The JFK Presidential Library and Museum in Boston lists free admission for “Teachers (PreK-12) and emergency personnel” when you show a valid employee photo ID. The row has no state or residency condition on it, so on the table’s own wording it isn’t limited to Massachusetts teachers.
An adult ticket on the same table is $24.00, which makes the ID in your wallet worth real money if you’re taking your own family to Boston or scouting the Museum before a class visit. One thing to know before you plan around it: the Library’s site wouldn’t open for us when we checked, so we read the table from a copy of the page saved a few months back. The section on what we couldn’t confirm spells out what that means.
How To Get The JFK Presidential Library Teacher Discount
Bring a valid employee photo ID and show it when you get your ticket. The Teachers row on the Hours and Admission page says free, with a valid employee photo ID, and that’s the whole instruction. The page also says tickets may be purchased on site or in advance online, but it doesn’t say whether a free teacher ticket can be reserved ahead, so plan to sort that out when you arrive.
The page adds that all persons entering must provide valid photographic identification if requested, so your photo ID will be out of your bag either way.
Who Counts As A Teacher
The row reads Teachers (PreK-12) and emergency personnel, so it covers prekindergarten through 12th grade, and emergency personnel share the same line. The table doesn’t say whether private school, charter, homeschool, substitute, retired or support staff count. The only proof it names is a valid employee photo ID, without saying which cards qualify, so bring the one your school issued and ask if it’s questioned.
What The Rest Of The Table Lists
If you’re bringing your own family, the same table lists youth ages 17 and under as free, adults ages 18 to 61 at $24.00, and seniors ages 62 and above at $12.00. Military veterans pay $12.00 on the adult ticket price only, and that can’t be combined with other offers. College students pay $14.00 with a valid photo student ID, except UMass Boston students, who are free with theirs. Active duty military are free with a valid CAC card, and EBT and WIC cardholders are free with their card.
Massachusetts public library system cardholders get a 50% discount on the base ticket price with a library card, and that one can’t be combined with other offers either.
Hours And What To Leave In The Car
The Museum is open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and walk-up tickets are available until 4:15 p.m. The page recommends arriving before 3:30 pm so you have enough time to explore before it closes promptly at 5:00 pm. It closes at 2:00 p.m. on the day before Thanksgiving, and it’s closed on New Year’s Day.
If you’re coming straight from a school day, the security rules are the part to plan for. Every visitor passes through a security check with a metal detector, large bags and backpacks aren’t permitted and should be stored in your vehicle, and only one purse or diaper bag is allowed per person. All bags are searched on entry. Photography is encouraged within the Museum unless the exhibit wall text says otherwise, and flash, tripods, selfie-sticks and drones aren’t permitted.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The Library’s own site wouldn’t open for us when we checked, so the admission table in this post comes from a copy of its Hours and Admission page saved a few months back. The Teachers row, the price and the ID requirement are as that copy shows them. Look at the live page before you travel, or ask when you arrive, because the row may have changed since.
The table doesn’t say which employee ID counts, whether the free ticket extends to a guest, or whether you can reserve a free ticket online. It also gives the Teachers row no end date. The Library’s Plan Your Trip menu lists a Groups page that we couldn’t read, so we can’t say whether a class visit follows the same rules.
Q&A
Does the JFK Presidential Library have a teacher discount?
The admission table lists Teachers (PreK-12) and emergency personnel as free with a valid employee photo ID.
Do I have to live in Massachusetts?
The row has no state or residency condition on it. If your situation is unusual, ask when you arrive.
What ID do I bring?
The table says a valid employee photo ID and doesn’t say which cards qualify.
Can my family come in free too?
The Teachers row doesn’t mention guests. The table lists youth ages 17 and under as free and adults ages 18 to 61 at $24.00.
Do I have to reserve a ticket ahead?
The page says tickets may be purchased on site or in advance online. It doesn’t say whether a free teacher ticket can be reserved.
Can I bring my school backpack?
Large bags and backpacks aren’t permitted and should be stored in your vehicle. One purse or diaper bag is allowed per person.
Is the table on this page current?
We read it from a copy of the Library’s page saved a few months back, because the live page wouldn’t open for us. Check the live page or ask when you arrive.
More Information:
The details above come from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum’s own Hours and Admission page, read from a copy saved a few months back, and admission rows change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
