Give the Gift of Membership

Give the gift of memberships to nonprofits and museums on the North Shore of Boston Massachusetts!

Giving the gift of membership to one of your favorite organizations is a perfect way to tell somebody that you want them to share your interests and spend some time together. It's extending a hand of friendship and inviting the recipient to join you in a common experience - not just at the time of giving the gift, but throughout the year and beyond.

We belong to quite a few museums and local organizations that offer annual memberships as a way to show our support and enjoy the benefits of being a contributing member. Memberships most often include a discounted rate or free admission to events and other activities, and this is reflected in our Events Calendar. Many of the events we list will show pricing tiers for members and non-members, or are listed as 'Free with the price of admission' (translation = "Free to members").

Gift Memberships are great because they benefit the giver, the receiver and the organization. It's a true win, win, win situation, with lots of additional benefits:

  • The giver can feel good because they are giving a meaningful gift to a person they care for while supporting a cause or organization that is important to them.
  • The recipient is not just receiving a gift, they are being invited to share in the givers life, and are hopefully being exposed to something new and fun that will enrich their own.
  • The organization is benefiting from having a new member that will hopefully enjoy their membership so much that they become a longtime supporter, and better yet invite more people to join.
  • There is a new avenue for both the giver and receiver to spend time with each other and develop a common interest.
  • Membership giving is 'green' - i.e. less packaging, less time shopping and using fuel to find gifts
  • Gift memberships help support local community resources
  • A membership lasts all year, so each time it is used, it's like getting the gift all over again.
  • Some gift memberships offer a 'sponsorship' or similar tier that make membership a tax deduction.
  • You can break a lot of gifts, but it's pretty hard to break a membership!
  • Your gift membership more than likely will not need batteries!

Of course the only downfall of gifting memberships is that the recipient will probably renew their membership on their own if they enjoy it enough, so you'll have trouble finding a better gift for them next year.

Here's a great list of recommended organizations and museums (and direct links to their membership pages) around Massachusetts' North Shore that will sure to please almost anybody on your list this year. Some offer special services for gift memberships, and others will accommodate gift memberships if you specify that you would like to purchase the membership as a gift during checkout.

Another great gift idea for the person in your life who likes to explore the outdoors would be an annual DCR Parkpass - which waives parking fees at many state resources including many gems right here on the North Shore like Maudslay State Park , Sandy Point State Reservation, Salisbury Beach State Reservation and Halibut Point State Park!

Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts offers farm-based Summer Programs for kids ages 5-15

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Gloucester Gratis Days at Hammond Castle

Bring your kids to the Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts during April Vacation
In keeping with John Hays Hammond, Jr's original vision for his seaside castle-home to serve as a museum offering the Gloucester community access to ancient works of architectural art, Hammond Castle Museum will offer Gloucester residents free, self-guided tours each Tuesday throughout the regular...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Wednesday, October 15

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

The Backyard Growcery

Join Backyard Growers at Burnham's Field in Gloucester Massachusetts for a weekly Farmer's Market
Stop by Gloucester’s new weekly farmers market, the Backyard Growcery, managed by Backyard Growers. The Backyard Growcery is located at Burnham's Field, an urban park near Gloucester’s thriving waterfront, and features small-scale North Shore farmers, bakers, a seafood vendor, an artisanal pizza...
2:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Topsfield HomeGrown Market

Come to Topsfield Massachusetts Common for a homegrown market on the Wednesdays through July
The mission of the HomeGrown Market is to provide the Topsfield community with a series of family-friendly events that emphasize supporting local and offer the opportunity for Topsfield and surrounding North Shore farmers, gardeners, artisans, creators, performers, musicians, nonprofits, young...
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm