I fell in love with museums when I was ten and my parents took me to the California Museum of Science and Industry. I remember being fascinated by the bell curve distribution display. Yes, I am very much a geek. We’ve instilled that geekiness into our children, too. It thrills me to watch the little lightbulbs above their heads go off. The nice thing about museums and science centers is that each child gets something different out of it.
The not-so-nice thing about them is that when you have more than one or two children, admission starts to get pricey. One way we combat that is with reciprocity passes. The majority of museums have agreements with other museums for their annual passes. That means that my dad buys us a Family Traveler Pass at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry for a mere $60 per year. That’s about the same cost as a single admission to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. We’ve also used that same $60 pass at Science World in Vancouver, Canada and several museums in California.
My favorite museum for the younger crowd is probably the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose, CA. Jenna called it “Disneyland without the lines.” As they got older, the Tech Museum quickly replaced CDM as a favorite. But they have all been good in their own ways (hmmm….I smell a series coming!). We haven’t hit a museum yet that has been a waste of time.
If you’re a frugal mama like me, mark your calendar now for Free Museum Day on September 29, 2007. Time moves so quickly, especially in September. The Smithsonian offers this every year for subscribers. They also open it to the general public via their website. All you have to do is download and print a free museum certificate. It’s good for you and a guest. One per household. You can either pay for your other children, or ask your neighbor who won’t be using hers to gift hers to you. An easier way is to subscribe to the magazine – special offer is only $12 for a whole year.
Link to Smithsonian Magazine and Museum Day Download