Orlando has a long list of museums, gardens and cultural attractions. Here are a select few that offer designated free entry days. Although admission is free, donations are always appreciated to help support the organization. These special days are always subject to change, so check with the venue before visiting.
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Orlando Museum of Art
FREE MUSEUM DAYS IN ORLANDO
Smithsonian Free Museum Day Sept. 21
This annual event always falls in September and offers FREE admission to museums all over the country. For 2019, it’s scheduled on Sept. 21. Read more about all of the free museum day participants near Orlando.
Participants are allowed to download one ticket per e-mail address. The ticket provides complimentary general admission for two people. Tickets will be available to download on August 15.
Orlando Science Center
Museums On Us: free first weekend of every month
The first weekend of every month, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch customers can visit museums free through the bank’s Museums On Us program. Just show your Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card Saturday or Sunday and you’ll get free admission to these Orlando museums (one admission per card):
- Orlando Museum of Art
- Mennello Museum of American Art
- Orange County Regional History Center
- Orlando Science Center
Harry P. Leu Gardens
- Entry is FREE for everyone during the first Monday of the month from 9am to 5pm (available on select Mondays, excluding holidays). Get there early to find a parking spot as it’s a popular day at the gardens. And make sure to bring your little ones for free story time hosted by the Orange County Library.
- The garden also open its doors to celebrate moms and dads with free admission on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Orange County History Center
Orange County Regional History Center
- FREE admission on the third Thursday of every month, 6pm to 9pm.
- Kids 4 and under are always FREE.
- More free days: Mother’s Day for moms, Father’s Day for dads, free the first weekend of every month with the Museums On Us Program and the museum hosts a free trick-or-treat event on Halloween.
- Free for Florida Educators and Orange County employees.
- On select Mondays during the summer, the history center offers free admission for up to four kids with one paid adult admission.
- Parking is free for two hours in the library parking garage with a ticket validation.
Orlando Museum of Art
Orlando Museum of Art
The museum is free the first weekend of every month for the Museums On Us Program. They also offer free admission on select Saturdays for Family Day.
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
- FREE Open House events are scheduled on Easter weekend, Weekend of the Arts in February, Independence DayWinter Park Sidewalk Art Festival weekend and Christmas Eve.
- The museum opens its doors during Friday Nights at the Morse November through April, 4pm to 8pm.
- Mark your calendars every year for the first Thursday in December to attend Christmas in the Park, a free event in Winter Park’s Central Park. The museum lights up Tiffany windows to accompany live music from the Bach Festival Choir.
Casa Feliz in Winter Park
- Tour the historic home during FREE public open houses: Tuesday & Thursday, 10am – 12pm and Sunday 12pm to 3pm. Use this map for a self-guided tour.
- Enjoy Music at the Casa on Sunday afternoons from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Come as you are for a casual event with live music and free tours of the historic house and James Gamble Rogers II Studio. A $5 donation is suggested.
Mennello Museum of American Art
Mennello Museum of American Art
- Every second Sunday of the month, Mennello Museum offers free admission to the galleries during FREE Family Funday. Families can enjoy a miniature fine art projects and tour the exhibits until 4:30 p.m.
- FREE on Father’s Day for dads
- FREE during the first weekend of every month for the Museums On Us Program.
Art & History Museums Maitland
FREE every second Thursday of the month for Maitland residents.
Cornell Fine Arts Museum in Winter Park
The Cornell Fine Arts Museum
The museum offers an intimate and unique experience in Winter Park with more than 5,000 works ranging from antiquity to contemporary. And, it’s always FREE!
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Bok Tower Gardens
- FREE on Easter morning for a special sunrise service.
- FREE for moms on Mother’s Day and dads on Father’s Day
- During the month of May, mark your calendar for National Public Gardens Week.
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
FREE admission for moms on Mother’s Day and dads on Father’s Day.
Blue Star Museums Program
Folks on active duty in the armed forces and their families are eligible for free entry to an assortment of museums in Central Florida through the Blue Star Museums program, Memorial Day through Labor Day. There are many museums in Central Florida offering free admission. Find a participating museum near you.
Museums in Orlando that are always FREE
- City Arts Factory
- Grand Bohemian Gallery
- Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida
- Winter Park Historical Museum
- Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts
- Crealdé School of Art Galleries
- Sanford Museum
- Winter Garden Heritage Museum
- Central Florida Railroad Museum
- The Cornell Fine Arts Museum
- Lake Mary Museum
- Longwood Historic Properties
Should we add any museums or free days to this post? Comment below or send an email to info@orlandoonthecheap.com.
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