Museum Reciprocity Programs: part ii the list

So you want to sail the Seas of Reciprocity...This part of the guide is a list of the reciprocity programs that I am currently tracking. How and why you might want to do so is back in part i. I know art and architecture and history museums the best, because those are what I tend to go to, and the list reflects that.

National Level

• NARM North American Reciprocal Museum. The best-known of the programs, with the widest assortment of museum types. Easy to sort by state or type of museum. History museums, historic houses, science museums, medium-sized city art museums... Something for everyone, and I'd prioritize this membership if you don't know what you want quite yet but want to find out. I find the sheer scale of it a little exhausting, and prefer some of the later programs https://narmassociation.org/members/

• ROAM Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums. One of my favorites, with good coverage in the PNW, Great Lakes, East Coast, Caribbean and Canada, and elsewhere. https://sites.google.com/site/roammuseums/home

• MARP Museum Alliance Reciprocal Program This is a great list of museums with some international Canadian coverage too, which many other lists lack. Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Boston, Baltimore, Portland, Guggenheim, etc. https://sites.google.com/view/marplist

• AMRN Art Museum Reciprocal Network. Also excellent, good focus on design. https://risdmuseum.org/amrn

• Metropolitan Reciprocal Run by the Met, it's the "super exclusive/expensive" list. Some really are the best of the best, others I've been sorely disappointed by. Most/all the museums on this list don't participate in NARM, a handful just in AMRN or ROAM or MARP. If you primarily want to visit these museums, I recommend the Newfields for the VMoFA memberships, as they get you in. Bluestar also works at most of these, so if a cheaper program is more accessible to you, and it's just the Met or LACMA that are missing, visit in the summer instead. https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/reciprocal-benefits

• Mod/Co For modern and contemporary art museum. These are often absent from other museum programs https://mcachicago.org/support/membership/reciprocal-privileges/mod-co/

• College and University Art Museum Reciprocal Program https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/join-connect/membership/collecge-university-art-museums-reciprocal-program

• Smithsonian Affiliates https://affiliations.si.edu/affiliate-directory/

• Time Travelers Covers a lot of the smaller regional history museums.

• AZA Association of Zoos and Aquariums https://www.aza.org/

• ASTC Association of Science and Technology Centers https://www.astc.org/membership/find-an-astc-member/passport/

• ACM Association of Children's Museums https://findachildrensmuseum.org/reciprocal-network/

• AHS American Horticultural Society. Gardens! They are some of the strictest with zone exclusions and memberships, so go prepared.

• Frank LLoyd Wright Reciprocal Museums https://franklloydwright.org/reciprocal_program_sites_and_events/

• BlueStar Museums This free program offers service members (active duty/ reserves/national guard, but not vets) and up to five dependents free admission to some of the biggest and best museums in the country. The list varies a bit year to year and the program runs mid May to Labor Day (Sep). https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museums-map Some museums will honor BlueStar year-round; just search military or Blue Star on their website.

• Museums for All Another really great free program offering free admission across the country. Anyone who receives food assistance is eligible. https://museums4all.org/

• Museum Staff Most museums will allow visiting museum staff and a plus one free admission. Inquire at the member services desk.

Regional

• Western Regional Network. Not museums about the frontier (that's the next one) but museums located in the West. Some Met overlap. https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/western-reciprocal-network

• Museums West https://museumswest.org/ Arts, culture, and history of the American West and Indigenous communities.

• Empire State Museums Reciprocal Program. New York State museums. Some great ones here. https://sites.google.com/view/esmrp/home

• Southeastern Reciprocal Membership https://www.semcdirect.net/reciprocal

It's worth noting that reciprocity at art museums (including non-art museums within NARM) means free admission, while science museums, zoos, aquariums, children's museums tend to honor reciprocity as a 50% discount. If you know of other reciprocity programs that I am missing, particularly regional ones, please holler! I will gladly add and update.