Enjoy discounted admissions or ticket purchases at these destinations with the Monroe County Library System VIP Pass! Visit their website for the most current VIPs (Very Important Places), discounts, and participating libraries from where you can borrow a pass. The exact passes available vary between libraries.
Their display (at least this one in Chili) has an empty box you just take to the counter to redeem for an actual pass. If you don’t see the box you’re looking for, chances are it has already been loaned out so check with the staff to be sure. They can point you toward another library that does have one in. You’ll need to return it within one week so other folks can enjoy it, too!
Signing up for a free library card gives you access to all 32 Monroe County libraries in towns, villages, the city, and Central Library.
VIP Pass destinations
as of March 2019
1. Rochester Museum and Science Center
Buy one admission, get one of equal or lesser value free. Good for Museum and Strasenburgh Planetarium. Limit of 2 free passes per visit. Not valid for special events or traveling exhibits with special admission charges.
The Rochester Museum and Science Center campus includes the Science Museum and the Strasenburgh Planetarium, each with unique schedules and admission. The Planetarium offers a robust Saturday schedule of star shows, laser shows, movies, and free telescope viewings on clear Saturday nights from the Observation Tower.
2. Genesee Country Village and Museum
Buy one admission, get one of equal or lesser value free. Limit of 2 passes per visit, not valid on events requiring reservations.
Open roughly May through September, this engaging living history museum (NY’s largest and most comprehensive) hosts themed events on the weekends like Highland Days, Civil War Days, and a Fiddlers Fair. Visit on weekdays for a more casual stroll through 18th century village life. There are also special events off-season around Halloween and the December holidays.
3. George Eastman Museum
Buy one admission and get one of equal or lesser value free. Not valid for special events or ticketed events.
The home and museum is a beautiful tribute to George Eastman’s life & legacy, and is the world’s oldest photography museum with one of the oldest film archives.
4. Memorial Art Gallery
$7.50 admission per person up to 4 people. Free admission for children 6 – 18 (up to 4 total). Not valid for ticketed events/receptions.
Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery has an extensive permanent collection, an incredible variety of traveling exhibitions, & a well-rounded calendar of events.
5. Stone-Tolan House Historic Site
Buy one admission, get one of equal or lesser value free. Limit of 2 free passes per visit. No discounts for special events.
The Stone-Tolan House is the oldest building in the county! Based on the family life of pioneers Orringh and Elizabeth Stone, the Stone-Tolan House represents the private and the public activities of a household and rural tavern on the frontier in Brighton, NY between 1790 and 1820.
6. Susan B. Anthony House
Two complementary admissions with pass. Not valid for programs or special events.
The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House in Rochester, NY was the home of the legendary American civil rights leader, and the site of her famous arrest for voting in 1872.
7. New York Museum of Transportation
Buy one admission and get one of equal or lesser value free. Limit of 1 free admission per visit. Not valid for special events with special admission prices.
The half-hour excursion is aboard one of the museum’s 87-year-old trolley cars. The museum houses fourteen full size trolley cars, a caboose, steam locomotive, antique highway and horse-drawn vehicles, and the various associated smaller items that illuminate our transportation history. And beginning August 2018, you can visit Rochester’s Monorail on permanent public display.
8. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Buy one ticket at regular price, get 50% off the price of a second ticket. Seating zones 1-3 only. Subject to availability. Not valid for Itzhak Perlman and Audra McDonald. Not to be used in conjunction with other discounts.
Founded by George Eastman in 1922, the RPO presents more than 120 concerts per year. Eastman Theatre is the primary performance space for Eastman School of Music students, home of the RPO, and host for world-renowned performances.
9. Geva Theater Center
Buy one ticket at regular price, get 50% off second ticket. Restricted to first two weeks of regular season plays. Not valid on a holiday. Up to 2 discounted tickets with purchase of two full-price tickets. Not to be used in conjunction with any other discounted offer. Tickets to multiple plays can be purchased.
Geva Theatre Center presents approximately 500 performances and events per year. Geva’s name was conceived by taking the first two letters of “Genesee” and of “Valley” – the area in which Rochester is located. It is an intimate theater; no seat is more than 50 feet from the stage. The 552-seat Elaine P. Wilson Stage is home to Geva’s six-play subscription series featuring a wide variety of performances, from musicals to American and world classics. The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Stage is home to Geva’s own series of contemporary drama, comedy and musical theatre.
Empire Pass for New York State Parks
In addition to the VIP Pass, Monroe County Libraries also offer patrons an Empire Pass. This pass allows users to borrow free admission passes to hundreds of New York State Parks. The Empire Pass is your ticket to the great outdoors, swim, hike, fish, play, it’s all free.
49 New York State Parks Within a 2-hour Drive of Rochester
Venture into one of these New York State Parks within a 2-hour drive of Rochester and discover what makes them each unique!
Have your borrowed a VIP Pass or the Empire Pass from the library before?
Share with us in the comments. Your insight and experience is invaluable!