If your family frequently visits science centers, the ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers) Travel Passport Program is one of the most valuable reciprocal membership benefits available. By purchasing a qualifying membership at one participating local science center, you unlock free general admission to hundreds of other science and technology museums across the country and around the world.

When you buy a membership at a participating science center, your card will feature the ASTC logo. Show this physical card at any other participating museum while traveling, and you get in for free. The network includes world-class institutions like the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Space Center Houston, and the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

The program is specifically designed as a travel benefit, not a local discount. To prevent individuals from buying the cheapest out-of-state membership online just to visit their local museum, ASTC enforces a strict 90-mile exclusion rule:

• The Home Museum Exclusion: You cannot use your passport at any museum located within 90 miles of the science center where you purchased your membership.
• The Home Address Exclusion: You cannot use your passport at any museum located within 90 miles of your primary residential address.
• Important: This distance is measured “as the crow flies” (a straight linear radius on a map), not by driving distance.

What is Included (and What is Not)

• General Admission Only: The passport grants free basic entry. It does not cover special temporary exhibits, IMAX films, planetarium shows, or simulator rides.
• Admittance Limits: Each destination museum sets its own policy on how many family members get in free per membership. While it often covers up to two adults and four children living in the same household, you must check the destination’s specific rules before arriving.

Local Tri-State Area Exceptions

Because the Tri-State area is so dense, you generally cannot use the ASTC passport to hop freely between local venues. However, some local museums have reciprocal agreements that lift the 90-mile restriction on select, pre-announced dates throughout the year. Venues like the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Intrepid Museum, Liberty Science Center, and New York Hall of Science occasionally host these specific reciprocal days for local members.

Chol Hamoed Pro-Tips

• Bring Your ID: Admissions staff reserve the right to check your photo ID or proof of residence to enforce the 90-mile rule.
• Pack the Physical Card: Venues are not required to grant entry if you forget your physical membership card, and there is no universal database for them to look you up.
• Call Ahead: Always call the destination museum to confirm their current ASTC participation and family admittance policies before planning a long trip.