The only thing you need to explore Maine this summer is a library card.

Maybe you don’t have the budget for tickets to see a play or visit the Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens in full bloom, or you don’t have room in your home to store beach chairs or sporting equipment. Public libraries across the state offer all kinds of items and passes beyond books.

Inquire with your local library to plan your summer adventures. Here are a few ideas. If you don’t qualify for a card at a particular library, many offer the option to buy a card for a small fee.

STATE PARK PASSES

Libraries can purchase vehicle passes for state parks, which usually cost $105 for a year. Patrons can check out the pass, visit a park or historic site for the day and then return the pass to the library.

Park passes are not accepted at Acadia National Park, Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Baxter State Park, Maine Wildlife Park, Peacock Beach, Penobscot Narrows Observatory, Penobscot River Corridor, Scarborough Beach, Songo Lock or Swan Island. They also cannot be used for camping.

At the Lithgow Public Library in Augusta, director Sarah Schultz-Nielsen said park passes are always in high demand. When the program started years ago, the library only had one available. This year, they have six, which can be borrowed for one week at a time. Be sure to check their Library of Things, a growing trend across the country that allows patrons to check out household or recreational items.

“You could borrow a park pass and borrow a beach umbrella so you have some shade while you’re there,” Schultz-Nielsen said.

MUSEUM PASSES AND PERFORMANCE TICKETS

Libraries can get you into all kinds of venues for free or at a discount, from the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine in Portland to the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. Ask to find out what options are available in your community.

Passes available at the Portland Public Library, for example, include the Portland Museum of Art and Portland Stage.

“It helps them attract a whole new generation of art lovers,” Sarah Skawinski, associate director, said. “The library is the cultural center of the city, and we try to promote what the city offers.”

LAWN GAMES AND LOBSTER POTS

This summer, Hazel Onsrud is going to learn how to play pétanque and try skim boarding. She doesn’t have to buy those items, though. She can borrow them from the Library of Things at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, where she is a librarian.

“Sharing makes a lot of sense,” Onsrud said.

Increasingly, libraries lend much more than books. Some are offering cookware and sports equipment and tools and seeds. These collections make items that are expensive or bulky or rare more accessible to patrons. The Library of Things in Brunswick is busy year-round, but one item in high demand in the summer is a blueberry rake.

“I would encourage everyone to check out what their library has,” Onsrud said. “Not every library has a library of things, but every library has amazing things to explore Maine.”

A DAY AT THE COASTAL MAINE BOTANICAL GARDENS

There’s no need to pay the trolls if you have a pass to this popular Boothbay destination. You can see the fantastic sculptures and the sprawling gardens for free through 74 public libraries in Maine — and counting.

“We continue to see our economy get tighter, especially for working families,” said Katie Hey, marketing and communications director at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. “I really do think families need this right now.”

A ticket usually costs $28 for an adult and $12 for children ages 3 to 17 with discounts available for students and older adults. Library passes are one of several programs offered by the gardens to address cost barriers for guests.

“We know how important libraries are to our communities,” Hey said. “They always have been this pillar of access and knowledge and connection.”

Each pass admits a group that can include adults and children, and library staff said they are in high demand.

“For someone who has a very fixed income or just doesn’t have the means to go, that pass is so wonderful,” said Schultz-Nielsen, from the Lithgow Public Library in Augusta. “It’s such a beautiful place to explore.”

A GHOST HUNTING KIT

Maybe you’re more interested in searching for spirits than sunbathing. The Portland Public Library offers a kit for paranormal explorations. The staff has suggested several titles from the collection that might help you, including “Ghost-Hunting for Dummies” by Zak Bagans.

“It has all those different readers that track temperature variations and sound that the human ear can’t hear,” said Skawinski, the associate director.

Less spooky options include kits for birdwatching, stargazing and catching bugs.