Free Days

When we lived in Indianapolis, there were only so many places to go with the kids.  It made sense to buy memberships each year to the Children's Museum and the zoo.  As long as we planned to go more than twice in the year to each, we saved money.  They offered community days in which admission was either free or discounted but those days were usually so crowded that the experience wasn't as good. 


Now that we live in Chicago, there are so many attractions available, it would be hard to pick only a couple to join as members. Then there's parking. I did not realize at the time what a benefit free parking in Indy was. Up here, parking is equivalent to another adult ticket each time we go.

What I have learned is that each week I can find at least one spot to take the kids for free. Maybe because community days are so frequent, they don't seem too crowded. On only one occasion, was this a problem. We went to the Shedd Aquarium and the building was at capacity. We stood (in 40 degree weather) in a very long line waiting to get in. Once inside, the place was so full that it really wasn't worth it. I doubt we would have stood in that line as long as we did had I not just paid $17 to park after driving for 30 minutes. I have not ruled out going to the aquarium again on a free day. Many of the local schools were out for spring break that week and perhaps that contributed to the crowd.

So, we still pay for parking but that wouldn't change if we became members to that particular attraction anyway. Also, some places limit which areas of the building are included with the free admission but if we really want to see more, we can typically pay a small price to see it all. So far, we haven't done this because everything we see is new to us. Maybe we'll opt for the "extra admission" on the fourth or fifth visits.

I feel I must confess that going on free days makes me more likely to visit the gift shops. It's like eating a candy bar while drinking a diet soda.