Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

"A community’s physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.

Wednesday, September 06, 2017

Membership benefits of museums participating in the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM): 923 museums offer free admission

When I came up with what I thought was a great idea, a "local resident history pass" ("A proposal for a DCResidentCulturePass in DC"), John Suau, Executive Director of the Historical Society of Washington, pointed out to me that a form of that exists already, through museums and related organizations participating as members of the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM).

Membership in a museum at a certain level--for the Historical Society of Washington it is $100 and above--entitles members to visit other museums and sites across North America for no additional charge.

Just within DC, it means that if you're a member of the HSW, you can also visit:
  • Dumbarton House
  • Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
  • International Arts & Artists/Hillyer Arts Space
  • Jewish Historical Society & Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum
  • Kreeger Museum
  • National Building Museum
  • Phillips Collection
  • Tudor Place Historic House and Garden
for no additional charge. Additionally, some DC museums that don't charge admission are also members:
  • American University Museum (Katzen Center)
  • George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum
Plus, there are some participating museums nearby in Virginia and Maryland.
=======
Note that it turns out there is a competing organization called ROAM, the Reciprocal Organization of Museums, and some organizations are members of both. So by joining a museum or organization that is a member of both, such as the Hillyer Arts Space or Kreeger Museum, you can expand your options.

There is also the Western Reciprocal Program linking a number of museums from Minneapolis to the West Coast, and the Time Travelers Network, organized by the Missouri History Network, of history museums.

Interestingly, Philadelphia area museums put a 15 mile radius restriction on NARM participation, so that unlike in DC, you can't join one museum and visit others with no additional charge or membership fee.

Labels: , , , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home