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Culture doesn’t have to cost a thing … or a lot.

Many Indianapolis museums and performing arts groups aim to make their collections and exhibits more accessible by offering budget-friendly ways to dig into local culture, like free days or reduced admission through the Access Pass program.

We recommend double-checking websites or social media and calling venues before you head out. Some museums require advance registration even with free admission. And, if you don’t find your perfect day or program below, many organizations offer free or reduced admission to students, residents of nearby neighborhoods, credit card holders for specific banks and educators, so don’t hesitate to call and ask for more information.

When to visit Indy’s museums for free

Looking for a budget-friendly way to experience museums? Many local organizations host free days.

Check out free days at some of Indy’s most popular museums below.

• The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis:
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday of January each year)
  • President’s Day (third Monday of February)
  • Juneteenth Jamboree (date to be determined)
  • Fiesta de la Familia, Sep. 15
  • Christmas Eve, Dec. 24
• Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art:
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Juneteenth Celebration (date to be determined)
  • Smithsonian Day, Sep. 17
  • Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration, Oct. 14
  • Día de Muertos Community, Oct. 26
• The Indiana Historical Society:
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Smithsonian Day, Sept. 17
• Indiana State Museum and 12 historical sites:
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • President’s Day
  • Juneteenth, June 19
• The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library:
  Free admission on the first Monday of every month.
• Newfields:
  Free general admission (does not include special exhibits) on the first Thursday of every month.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • International Museum Day
  • Go Public Gardens Day (usually in May)

Free admission for those who serve
Through the Blue Star Museums program, active military personnel and their families can get free access to participating museums from Armed Forces Day to Labor Day. In Indy, that includes the Eiteljorg, the Indiana State Museum and the Vonnegut Museum and Library. You can find more museums in Indiana and beyond on the program’s website.

Better than 2-Buck Chuck: Access Pass program

Several Indiana cultural organizations offer reduced admission for qualifying families through the Access Pass program.

For families receiving state assistance, the Access Pass offers another budget-friendly way to access museums and performing arts. 

Who qualifies for an Access Pass? 
Indiana residents can get access to $2 museum and performance tickets through the Access Pass program if they receive:

• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• Healthy Indiana Plan (Basic and Plus)
• Hoosier Care Connect
• Hoosier Healthwise Insurance
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Hoosier Works
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Traditional Medicaid
• Valid Indiana foster care license
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Local museums participating in Access Pass include the museum that hosts the Access Pass Program, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, as well as Conner Prairie, the Crispus Attucks Museum, Dance Kaleidoscope, the Eiteljorg, the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis Ballet, Indianapolis Children’s Choir, the NCAA Hall of Champions and Newfields. Two museums that qualify for Access Pass are closed right now for renovations: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (closed through 2025 for renovations) and the Rhythm! Discovery Center (currently closed for relocation).

Get started or renew your Access Pass

Download an application in English or Spanish. Then, take the application and proof of your eligibility to any participating organization, except Dance Kaleidoscope, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Ballet, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and the NCAA Hall of Champions. 

Kirsten Eamon-Shine is a writer and strategist raised and living in Indianapolis. She’s worked with nonprofits, independent music labels, culinary outlets and political causes, all with the goal of making this world more vibrant and equitable. When she’s not reading, cooking or listening to music, you can find her walking and adventuring with her husband, son and two petite kitties.

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Your ultimate cheat sheet for visiting Indy museums on a budget

by Kirsten Eamon-Shine, Mirror Indy
July 23, 2024

<h1>Your ultimate cheat sheet for visiting Indy museums on a budget</h1> <p class="byline">by Kirsten Eamon-Shine, Mirror Indy <br />July 23, 2024</p> <p>Culture doesn’t have to cost a thing … or a lot.</p> <p>Many Indianapolis museums and performing arts groups aim to make their collections and exhibits more accessible by offering budget-friendly ways to dig into local culture, like free days or reduced admission through the <a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/visit/access-pass">Access Pass</a> program.</p> <p>We recommend double-checking websites or social media and calling venues before you head out. Some museums require advance registration even with free admission. And, if you don’t find your perfect day or program below, many organizations offer free or reduced admission to students, residents of nearby neighborhoods, credit card holders for specific banks and educators, so don’t hesitate to call and ask for more information.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-to-visit-indy-s-museums-for-free">When to visit Indy’s museums for free</h2> <p>Looking for a budget-friendly way to experience museums? Many local organizations host free days.</p> <p>Check out free days at some of Indy’s most popular museums below.</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/">The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis</a>: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday of January each year)</li> <li>President’s Day (third Monday of February)</li> <li>Juneteenth Jamboree (date to be determined)</li> <li>Fiesta de la Familia, Sep. 15</li> <li>Christmas Eve, Dec. 24</li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://eiteljorg.org/">Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art</a>: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Martin Luther King Jr. Day</li> <li>Juneteenth Celebration (date to be determined)</li> <li>Smithsonian Day, Sep. 17</li> <li>Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration, Oct. 14</li> <li>Día de Muertos Community, Oct. 26</li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://indianahistory.org/">The Indiana Historical Society</a>: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Martin Luther King, Jr. Day</li> <li>Smithsonian Day, Sept. 17</li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://www.indianamuseum.org/">Indiana State Museum</a> and 12 historical sites: <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Martin Luther King Jr. Day</li> <li>President’s Day</li> <li>Juneteenth, June 19</li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="https://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/">The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library</a>: <br />Free admission on the first Monday of every month.</li> <li><a href="https://discovernewfields.org/">Newfields</a>:<br />Free general admission (does not include special exhibits) on the first Thursday of every month. <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Martin Luther King Jr. Day</li> <li>International Museum Day</li> <li>Go Public Gardens Day (usually in May)</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Free admission for those who serve</strong><br />Through the <a href="https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/blue-star-museums">Blue Star Museums program</a>, active military personnel and their families can get free access to participating museums from Armed Forces Day to Labor Day. In Indy, that includes the Eiteljorg, the Indiana State Museum and the Vonnegut Museum and Library. You can find more museums in Indiana and beyond on the <a href="https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museums-map?state=IN">program’s website</a>.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-than-2-buck-chuck-access-pass-program">Better than 2-Buck Chuck: Access Pass program</h2> <p>Several Indiana cultural organizations offer reduced admission for qualifying families through the Access Pass program.</p> <p>For families receiving state assistance, the <a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/visit/access-pass">Access Pass</a> offers another budget-friendly way to access museums and performing arts.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Who qualifies for an Access Pass?</strong>&nbsp;<br />Indiana residents can get access to $2 museum and performance tickets through the Access Pass program if they receive:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)</li> <li>Healthy Indiana Plan (Basic and Plus)</li> <li>Hoosier Care Connect</li> <li>Hoosier Healthwise Insurance</li> <li>Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Hoosier Works</li> <li>Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)</li> <li>Traditional Medicaid</li> <li>Valid Indiana foster care license</li> <li>Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)</li> </ul> <p>Local museums participating in Access Pass include the museum that hosts the Access Pass Program, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, as well as Conner Prairie, the Crispus Attucks Museum, Dance Kaleidoscope, the Eiteljorg, the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis Ballet, Indianapolis Children’s Choir, the NCAA Hall of Champions and Newfields. Two museums that qualify for Access Pass are closed right now for renovations: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (closed through 2025 for renovations) and the Rhythm! Discovery Center (currently closed for relocation).</p> <p><strong>Get started or renew your Access Pass</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.childrensmuseum.org/visit/access-pass">Download an application</a> in English or Spanish. Then, take the application and proof of your eligibility to any participating organization, except Dance Kaleidoscope, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Ballet, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and the NCAA Hall of Champions.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Kirsten Eamon-Shine is a writer and strategist raised and living in Indianapolis. She’s worked with nonprofits, independent music labels, culinary outlets and political causes, all with the goal of making this world more vibrant and equitable. When she’s not reading, cooking or listening to music, you can find her walking and adventuring with her husband, son and two petite kitties.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/museums-free-days-and-reduced-admission/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=29406&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/museums-free-days-and-reduced-admission/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

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