Bank of America's Free Museums on Us Program: 2024 Dates, How It Works & When To Go

If you're like me, you like free things. I especially like to travel the world for next to nothing using credit card points and miles. Then, once I get to wherever I'm going, I look for inexpensive and free things to do. 

If you're looking to save money on your next outing, whether close to home or on the other side of the globe, consider hitting up a museum. One of the best deals out there is right here in the U.S.:

Bank of America gives FREE general admission to its cardholders at over 225 museums and cultural centers around the U.S. on the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of each month. 

Score!

The program is called Museums on Us and anyone with a Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, or Bank of America (U.S. Trust) debit or credit card (including authorized users) can take advantage of it.

2024 schedule for Bank of America’s Museums on Us

Free museum days fall on the first full weekend of every month. For 2024, the dates of the Bank of America Museums on Us program are:

• February 3rd and 4th
  
• March 2nd and 3rd
  
• April 6th and 7th
  
• May 4th and 5th
  
• June 1st and 2nd
  
• July 6th and 7th
  
• August 3rd and 4th
  
• September 7th and 8th
  
• October 5th and 6th
  
• November 2nd and 3rd
  
• December 7th and 8th

How to get in for free

This program is really straightforward. To get free access, all you need to do is:

1. Show up at one of the participating museums, zoos, science centers, aquariums, or botanical gardens on the first full weekend of the month.

2. Show an active Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, or Bank of America (U.S. Trust) credit or debit card and a photo ID.

3. Get issued an admission ticket just like a paid customer and you’re free to explore.

Know before you go: This perk is only good for the actual Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, or Bank of America (U.S. Trust) credit or debit cardholder, so unless your guests have their own card, they will have to pay the admission fee (although they seem to be lenient with children’s admission fees). Luckily, it’s easy to get free additional cards for your family, which seems worth it for this perk!

Check out our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

Participating museums, zoos, aquariums, science centers, gardens & more

A total of 38 states and 154 cities, plus Washington, D.C., participate in the Museums On Us Program, which means you've got a lot of exploring to do!

Here’s a complete list of participating museums (there are over 225!)

Or, you can click here to search by zip code, if you prefer.

The best part is, there is no limit on how many times you can visit, or how many museums you can see. So, if you live in a city with one of these museums, you can go see the new exhibits every month.

Also, as you might know, this program isn't only limited to museums; also participating are some:

• Zoos
  
• Aquariums
  
• Science centers
  
• Gardens
  
• Cultural institutions
  

Note: Some special exhibitions, ticketed shows, and fundraising events are excluded.

Don't forget the dates: Set a text reminder

You can opt-in to receive email alerts from Bank of America so you never miss a free weekend.

Visiting museums for free

This is an amazing FREE perk that few people seem to know about and even fewer take advantage of, and I’m on a mission to change that.

My wife and I saved over $90 in a single weekend by taking advantage of this program when we were on vacation in North Carolina a few months ago. Taking the time to find out what you can get for free is a great way to practice how to manage your money better. 

We visited three amazing museums, enjoyed exploring the area, and had a great overall experience. Being the extra frugal couple we are, getting free admission to some pretty cool places reminded me how important it is to always check my credit cards for lesser-known perks and benefits. 

We certainly look forward to using the Museums On Us Program whenever we can.

Psssst...want to learn how to take advantage of other lesser-known credit card perks? Check out some of our picks for the top credit cards.