Orange County Library System receives federal funding to support Local Wanderer program

The Orange County Library System recently received federal funding to support its "Local Wanderer" program. 

Local Wanderer allows OCLS cardholders to experience museums, concerts, sporting events and more with the program's new “culture pass."

Cardholders can travel to 15 Central Florida institutions including the Central Florida Zoo, Orlando Museum of Art and Orange County Regional History Center, all for free. 

The program also helps to eliminate the financial barriers that may prevent lower-income residents from enjoying Orlando's most popular experiences and provides families with accessibility to experiential learning opportunities.

Since the program’s launch in 2019, more than 5,600 free admissions have been checked out.

In order to support the award-winning program, The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded the OCLS $49,983. 

IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums and prides itself on advancing, supporting, and empowering America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. 

The grant will allow OCLS to increase the number of cultural offerings available through Local Wanderer, directly addressing a lack of accessibility to arts and cultural venues that has been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

To learn more about the program or request passes, click here.