ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Living in Central Florida you probably want to explore different attractions throughout the area, but it can come with a price, right?
The Orange County Library System is encouraging families to wander and check out different attractions like museums and zoos for free.
Just like checking out books and movies from the library, you can check out fun and educational experiences at local attractions through OCLS’s Local Wanderer program.
It’s something Michelle Holly and her 4-year-old daughter, Maddy, have been taking advantage of for years.
“I get to find out about local venues and events happening and it’s great for families on a tight budget or you’re just wanting to try something without having to invest money in it at first. We end up revisiting a lot of those places,” Holly said. “Most recently, we saw Judy B. Jones at the Orlando Family Stage and we’ve been to the Central Florida Zoo.”
Through partnerships with local organizations and venues, as well as funds received through grants, OCLS offers free passes to places like the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando Museum of Art and even the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey.
“The Audubon Birds Society, I didn’t even know it existed so I took my daughter and my nieces and we learned about the bird sanctuary right here in Central Florida and we got to go for free. We plan to go back so it’s a great resource for finding local venues to take your kids to” Holly said.
Here’s how to get your free passes. All you’ll need is an OCLS library card. Head to the local wanderer web page on your phone or computer, and check for the passes that are available for each date. If you find a pass you’d like, click ‘request pass.’ It’s going to ask for your library card number and pin. You can request two passes per library card.
There’s only a limited amount of passes for each venue and some are in high demand, going fast. Holly said there’s a way to snag them first.
“You have to be flexible. They do release at midnight and it took me a while to figure that out. The passes populate a month out, so you can reserve for the next month and there will be more available. If the one you were looking for is booked up, you can always try something new that you haven’t visited before, it’s free,” Holly said.
Central Florida Community Arts is also a part of Local Wanderer, offering free tickets to the stage production of The Giver performed at its theater in Orlando. Bringing the book to life. The production runs Feb. 23 and Feb. 24.
“The Giver is a really popular and well-loved story that children read around middle school age and what’s really great about this production? That it’s done by youth in the local area so it’s being adapted for the stage in a way that I feel families will enjoy seeing together,” said OCLS Development Manager Jennifer Schock.
As Holly and her daughter continue checking out more books from the library, they also plan to check in to more Central Florida attractions through the Local Wanderer program.
“There’s a Holocaust museum that’s been posted. There are a couple of railroad museums that have been posted as well. One time we went to the Orange County Regional History Center,” she said.
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