Free and nearly free ways into Charleston museums and zoos in 2027, each one checked on the venue’s or program’s own page: two Bank of America Museums on Us partners and one Museums for All or EBT discount. Every row says who gets in, so you know before you go.
Every week or month
We haven’t found a Charleston museum or zoo that posts a regular free day for everyone. The programs below still get many families in free or for a few dollars.
Bank of America cardholders
Active Bank of America, Merrill and Private Bank credit or debit cardholders get one free general admission on the first full weekend of each month. Bring the card and a photo ID; it covers the cardholder only. Bank of America’s partner list ↗
Bank of America posts each weekend on its partner page; the next ones are under Coming up below. We don’t list 2027 weekends until Bank of America posts them.
SNAP and EBT
Museums for All gives families receiving SNAP benefits free or reduced admission with an EBT card and photo ID. Each venue sets its own price and group size, quoted from its page below. About Museums for All ↗
Admission is free for members and children before their first birthday, $13 for Advance Admission purchases (downtown location only), and $15 at the door. Museums for All admission is $3/person (you will also need to submit proof of current SNAP, WIC, or foster family status).
Before 2027
Dated free days still ahead in the next few weeks.
Gibbes Museum of Art; International African American Museum · Charleston
Good to know Only the cardholder gets in free, so bring the card and an ID.
Keep planning
Free things to do in CharlestonFree days, free events and places that never charge
Indoor play in CharlestonIndoor playgrounds, toddler times and museums, with prices
Library storytimes in CharlestonBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branch
Ice skating in CharlestonHoliday and indoor rinks, skate aids and prices
Thanksgiving weekend in CharlestonParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
This week in CharlestonDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every ThursdayGood questions
We haven’t found a museum or zoo in Charleston that posts a regular free day for everyone yet. Bank of America cardholders get in free on the first full weekend of each month at the places listed below. Families with SNAP (EBT) benefits get free or reduced admission at the places in the EBT section.
Gibbes Museum of Art, International African American Museum are Bank of America Museums on Us partners. Active Bank of America, Merrill and Private Bank credit or debit cardholders get one free general admission on the first full weekend of each month; bring the card and a photo ID. Bank of America posts each weekend on its partner page.
Yes. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry offers free or reduced admission to families with SNAP (EBT) benefits, most through Museums for All. Bring your EBT card and a photo ID; each listing below has the venue’s own price and limits.
Each free day and discount comes from the museum’s, zoo’s or program’s own page and links to it. If a page doesn’t say who gets in, we leave it out. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 20, 2026, and we recheck them every month. How we choose and check.
Littles Weekly
One short email every Friday morning with the best things to do with little ones in Charleston that weekend, free days included.
