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By Joan Young, MCP contributor
Wish you could visit some fun places around the state of Michigan, but that it didn’t cost so much? The Library Network is here to help!
Just when we are hearing so many questions about the relevance of libraries in the digital age, we are presented with yet another good reason to love the local library.
MAP, the Michigan Activity Pass program, brings participating destinations and public libraries together to help people discover new cultural and recreational opportunities. Museums, public gardens, parks and more are already signed up. More venues are regularly being added. Each pass provides the user with a discount that can be applied to a portion of the fee.
What’s the catch? You have to have a Michigan Library Card. How do you get one? Go to the library, or the library web site, and sign up. No charge for that. There is no minimum age to obtain a library card, but children must have the consent of a parent or guardian. (And, of course, a library card is also a ticket to a world of discovery through books and visual media.)
Some participating locations nearby include Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, Historic White Pine Village, the Dennos Center in Traverse City, Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Little Sable Point Lighthouse and the Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse. Lists from downstate include such well-known places as the Detroit Institute of the Arts, the Michigan Renaissance Festival at Holly, Hidden Lake Gardens, and many more. The Upper Peninsula is also well-represented.
All state parks and state forest campgrounds (not federal campgrounds) are part of the program. The savings vary by location. For example, at state forest campgrounds the discount can be used toward a campsite. At state parks, the discount applies to the entrance fee, but not for camping.
You can use one pass per library card every seven days, and once you request the pass you have seven days to use it before it expires. There is a complete list of options at miactivitypass.org including a map with filters that will allow you to search for participating venues within a specific radius of a particular location. The filters allow you to narrow the search if you only want certain results, such as children’s activities or art museums. Lists by region can also be found at tln.org (The Library Network).
For example, if a family has two adults who each have a library card, one pass could be used for a discount to camp at a state forest campground while a second pass could be applied toward a visit to an historical site.
To obtain the passes, start at miactivitypass.org. You will need to know your library card number(s), and if you aren’t sure of this, simply contact your local library. The passes can be printed from that site, or emailed to you or sent by text. It is up to the person requesting the pass to check on operating hours of the venue to be sure it will be open. A video tutorial is available at miactivitypass.org/resources-2.
The Library Network Michigan Activities Pass is a great way to increase your potential fun on a budget. Get off the couch and go get a library card and a pass to adventure.
Contact the author at jhyshark@gmail.com
Photo by Joan Young
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