ORLANDO, Fla. – Thanks to the new Local Wanderer program, you can now check out more than books with your Orange County Library card.
The recently announced perk allows anyone with a card to get free admission to several local museums and venues simply by reserving a pass online.
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The program allows for each cardholder to reserve one pass per venue each calendar year. Passes must be used within 14 days from the date they're checked out and you can only have two active passes associated with your account at a time, so don't plan on checking out all the locations in one weekend.
Right now, the Mennello Museum of American Art, Hard Rock Live, Orlando Museum of Art, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando Solar Bears and Orlando Repertory Theatre are all offering 20 tickets every two weeks.
That means there are only a limited number of passes available, but library officials said they hope that eventually, each venue will offer more tickets and more institutions will participate. The Orlando Science Center, for one, will likely be involved in the future.
The goal is to get Orlandoans to explore and learn at cultural centers they've never experienced for financial reasons or otherwise.
“We are excited to team up with Orange County Library System on a program that opens up a world of possibilities,” said Glen Gentele, director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art. “Simply put: The Local Wanderer initiative provides more people in our community a direct path to the arts.”
Cardholders must be in good standing to reserve a pass, so make sure you don't have any overdue books or fines. Orange County residents can get a card for free by applying here.
For more information about the program and the pass reservation process, click here. Representatives from institutions that would like to take part in the initiative are asked to call the Orange County Library System at 407-835-7480.