Most lists of free museums in Utah Valley are daytime lists. For family home evening, the test that matters is narrower: is it open after 6 p.m. on a Monday? By that test, the free museums in the valley come down to three, the city libraries all pass, and several places that show up on every "free things to do" list close at 5.
This page sorts them. Hours below come from each place's own website where we could get them, and from Google's listings otherwise, all checked October 19, 2026. Hours shift with semesters, holidays and exhibits, so look again the afternoon you go.
The short answer
| Place | Cost | Monday hours | After dinner? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bean Life Science Museum, BYU | Free | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Yes, with a Monday FHE program |
| BYU Museum of Art | Free | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Yes |
| Springville Museum of Art | Free | 6 to 8 p.m. only | Yes, built for it |
| City libraries | Free | Until 8 or 9 p.m. | Yes |
| Provo DUP Museum | See below | 4 to 7 p.m. (Google) | Only with an early dinner |
| Thanksgiving Point museums, Lehi | Paid | Until 8 p.m. (Google) | Yes, as a treat night |
| BYU Museum of Paleontology | See below | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Google) | No |
| BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures | See below | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (museum site) | No |
| Hutchings Museum, Lehi | Paid | Closed (Google) | No; try Wednesday |
The three free museums that keep Monday evening hours
Bean Life Science Museum
BYU's natural history museum is free and open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 to 5 on Saturday, according to its website. It's the only museum in the valley we found that runs a program named for the evening: its programs page lists Family Home Evening on Monday nights, with groups attending at 6:30 or 7:30 p.m., or booking a private program ahead. The same page lists "Biomes at the Bean" on weeknights at 7:30, with an extra 6:30 session on Mondays.
How to use it: Arrive by 6:15, walk one floor before the program, sit for the program, and leave. That's a complete home evening for a family with children from 3 to 12. Our Bean Museum guide covers parking and the exhibits.
BYU Museum of Art
Free, and open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 to 6 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, per the MOA's site. Its homepage in October 2026 noted that its "Gilded Paradise" exhibition closes October 27.
How to use it: One gallery, not the whole building. Give each child a card with something to find, or let each person choose a favorite piece and explain it at home over dessert. Our Museum of Art guide lists what's permanent.
Springville Museum of Art
Free (donations appreciated) and open on Monday nights only from 6 to 8 p.m., then 10 to 5 Tuesday through Saturday with a later close at 8 on Wednesdays, according to its visit page. It's the one art museum in the valley whose Monday hours start at dinner.
How to use it: It's about 13 minutes south of downtown Provo by OSRM's estimate, longer in traffic. The two hours it's open are plenty for most families. Our Springville Museum of Art guide covers the building and the collection.
The libraries
Every city library we checked stays open into the evening on Mondays. Google's listings in October 2026:
| Library | Monday hours |
|---|---|
| Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave. | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Orem Public Library, 58 N. State St. | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| American Fork Library, 64 S. 100 E. | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Pleasant Grove Public Library, 30 E. Center St. | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Springville Public Library, 45 S. Main St. | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Lehi City Library, 131 N. 100 E. | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Spanish Fork Library, 80 S. Main St. | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Payson City Library, 66 S. Main St. | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Eagle Mountain City Library, 1650 Stagecoach Run | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
All were listed closed Sundays, and most close earlier on Fridays or Saturdays.
Three library home evenings that work:
- Card night. Whoever doesn't have a card gets one. For a 6-year-old, signing their own name on a library card is an occasion.
- Choose the family read-aloud. Each person nominates one book; vote; check out the winner; read the first chapter at home as the lesson's lead-in.
- One question, one answer. Each child brings one question (where did our town's name come from, what's the oldest building nearby), finds the answer with a librarian's help, and reports at next week's home evening.
The Provo City Library listed an exhibit, "On With the Show, This Is It! Chuck Jones and the Animation Art of Looney Tunes," through October 31, 2026 on its website. Exhibits change; our Provo City Library guide describes the building's exhibit space and children's floor. A card also opens the passes and borrowing programs in our library-card passes guide. For young children, a few libraries run evening storytimes; our storytime guide keeps the current schedule.
The near-misses
Provo Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum, 550 N. 500 W. Google's listing showed Monday hours of 4 to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays the same, with a few Saturday hours. A family that eats at 5 can make it; call 801-852-6609 first, since volunteer-run hours change. We couldn't confirm admission on an official page, so we haven't listed a price.
Thanksgiving Point's museums, Lehi. The Museum of Ancient Life and the Museum of Natural Curiosity were both listed open until 8 p.m. on Mondays. They charge admission, which makes them a once-in-a-while night rather than a weekly one. See our Thanksgiving Point guide, the Museum of Natural Curiosity guide, and the dinosaur museums guide.
The daytime-only places
These turn up on every free-things list. They're good, just not on a Monday night.
BYU Museum of Paleontology, 1683 N. Canyon Road. Google listed it Monday through Friday 9 to 5, closed weekends. Save it for a school holiday.
BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures, 2201 N. Canyon Road. Monday through Friday 9 to 5, closed Saturday and Sunday, per the museum's site.
Hutchings Museum, Lehi. Google showed it closed on Mondays, open until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If your family holds home evening on Wednesday, this becomes an option; our Hutchings guide has the details.
Our museums in Provo guide covers all of these at full length, and the free museum days calendar tracks the monthly free days farther afield.
The free places that aren't buildings
Temple grounds. All six operating temples in Utah Valley have grounds open to walk, and most of the buildings are listed closed on Mondays, which keeps the grounds quiet. Our temple grounds FHE guide goes temple by temple. The county-wide list of free places is free things to do in Utah Valley.
Short trails. The BYU Botany Pond loop is 1 mile and nearly flat, per AllTrails, and three minutes from downtown Provo by OSRM's estimate. Our FHE hikes guide has 13 more.
The Springville Sunset Farmers Market, in season. Free to walk, every Monday June through October at Civic Center Park, 5 to 9 p.m. through September and 5 to 8 p.m. in October, per Springville's city page.
Making a museum night a home evening
Pick the lesson to match the building. The Bean Museum pairs with the Creation. An art museum pairs with talents, or with the way artists have painted scripture stories. The library pairs with learning and with family history.
Set a time limit before you go in. An hour inside is plenty for most children under 10.
End somewhere with chairs. The museum lobby, the car, or the kitchen table at home for the closing prayer and the treat. Our FHE treats guide lists what's open late.
Related Guides
- Family Home Evening in Utah Valley: 52 Ideas for the Year
- The Monday Problem: What Is Open on FHE Night
- Free and Cheap Things to Do in Provo
- Indoor Activities in Provo
- FHE With Toddlers
Frequently Asked Questions
Which free museums in Utah Valley are open on Monday evenings?
Is the BYU Museum of Paleontology open in the evening?
Are Utah County libraries open on Monday nights?
Does the Bean Museum have a Family Home Evening program?
Is the Hutchings Museum open on Mondays?
Are Thanksgiving Point's museums open Monday night?
What is open at the Springville Museum of Art on Monday?
What should we do at the library for family home evening?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Provo City Library home page, Provo City Library. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Farmers Market, Springville City. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum home page, Brigham Young University. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Bean Museum Programs, Brigham Young University. Checked October 19, 2026.
- BYU Museum of Art, Brigham Young University. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Museum of Peoples and Cultures, Brigham Young University. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Visit the Springville Museum of Art, Springville Museum of Art. Checked October 19, 2026.
- AllTrails: Brigham Young University Botany Pond, AllTrails. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Google Places listings (hours, addresses), checked Oct 19, 2026, Google. Checked October 19, 2026.
- OSRM routing service (drive-time estimates), Project OSRM. Checked October 19, 2026.
