Those enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with an active card can get reduced or free admission to over 1,200 museums in the United States.
Museums for All, a national program that began in 2014, allows low-income families to become regular visitors to a variety of museums. Each SNAP card allows four guests entry at the same reduced price, which ranges from free to $3. More than 8 million visitors have used the program since its inception. Over 100 participating museums in California are listed below by region.
Los Angeles
- Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Los Angeles
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles
- Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
- The African American Firefighter Museum, Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
- Agape Children’s Museum, Long Beach
- American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona
- California Botanic Garden, Claremont
- Cayton Children’s Museum, Santa Monica
- Kidspace Children’s Museum, Pasadena
- Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach
- Museum of Neon Art, Glendale
- Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, Claremont
- Santa Monica History Museum, Santa Monica
- Southern California Children’s Museum, Pasadena
The museum at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California, contains instructional exhibits about animal life in prehistoric times. (Courtesy of Bill Neely)
Inland Empire
- Kimberly Crest House & Gardens, Redlands
- Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center, Jurupa Valley
- Riverside Art Museum, Riverside
- San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands
- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert
- Victor Valley Museum, Apple Valley
Orange County
- Hermosa Beach Historical Society & Museum, Hermosa Beach
- Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, Anaheim
- Orange County Children’s Museum, Fountain Valley
- Pretend City Children’s Museum, Irvine
- Sherman Library & Gardens, Corona Del Mar
- The Children’s Museum at La Habra, La Habra
San Diego County
- Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla
- California Center for the Arts, Escondido
- Legacy Center, San Diego
- Maritime Museum, San Diego
- Marston House Museum & Gardens, San Diego
- Mingei International Museum, San Diego
- Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego
- Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla
- Museum of Making Music, Carlsbad
- Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego
- San Diego Archaeological Center, Escondido
- San Diego Art Institute, San Diego
- San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego
- San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas
- San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, Escondido
- San Diego History Center, San Diego
- San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego
- San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego
- San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego
- The New Children’s Museum, San Diego
- Timken Museum of Art, San Diego
- USS Midway Museum, San Diego
- The Warner-Carrillo Ranch House, Warner Springs
The entrance to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum in Santa Barbara, Calif. (Courtesy of Bill Gough)
Santa Barbara County
- Art, Design & Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara
- Casa de la Guerra, Santa Barbara
- Casa del Herrero, Montecito
- El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park, Santa Barbara
- Elverhøj Museum of History & Art, Solvang
- Ganna Walska Lotusland, Santa Barbara
- Goleta Valley Historical Society, Stewards of Rancho La Patera & Stow House, Goleta
- MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, Santa Barbara
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara
- Museum of Sensory & Movement Experiences, Santa Barbara
- Old Mission, Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara
- The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara
- Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, Solvang
Ventura County
- Channel Islands Maritime Museum, Oxnard
Central California
- Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield
- Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science, Bakersfield
- San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, San Luis Obispo
- The Children’s Museum at the Paso Robles Volunteer Firehouse, Paso Robles
- The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, Guadalupe
Monterey
- Monterey County Youth Museum, Monterey
- Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center, Monterey
- Monterey Museum of Art–La Mirada, Monterey
- Monterey Museum of Art–Pacific Street, Monterey
A museum staff member cleans part of the an exhibit at the Urban Nature Research Center in the Los Angeles' Natural History Museum, on April 13, 2016. (Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo)
Berkeley
- Habitot Children’s Museum, Berkeley
- Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley
- The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, Berkeley
- University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Oakland
- Camron-Stanford House, Oakland
- Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland
- Museum of Children’s Arts, Oakland
- Oakland Museum of California, Oakland
- Oakland Zoo, Oakland
Sacramento
- California Museum, Sacramento
- Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento
- Sacramento Children’s Museum, Rancho Cordova
- Sacramento History Museum, Old Sacramento
- SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity, Sacramento
- SSVMS Museum of Medical History, Sacramento
San Francisco
- American Bookbinders Museum, San Francisco
- Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
- Children’s Creativity Museum, San Francisco
- Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco
- Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco
- de Young Museum, San Francisco
- Exploratorium, San Francisco
- International Art Museum of America, San Francisco
- Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco
- Letterform Archive, San Francisco
- Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco
- Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco
- San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum, San Francisco
- San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, San Francisco
- Tenderloin Museum, San Francisco
San Jose
- Children’s Discovery Museum, San Jose
- San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose
- San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose
- The Tech Interactive, San Jose
Northern California
- Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito
- Barona Cultural Center & Museum, Lakeside
- Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, Santa Rosa
- Chico Children’s Museum, Chico
- Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa
- Clarke Historical Museum, Eureka
- Cupertino Historical Society + Museum, Cupertino
- CuriOdyssey, San Mateo
- Filoli Historic House & Garden, Woodside
- Kids Discovery Station, Merced
- Lindsay Wildlife Experience, Walnut Creek
- Lompoc Museum, Lompoc
- Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, Fort Bragg
- Modesto Children’s Museum, Modesto
- Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka
- Museum of History Benicia–Arsenal Galleries, Benicia
- Museum of History Benicia–Downtown Gallery, Benicia
- Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa
- New Museum Los Gatos, Los Gatos
- Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto
- Richmond Museum of History, Richmond
- Robert Ferguson Observatory, Kenwood
- Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery, Walnut Creek
- Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, Capitola
- Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum, Santa Maria
- Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum & Parks-Janeway Carriage House, Santa Ynez
- Sequoia Park Zoo, Eureka
- Sonoma Botanical Garden, Glen Ellen
- The California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, Santa Rosa
- The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito
- Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Redding
- USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum, Alameda
