Frequently Asked Questions about Membership

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If you have a question that is not listed below please call the Membership Department at 804.340.1520 or send an email to membership@vmfa.museum.

Office hours are Mon- Fri, 9am – 5pm.

Questions on Becoming a Member

How can I become a VMFA member?
You can purchase memberships online, call the Membership Department at 804.340.1520, or stop by the museum’s Visitor Services desk.

What are the benefits of becoming a member of VMFA?
Membership benefits include free admission and member previews to special exhibitions, free parking in the VMFA deck, invitations to member events, and discounts on purchases at the VMFA Shop, in the museum’s restaurants, and on classes, programs, and performances.

Can I give a membership as a gift?
Yes! Our Share the Museum program provides donors the opportunity to purchase gift memberships in person at Visitor Services, online, or by phone at 804.340.1520. The recipient will receive a gift packet and a letter identifying you as the donor. You can even add a special message to your gift.

When purchasing a gift membership in person, the gift recipient’s information is not required, and donors can easily purchase multiple gifts in one transaction. When purchasing online or by phone, you may choose to have the gift packet mailed directly to the recipient or to yourself.

The recipient of the gift will have 18 months to return the certificate to the museum. Once processed, the membership will be valid for one year. If the recipient has an active membership, their current expiration date will be extended by one year. The membership is not active until the certificate is returned and processed.

Please note that special discounts for Teachers, Active-Duty Military, Out of Town Residents, and State Employees are not valid on gift membership purchases. Gift memberships are fully tax deductible.

Are memberships refundable?
Memberships cannot be refunded or transferred.

What discounts do you offer on memberships?
Teachers and Out of Town Residents (60 miles outside of Richmond) may receive a $10 discount on any membership level except Student. Commonwealth of Virginia Employees and Active-Duty Military are eligible for a special $60 Dual or Family membership. A yearlong VMFA Family Membership for a household, comprising one or two adults and children who are all under age 18 will cost $5 for Museums for All participants.

Please visit the Visitor Services desk with a valid ID or call 804.340.1520 to receive these discounts (one per membership). View all discounts here.

I am a member.  How do I access my benefits?

I haven’t received my membership card yet—how do I access my benefits?
Members can make reservations at any time by logging in to their online profile, or by calling Visitor Services. To park in the VMFA Parking Deck without your membership card, please take your parking ticket to Visitor Services to be validated.

How can I find out about member programs and events? 
Look to the Member Events page of our website, the current issue of VMFA magazine, and member emails.

How do I sign up to receive the Member News e-communication?
Send an email with your full name and member ID number to membership@vmfa.museum.

When are the member previews for special exhibitions? 
Member exhibition previews typically occur on the Thursday and Friday before an exhibition opens to the public.

How do I reserve my free exhibition and member preview tickets?
Members can easily reserve tickets online by visiting the tickets page of the VMFA website.  Members may also call the Membership Department at 804.340.1520 or stop by the Member Services desk in the Atrium.

How do I get my free exhibition tickets online?  
Simply log into your account here using your email address and password.  It’s easy!

I don’t have an account online. How do I set one up?
Please refer to the instructions in this document to set up your account online.

How do I access my member profile?
Please refer to the instructions in this document to access your member profile online.

How many free exhibition tickets do I get? 
Members at the Individual and Student levels receive one ticket, members at the Dual level receive tickets for two adults, and members at the Family level and above receive tickets for two adults and all children under 18 in the household (or up to 4 grandchildren).

In addition, Supporters Circle members receive two guest tickets (per visit) and Partners Circle members and above receive four guest tickets (per visit).

Can I see the exhibitions for free more than once? 
Yes! But you may only enter an exhibition once per day.

If I renew my membership before it expires will I lose any time?
When you renew, your membership will be extended by a full 12 months from your current expiration.

What should I do if I lose my membership card?
To obtain a replacement card, simply contact the Membership Department at 804.340.1520 or email membership@vmfa.museum. Temporary cards can be obtained at the Visitor Services desk inside the museum.

Can I lend my membership card to a friend?
No. Membership cards and benefits are non-transferable. 

I have a question that is not on this page…
We’d love to help you. Just call the Membership Department at 804.340.1520 or send an email to membership@vmfa.museum.

Reciprocal Memberships

VMFA members who join at the Friends Circle ($175) level and higher enjoy reciprocal benefits with over 1300 museums through North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM), Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM), and the Metropolitan Reciprocal Membership Program.

The Metropolitan’s Reciprocal Membership Program offers reciprocity at 16 major metropolitan museums:

Several Statewide Partner institutions offer a free VMFA membership as a benefit of their own membership programs. This ongoing dual-membership program will convey the following VMFA benefits at the General Level:

  • digital membership cards
  • free tickets to all exhibitions
  • free parking
  • discounts on shopping, dining, and classes and programs
  • a subscription to VMFA, the magazine for members
  • invitations to members-only events

Participating Statewide Partners:

What does it mean to have reciprocal benefits?
When visiting participating institutions, members with reciprocal privileges typically receive:

  • Free admission
  • Discounts on purchases in the art and book shops (excludes online sales)
  • Discounts on tickets for programs and events (excludes online purchases)
  • Free admission to special exhibitions where an advance ticket is not required
  • Admission to member previews where an advance ticket is not required

Please contact the participating institution prior to your arrival for specific details; some special exhibitions and events have restrictions.

Questions about Digital Membership Cards

What are digital membership cards?
Digital membership cards offer convenience and ease of use for members. Eco-friendly and fully integrated with mobile wallets, digital cards streamline the membership process and reduce the costs associated with physical card creation and distribution. Digital membership cards can be downloaded and saved to your smartphone or tablet using a digital wallet app. Going digital means you never have to worry about forgetting your membership card.

How will I receive my digital membership card?
Your digital membership card will be sent to the email address provided when you join. When you receive the email with your digital cards, click the included link to download your card to your smartphone or tablet. If you are renewing your membership the expiration date on your digital membership card will automatically update within 7-10 business days. If you have not yet installed your digital membership card, please email membership@vmfa.museum.

How do I download my digital membership card?
iPhone | We recommend iPhone users access digital cards through their Apple Wallet. If you prefer Google Pay, scroll down to view those instructions.

  1. Access your email through your smartphone or tablet, click the “Download Membership Card” button, then “Add to Apple Wallet” and “Add.”
  2. Your new digital membership card will automatically appear in your Apple Wallet, where it can be accessed at any time.

Android | We recommend Android users access digital cards through Google Pay, available from the Google Play Store.

Google Pay

  1. Download Google Pay from the Google Play Store. This app must be downloaded prior to downloading your digital card.
  2. Open the digital card email from your smartphone or tablet and tap the “Download Membership Card” button, then “add to Google Pay.” When a preview appears, tap “Save to Gpay.”
  3. In some cases, Google Pay might ask you to log in so you can save it to an account. Please log in to continue (no credit card information should be required).
  4. The card will be saved to Google Pay and you will be able to access it at any time.

How many member card(s) will I receive?
Individual, Student, and Senior Individual members receive one membership card.
Starting at the Dual level, two cards are issued per membership. If a second name is not specified for the membership, the second card will read “Guest of [Member Name]” and the primary member must be present for the guest to receive member benefits.

How will my secondary member receive their digital membership card?
For memberships with two names listed (Dual and above), you will receive each card in separate emails to the email address provided when you joined or renewed. You may forward the secondary member their card email or download both and “share” the card through your wallet app.

When I renewed, I got my secondary member’s card, but not mine.
If you didn’t receive an email with your digital card, check your wallet app. If you downloaded your card last year, it should have automatically updated. Your secondary member’s card was resent because it was not downloaded.

If you cannot locate your digital card in your wallet app, please reach out to membership@vmfa.museum.

How do I use my digital membership card?
Open your digital card in your wallet app, and present your device just as you would a physical card. If you don’t see the full card in your wallet, tap on the VMFA logo to expand it and reveal the barcode.

To scan your card at the parking deck, turn up your screen brightness and ensure the barcode is visible. Hold your phone still under the scanner for a few seconds until you see a green light.

What will be on my digital membership card?
Your digital card will list your Name, Member Level, Member ID, and Expiration Date, and also display a barcode which can be scanned for complimentary entry and exit at the VMFA parking deck.

To see additional highlights of your member benefits, as well as reciprocity information for members in the Friends Circle and above, open your card settings or information tab.

I’m getting an error: “Sorry, your Pass cannot be installed to Passbook at this time”
This is an error that we are working to resolve and most frequently occurs when someone is using the Gmail app and/or Google Chrome on an iPhone.

Please tap and hold the “Download Membership Card” button in your card download email, then tap “Copy link.” Open a Safari browser and paste the link directly into the URL bar. Then, follow the prompts to download.

How do I update information on my digital membership card?
To update your membership information, please contact us by phone at 804.340.1520 or email membership@vmfa.museum. Once your information has been changed, your digital card will automatically update (no need to download the card a second time).

Please allow 7–10 days for the updates to apply. If you notice that your digital membership card did not update, refresh your wallet or turn on automatic updates in the card’s settings.

If I want a physical membership card, how do I request one?
If you would like to receive a physical membership card, please contact us at 804.340.1520 or email membership@vmfa.museum. Friends Circle members and above automatically receive physical membership cards and do not need to submit a request. Student members are not eligible for physical membership cards. Statewide Partners are encouraged to use their home museum’s membership card to access benefits.