Check it out: Westmoreland County libraries offer 3 free museum passes

Libraries have always offered adventure in the form of books, movies and special programs.

Now, the Westmoreland Library Network is offering a way for patrons to find adventure outside library walls and around the county.

Libraries in the system are offering free admission passes to the Lincoln Highway Experience in Unity, West Overton Village in East Huntingdon and The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg.

Each library has one pass for each museum. The passes can be checked out for seven days and are good for up to two adults and four children.

“One of the reasons this program is so important is that families who don’t ordinarily have the opportunity or the ability to afford these museums can go for free and give those experiences to their children,” said WLN district consultant Melinda Tanner.

While West Overton and the Lincoln Highway Experience charge admission fees, The Westmoreland does not.

“Even though admission to our museum is free, we find that many people are not aware. So, we thought that participating in this great new program offered by the library network would be very beneficial,” said Claire Ertl, The Westmoreland’s director of marketing and public relations.

The program, which began in June, is modeled after the Heinz History Center Affiliates Program that offers admission to the history center in Pittsburgh and its family of museums, along with discounts and other resources.

Tanner was familiar with the Heinz program through her previous work as district consultant for the Washington County Library System. She started her WLN post in April.

“We got a late start organizing, and many locations were already busy with their Westmoreland 250 events, but the goal is to expand for next year,” she said.

Impressive response

“The (Affiliates Program) highlights museums that are off the beaten path, and I want to follow that lead with the concept of bringing in museums that are off the beaten path.” Tanner said. “I’m from Washington County and I’d never heard of West Overton before I came here, and I was just blown away by all the buildings and the programs.”

The passes are increasing traffic at West Overton, said co-executive director Aaron Hollis.

“We’ve already been impressed by the response, with dozens of visitors coming from libraries like the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library and Penn Area Library,” he said. “We only ask in return that these visitors tell others about the great experience they have at West Overton.”

Likewise, the museum passes are “a wonderful opportunity” for the Lincoln Highway Experience, said executive director Kim Cady.

“We saw 900 guests come through during Free Museum Day, which shows you there’s a need in the area,” she said. “People who are not familiar with us might not want to pay to find out and then say, ‘Oh, this isn’t for me.’

“It’s great for larger families with multiple kids who might not have the income to pay for everyone.”

The current pass program runs through Oct. 31 at West Overton, which closes for the winter, and through Dec. 31 at the other two.

Tanner plans to roll out a new pass program with more locations for 2024.

“The feedback has been fantastic so far,” she said. “The (library) directors are excited about it, and the museums have posted pictures of families attending with their passes.

“The first email I got about it was from Belle Vernon,” she added. “The librarian said a 7-year-old checked out one of the museum passes and said they couldn’t wait to take it home so they could go to one of the museums. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”

The passes are available first-come, first served, and cannot be loaned outside of the WLN system. They must be returned in person inside the library from which they are checked out.

For information, call 724-420-5638 or visit wlnonline.org.