children’s Museum (Saturdays only), Savannah History Museum
Idaho
- Boise, Idaho: Boise Art Museum
Illinois
- Chicago, Illinois: Adler Planetarium, Art Institute of Chicago, DuSable Museum of African American History, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago (Sundays only)
- Lisle, Illinois: The Morton Arboretum
- Skokie, Illinois: Illinois Holocaust Museum & Educational Center
Indiana
- Fishers, Indiana: Conner Prairie
- Indianapolis, Indiana: Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Iowa
- Davenport, Iowa: Figge Art Museum
- Des Moines, Iowa: Science Center of Iowa
Kansas
- Wichita, Kansas: Botanica Wichita, Kansas African American Museum (Saturday only), Kansas Aviation Museum
Louisana
New Orleans, Louisiana: The National WWII Museum
Maine
- Portland, Maine: Portland Museum of Art
- Rockland, Maine: Farnsworth Art Museum
Massachusetts
- Boston, Massachusetts: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Institute of Contemporary Art
- Concord, Massachusetts: Orchard House
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts: Fitchburg Art Museum
- Hyannis, Massachusetts: John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum (Saturdays only)
- Lenox, Massachusetts: The Mount
- New Bedford, Massachusetts: New Bedford Whaling Museum
- Salem, Massachusetts: Peabody Essex Museum
- Springfield, Massachusetts: Springfield Museums
- Worcester, Massachusetts: EcoTarium
Michigan
- Dearborn, Michigan: Arab American National Museum, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
- Detroit, Michigan: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Michigan Science Center, Motown Museum (subject to availability)
- Flint, Michigan: Flint Institute of Arts
- Grand Rapids, Michigan: Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum
Minnesota
- Comfrey, Minnesota: Jeffers Petroglyphs (Seasonal)
- Elk River, Minnesota: Oliver Kelley Farm (Seasonal)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Mill City Museum
- Saint Paul, Minnesota: Historic Fort Snelling
- St. Paul, Minnesota: James J. Hill House (Seasonal), Minnesota History Center
- Two Harbors, Minnesota: Split Rock Lighthouse (Seasonal)
Missouri
- Kansas City, Missouri: National World War I Museum and Memorial, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Science City at Union Station Kansas City
- St. Louis, Missouri: The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum
Nevada
- Las Vegas, Nevada: Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Springs Preserve
- Reno, Nevada: Nevada Museum of Art
New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire: Currier Museum of Art
New Jersey
- Clinton, New Jersey: Hunterdon Art Museum
- Jersey City, New Jersey: Liberty Science Center
- Millville, New Jersey: Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
- Montclair, New Jersey: Montclair Art Museum
- Morristown, New Jersey: Morris Museum
- Newark, New Jersey: The Newark Museum of Art
New Mexico
- Albuquerque, New Mexico: Albuquerque Museum, National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
- Santa Fe, New Mexico: Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
New York
- Albany, New York: Albany Institute of History & Art
- Brooklyn, New York: Brooklyn Museum
- Buffalo, New York: Buffalo Museum of Science
- Centerport, New York: Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum
- Garden City, New York: Long Island Children’s Museum
- Kingston, New York: Hudson River Maritime Museum
- New York, New York: El Museo del Barrio, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Staten Island Zoological Society, The Jewish Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art – The Met Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art – The Met Fifth Avenue
- Niagara Falls, New York: Aquarium of Niagara
- Rochester, New York: Rochester Museum & Science Center
- Roslyn Harbor, New York: Nassau County Museum of Art
- Syracuse, New York: Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)
- Water Mill, New York: Parrish Art Museum
- Yonkers, New York: Hudson River Museum
North Carolina
- Asheville, North Carolina: Asheville Museum of Science
- Charlotte, North Carolina: Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte Museum of History, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Mint Museum Randolph, Mint Museum Uptown
- Greensboro, North Carolina: Greensboro Children’s Museum
- Raleigh, North Carolina: Marbles Kids Museum
- Wilmington, North Carolina: Cameron Art Museum
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio: Great Lakes Science Center
- Columbus, Ohio: Columbus Museum of Art (Saturdays only), National Veterans Memorial and Museum
- Dayton, Ohio: The Dayton Art Institute
Oklahoma
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma: Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: First Americans Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
- Tulsa, Oklahoma: Greenwood Rising, Philbrook Museum of Art
Oregon
Portland, Oregon: Portland Japanese Garden, Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, Portland Art Museum
Pennslyvania
- Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania: Brandywine River Museum of Art
- Doylestown, Pennsylvania: James A. Michener Art Museum
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: African American Museum in Philadelphia, Independence Seaport Museum, Museum of the American Revolution, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Art, The Andy Warhol Museum
Rhode Island
- Newport, Rhode Island: International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Providence, Rhode Island: Providence Children’s Museum, RISD Museum
South Carolina
- Charleston, South Carolina: Gibbes Museum of Art, International African American Museum
- Columbia, South Carolina: Columbia Museum of Art
- Greenville, South Carolina: The Children’s Museum of the Upstate (Greenville), Upcountry History Museum
Tennessee
- Knoxville, Tennessee: Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (Saturdays only), Zoo Knoxville
- Memphis, Tennessee: National Civil Rights Museum (Sundays only)
- Nashville, Tennessee: Frist Art Museum
Texas
- Austin, Texas: Bullock Texas State History Museum, The Contemporary Austin (Laguna Gloria), The Contemporary Austin (The Jones Center), The Thinkery (at the Meredith Learning Lab)
- Canyon, Texas: Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (September through May: Saturdays only)
- Dallas, Texas: Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
- El Paso, Texas: Magoffin Home Historic Site
- Fort Worth, Texas: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
- Houston, Texas: Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Children’s Museum of Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- San Antonio, Texas: Briscoe Western Art Museum, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio Museum of Art, The DoSeum: San Antonio’s Museum for Kids, Witte Museum
Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Virgina
- Charlottesville, Virginia: Virginia Discovery Museum (Saturdays only)
- Portsmouth, Virginia: Children’s Museum of Virginia
- Richmond, Virginia: Children’s Museum of Richmond
Washington
- Bellevue, Washington: Bellevue Arts Museum
- Seattle, Washington: Northwest African American Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
- Spokane, Washington: Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
- Tacoma, Washington: Tacoma Art Museum
Washington D.C.
Washington DC: Rubell Museum DC, The Phillips Collection
Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Milwaukee Art Museum
The Verdict
With so many incredible museums and cultural institutions participating in Bank of America’s Museums on Us program, the opportunities for cardholders to explore art, history, science, and more at no cost are endless.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or looking to discover something new right in your own backyard, be sure to take advantage of this fantastic perk. From the Met in New York to the de Young in San Francisco, the variety of acclaimed museums offering free admission is a testament to Bank of America’s steadfast commitment to making the arts and culture accessible to all.
So the next time you’re wondering how to spend your Saturday or Sunday, come back to this post, grab your Bank of America card, and unlock a world of enriching experiences – without spending a dime.
