I don’t remember how I heard about the ASTC Passport Program, but it has brought our family huge savings during our travels. It’s a huge way we have been able to stay under our $1,000 budget for many of our trips.

We all know that free activities are the secret to sticking to the budget when you travel, and the ASTC Passport Program provides free activities in hundreds of locations.

What is the ASTC Passport Program?

The ASTC Passport Program is a reciprocal admission program that offers travel benefits to members of science centers or museums in the Passport Program.

Essentially, if you have a membership at your local science center or museum, you can receive free general admission to other science centers or museums that are part of the Passport Program!

This includes the National Museum of Mathematics in New York, Space Center Houston, San Diego Natural History Museum, and many more – for FREE!

Which Museums are Included?

The ASTC Passport Program includes many museums! Their list is updated 2-3 times a year. You can find the current list here.

We actually recently used the Passport Program at the Utah Museum of Natural History during our winter trip to Park City, Utah.

While this program brings tremendous value when you’re looking for affordable activities in other locations, there are a few things you have to know.

ASTC Passport Program Things to Know

• General admission benefits only apply to museums or science centers that are 90 miles or mo from your residence AND the museum you are a member of.
• Be sure you have your ID. This will be your proof of residency.
• Take your membership card for each member of your party. You absolutely must have this in order to receive free entry.
• Benefits do NOT include entry to special exhibits, planetarium, or theatre presentations.
• Call the museum or science center BEFORE your visit if you have any questions.

The ASTC Passport Program will save us several hundred dollars just this year alone! Instead of paying almost $90 at our last visit to a Natural History Museum, we paid $0 and got to explore for over 4 hours! If you’re planning on traveling any time this year, check out their list of participating museums and science centers and save some cash!