Washington County Cooperative Libraries wants you to brave water slides and enjoy some of our area’s coolest attractions as part of your FREE membership this summer! What?! It’s true! I get so excited when I find a way to have frugal summer fun! Check out the Washington County Cultural Pass to Adventure. This my most recent favorite find and you couldn’t get a better deal for these great staycation destinations:
FREE ADMISSION to ALL of these Portland area attractions!
In Portland:
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Portland Chinatown, 2 adults and 2 kids
Pittock Mansion
Portland West Hills, 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 6-18)
Portland Japanese Garden
Portland West Hills, 4 adults and ALL children (from same household)
A Short Drive Away:
Evergreen Wings & Waves Waterpark & Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
Both attractions in McMinnville, pass good for 2 admissions
A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village
in Salem, up to 5 guests
The Oregon Garden
near Silverton, 2 adults and 4 kids
Rice NW Museum of Rocks & Minerals
Hwy 26 @ Helvetia, up to 4 people
Washington County Museum
in Hillsboro, admission for one family
Have a guest coming and want to show them what the Portland area has to offer without making your wallet cry? Lived here forever and still haven’t made it to Pittock mansion to see the holiday lights? Heard about the water slide park and wonder why you’re not there splashing away stress? A bit of planning and a trip to the library and you’re there. For free.
Any of these adventures are fun enough on their own, but with the generosity available with most of these passes, the whole family can afford to come! My boyfriend and I love to take our niece and nephew out, but can’t splurge constantly. I added up the savings based on two adults and two kids. The passes will save us well over $400!
How the Washington County Cultural Pass Works
All you have to do is go to one of the 15 Washington county libraries and sign up for a library card. It’s free and took me about five minutes. Make sure to bring your ID with your current address. Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas county and residents from parts of Clark county can join. Once you have your card you can make a reservation. If you call to make reservations, you even get to talk to a real live person! That’s rare these days! Each participating library has their own set of passes to check out.
Plan Ahead
If you know how get the good camping spots at the beach, this will be familiar! During peak times, you may have to wait a month or more for a reservation if you don’t plan ahead. Pick out a few dates that work and plan your daytrip!
One Day Only
You can check out two passes a day, but they are only good for that day. Your pass will only be held for you at one library, the library you reserve it at. You can only pick it up there and you can not keep it overnight!
This page has the rest of the info you need. There’s a list of destinations near the bottom of the page above the map. By clicking on any of destinations it will take you to a page with details specific to each pass. Most of them are available year-round, but some are seasonal or offered for a limited time. Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge… get your waterpark reservations soon!
Day trips do not have to be disastrous to the budget to be a lot of fun, and you save so much money skipping hotels and sleeping in your own bed at night. Pack the snacks to stay healthy and save cash. Go with a friend for built-in fun and to share gas money! Each of you can pick up a pass at the library closest to you on the way to meet up. I’ve always loved supporting libraries in general; who knew they would support my need for constant fun? Let me know what you learned from using your passes and any good spots you stopped along the way!
