The Easiest Trick to Save Money on Michigan Attractions
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When people ask me for my best tips on Michigan travel, I always tell them about this little-known way to access parks and attractions for free or reduced admission. Years ago, deep in the early motherhood trenches, another mom shared this secret with me. Now, it’s my personal mission to tell as many people as possible.
The Michigan Activity Pass isn’t just for families either. It’s for anyone with a library card who wants to save money and explore more of Michigan. I always tell people, if you want to start adventuring more around the state, the first step is getting a library card. If you don’t have one yet, stop by your local library and sign up. If you already have one, you’re ready to start using the Michigan Activity Pass.
What is the Michigan Activity Pass?
The Michigan Activity Pass (MAP) is a free program offered through public libraries across the state that gives library cardholders discounted access to museums, cultural attractions, parks, campgrounds, and recreation spots throughout Michigan. It’s an easy way to explore more of the state while saving money.
How do I use the Michigan Activity Pass?
First, make sure you have your library card or library card number handy. Then head to the Michigan Activity Pass website (https://miactivitypass.org/) and click “Get Pass.”
From there, you’ll enter your information and can adjust things like how far you’re willing to travel from your home library. You can also use filters to narrow down options, whether you’re looking for camping opportunities, pet friendly adventures, museums, or outdoor spaces.
If you’re more of a visual learner, the Michigan Activity Pass website also has a short video tutorial that walks you through the whole process step by step in under three minutes. It’s a great place to start if you want to see exactly how it works.
What else should I know?
The Michigan Activity Pass is such a great tool for exploring more of the state while keeping costs down. Some passes offer free admission, while others include discounts or buy one, get one deals. When you click on each destination, you’ll see exactly what type of offer is available.
When you’re first starting out, I recommend having something specific in mind, like a museum you’ve been wanting to visit or a park near you. You can also begin with a smaller travel radius and expand it if nothing pops up right away. There are so many options that it can feel like a lot at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes an amazing planning tool. And if you love to browse and explore, feel free to dive right in and scroll away.
My Favorite Places We Have Used the Michigan Activity Pass
Huron-Clinton Metroparks
We started by using daily passes to check out the closest parks to us. After realizing how often we were visiting, we ended up purchasing an annual pass, but trying it first through MAP was such a great way to see if it fit our lifestyle.
The DNR Outdoor Adventure Center
Here we enjoyed a discount and were able to immerse ourselves in Michigan’s great outdoors, all while being indoors. This place is so hands on and three floors of fun for the whol family.
Howell Nature Center
This is easily one of our families favorite places in Michigan. Between the wildlife park and Alexandria’s Nature Playscape you can spend a full day here. Make sure to pack a lunch and enjoy.
Michigan State Parks
While we purchase an annual pass when we register for our updated Michigan license plates, on one trip to the park, I was in a different car than I normally drive. Enter the Michigan Activity Pass. If you are new to checking out the parks and not ready to commit to an annual pass, you will find each Michigan State Park as an option to “check out” on the site.
Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum
While this children’s museum in Saginaw is already an affordable option in the Go Great Lakes Bay Area, they do offer a discount, and it’s one of my favorite children’s museums to go to if you have an age gap in kids. There was plenty for both kids to do, and because of the museum’s layout, I could center myself and keep an eye on both kids easily. We’ve also discovered new-to-us children’s museums like the Discovery City Children’s Museum through the Michigan Activity Pass, and I use it often when planning trips around Michigan. Whenever we’re heading somewhere new, I’ll enter the location on the MAP website to see what fun spots are nearby.
The Michigan Activity Pass is one of the easiest ways to discover new places across Michigan while saving money. We’ve used it for parks, museums, and everything in between. It’s a resource I recommend to anyone who loves getting out and exploring. Grab your library card and start planning your next Michigan adventure.
More Ways to Enjoy Your Public Library
I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. I was always the kid with her nose in a book. When I became a mom, that hobby naturally took a bit of a back seat, but my love for the library never went away. Around that same time, I had just moved to a new city with no friends or family nearby and was really craving connection and community. Enter the library.
Between summer reading programs, story times, and special events, I jumped into everything our public library offered. It didn’t take long before I started meeting other moms, building friendships, and creating routines with my son. Certain story times became weekly staples, and before we knew it, the library felt like a second home. If you are new to an area or just craving more community, check out your library’s event schedule and find something to dive into!