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With the Museum and Art (MAP) Pass you can enjoy free admission to the Toronto Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium, Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and more. All you need is a Toronto Public Library card, keep reading to find out how.
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In This Article
- What is the Museum and Art Pass
- Which Toronto attractions are included
- How to get the Museum and Art Pass
- About the Toronto attractions
- Things to remember
The Toronto Public Library Museum and Art Pass
The Museum and Art (MAP) Pass is a program that lets library card holders borrow free passes to Toronto cultural attractions. However, passes limited per library branch and each pass limits the number of people to 2 adults and 2 children. For full borrowing rules please visit Toronto Public Library.
To be eligible for the MAP program you must have a Toronto Public Library card. To have a Toronto Public Library card, the following must apply to you: live, work or go to school in the City of Toronto. Other requirements include owning property in the City of Toronto or live on a First Nations reserve in Ontario. The Toronto Public Library has a full list of requirements available on their site.
Which Toronto Attractions are FREE with the Museum and Art (MAP) Pass
The following attractions are available at select Toronto Public Library branches. Check out the Toronto Public Library’s website to find out which participating venue has passes available at each library branch. Not all passes are available at every library location.
- Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) – All locations
- Textile Museum of Canada – All locations
- Aga Khan Museum – 50 branches
- Bata Shoe Museum – 50 branches
- Black Creek Pioneer Village – 32 branches
- Gardiner Museum – 32 branches
- Museum of Contemporary Art – 32 branches
- Ontario Science Centre – 32 branches
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada – 32 branches
- Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) – 50 branches
- Toronto Railway Museum – 32 branches
- Toronto Zoo – 32 branches
How to Get the Museum and Art (MAP) Pass
Once you have a Toronto Library card, you must visit the library branch that has the pass you want. For example, the Toronto Zoo pass is available at only 32 locations, so you will have to go in-person to one of those 32 locations.
However, There are a limited number of free passes and most branches issue passes on a “first come, first serve” basis on Saturday mornings (9:00am). In my experience, people will line up before the library opens on Saturday in order to get a pass. However, there are exceptions to the Saturday AM rule.
If you are hoping to get a pass after Saturday at 9AM, I suggest to call the library branch ahead of time to ask about pass availability.
About Toronto’s Cultural Venues
- Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO): This is one of the most distinguished art museums in North America. The Galleria Italia is an Instagram worthy area with wood pillars and full length windows. The AGO frequently has exhibits such as the Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors and dots collection.
- Textile Museum of Canada: With the MAP pass you can visit the only museum in Canada that only features textiles.
- Aga Khan Museum: This museum features arts of muslim civilizations through temporary and their permanent collection.
- Bata Shoe Museum: Opening in 1995, this museum has international collection about years of fascinating footwear history.
- Black Creek Pioneer Village: Toronto residents can travel back in time with the Black Creek Pioneer Village with heritage buildings and friendly farm animals throughout the property. Staff lead interactive and cultural activities throughout the day.
- Gardiner Museum: Brings works of art from around the world including Ancient Americas, Chinese and Japanese pottery. Visitors can participate in pottery and clay-making classes.
About Toronto’s Cultural Attractions Continued
Check out my other posts about living in Toronto!
- Museum of Contemporary Art: The MOCA Toronto presents Canadian and international artists to display 21st century art.
- Ontario Science Centre: With free family access, you can learn about science and technology through interactive experiences.
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada: My personal favourite cultural attraction, spend your time learning about different saltwater and freshwater animals including an area to pet stingrays!
- Royal Ontario Museum (ROM): This is one of the most important speciality museums because it features various exhibits: Chinese architecture, Indigenous objects, precious jewels, dinosaurs and more!
- Toronto Railway Museum: One of Toronto history museums that showcases Toronto and Canada’s rich history and railroads. There are educational programs that help you learn and understand this history.
- Toronto Zoo: The Toronto Zoo is located in Scarbrough and is one of the largest zoos in the world!
Things to Remember
- The Museum and Art Pass (MAP) has an expiry date of 3 months after ‘borrowing’ (you don’t have to return the pass)
- You must present your library card at the time of requesting a pass
- Each museum and cultural attraction has it’s own restrictions, make sure to visit the TPL website to check what these restrictions are
Disclaimer: This post was done by my own research and although I ensured information was accurate, please check the Toronto Public Library for more information and changes to the MAP.
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