Christie Dedman/News Staff

Either you're ending spring break or starting spring break -- either way here are some things to consider if you're staying close to home.

Take the kids on day trips -- exploring Alabama and pack lots of snacks and sandwiches so the only out of pocket expense is gas and possibly park admission.}

REDIBLY LONG LIST OF A

Cook's Natural Science Museum
412 13th Street SE
Decatur, AL 35601
256-350-9347

Hours of Operation:
Monday—Saturday
9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.
(closed for lunch 12:00 p.m.—1:00 p.m.)

Sunday 2:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.

CLOSED
New Years Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Bird observatory

Museum and more

It's free.

Go here 

Tigers for Tomorrow Spring Break Specials Now - April 12 | al.com

Easter 2012: Bargain Mom Easter Egg Hunt & Event Round-up (updated)

Check out the list and find some hunts to hit this weekend...

Pinson CityFest 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free Cake, Free rides TODAY

There's a fun free event in Pinson this morning through 3 p.m.

Don't Forget See Blue Angels Today & Saturday in Tuscaloosa + My video from yesterday's practice

Head down to Tuscaloosa - take a picnic and checkout all the acts...

Montgomery Zoo Mann Wildlife Zoo Weekend Saturday & Sunday

Tomorrow and Sunday check out what the Montgomery Zoo is offering...

HERE ARE SO

M DEPARTMENT:

HERE ARE SOME EVENTS FROM THE STATE PARKS:

Alabama Civil War Trail Features 47 Low Cost Sites + Free Map

for more details.

FREE EVENTS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE MUSEUM ALL WEEK LONG DURING SPRING BREAK.

GO HER

NDAR.

DOTHAN

Toadlick Music Festival in Dothan, Alabama

toadlick.com

Toadlick has a 2011 Corvette up for grabs as a door prize. One lucky ticket holder will have a nice ride home from the event.

No discounts however they are having a membership drive where you can get a $100 coupon book once you purchase a membership.

Go here for admission and membership details.

--

Whoooo's There?

Monday March 26, 2012 :
The Amphitheatre/ The Arbor-rain site

[ Read more. ]

Southeastern Raptor Demonstration
Friday March 30, 2012 :
The Amphitheatre

There is a show at 11:00 a.m. and a show at 1:00 p.m.

[ Read more. ]

Save on admission by joining the Southern Museum of Flight for $30 for the entire family.

They have a reciprocal relationship with the center so you'll get in free!

Go

ut the Southern Museum of Flight membership

Hours and Admission

Hours: Old Alabama Town is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Our last ticket is sold at 3 p.m. We're closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Admission: Adults, $10; Children ages 6-18, $5. Free to ages 5 and younger. A 10 percent discount is offered to AAA, military and seniors.

Cathedral Caverns State Park Headquarters 637 Cave Road Woodville, AL. 35776 256-728-8193The Park is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m 

Here's a brief description:

Monday- Saturday
8:30- 5:00

Sunday
Closed

Caverns Admission

Adults                          $15.95

Child (4-12)                   $8.95

Under 4                          Free

Group Rates        $10.95/$5.95
(15 or More)

GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS.

Adult Caverns Tour $18.99
ONE YEAR Adult Cave Tour for just $5 more $23.99
Child Caverns Tour (ages 3-11) $16.99
ONE YEAR Child Cave Tour for just $5 more $21.99

Civil War soldiers, a Talking Tree and whimmy diddles - see them all at the EarlyWorks Museums- Alabama Constitution Village, the Historic Huntsville Depot and EarlyWorks Children's History Museum.

Admission: $12 for adults, $5 for kids age 6-12 and free for kids age 5 and younger.

Hours:  Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 7 days a week with the exception of major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Easter). Extended summer hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week

Admissions:

--

Palisades Park in Blount County -- Go here.

-- Go

-- miniature Jerusalem.  Go

-- great for kids.  Go

Little River Canyon i

n Fort Payne is a nature lovers' paradise.  Hike down to the bottom of the gorge, check out the falls up close and enjoy some majestic birds.

You'll spot hawks, eagles, vultures and falcons from overlooks.  Take a picnic.

There are also a ton of kid friendly parks in downtown Fort Payne.  Go

www.nps.gov/liri

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center in East Lake

-- They've got a brand new nature center and trails galore.

explore Native American culture and more each day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Go

primitive craft fair.

Adult/$6

Senior Citizen (age 60+)/$5.50

Child(4–17)/$5 & ages 3 & under/free

This is a fun museum to explore.

G

or more info.

Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–5 p.m. Sunday 1–5 p.m.

Rickwood Caverns State Park in Hayden

It's $1 to get in and enjoy just the park, trails and playground.

Cave tours are only available on weekends.

Saturday and Sunday schedule:

10:15 a.m.

12:15 p.m.

2:15 & 4:15

Cave Tour Admission Fee:

Age 12 to adult: $10

Age 6 to 11: $5

Under age 6: FREE with parent or guardian

Group discount: $2 off each person for groups of 25 or more.

and more.

Oak Mountain State Park

C

heck out the Alabama Wildlife Refuge Center.

The Wildlife Center: Located in Oak Mountain State Park, it is the largest wildlife rehabilitation center in Alabama and cares for over 2,000 injured and orphaned wild creatures each year. Visitors may view the rehabilitation process through one-way glass and learn about native species.

$3 for adults

Mt. Cheaha --

The tallest point in Alabama is a beautiful drive through the mountains.  Take Bald Rock trail out to a gorgeous overlook.

Bring a picnic for sure.  There are some great hiking trails.

on, hours and directions.

Southern Museum of Flight by the Birmingham Airport will more than likely have a

spring break kickoff activity for kids soon. For now they do hav ea new kite exhibit starting March 12

Colorful Kite Tales Exhibit & Programs

Colorful Kite Tales Exhibition chronicles the colorful history and science of kites. These sixteen panels and an array of kites detail kite basics and historical kiting events Developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services and on loan by the Drachen Foundation of Seattle, Washington.

Free with Museum Admission

Members Free

Group Tours with Hand-on Kite-Making Available - $7 per person

Go here for more info.

Active military and their families are admitted free.

Adults are $6, Seniors & students are $5 - children 3 and under are free.

Open Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Vulcan Park is also another option.

Go here to learn more about their coming events.

Daily Admission Rates (plus tax) 10 am - 6 pm:

(Includes park grounds, Vulcan Center Museum and Observation Balcony)

$6 Adults

$5 Seniors (65+)

$4 Children ages 5-12

Children 4 years and under are admitted free.

and more.

They also have some great kids games and information for you to share with your kids before you get there.

Address:

300 North Commons Street, West

Tuscumbia, Alabama  35674

(256) 383-4066

Hours:

Monday through Saturday 8:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Last tour starts at 3:45 p.m. daily

Home Tour Admission:

Adults..........................................$6.00

Students ages 5 -18..................$2.00

Seniors & "AAA" members......$5.00

Military (Active and Retired).....$5.00

Group of 20 or more..................Adults $5 & Children $1.50 (Group reservations requested)

American Village in Montevallo -

Go

sion.

Mondays - Fridays from 10-4 PM

in Anniston -

Turk

/turkey-creek

Alabama Veterans Memorial off I-459

.htm

Birmingham Civil Rights Museum

is free on Sundays only from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

: http://www.bcri.org/index.html

Arlington Antebellum Home

is open Tuesday through Saturday.

$5 for adults and $3 for kids 18 and under.

http://

htm

Also --

- $3 or less for park entrance.

County Rd 314

Natural Bridge, AL 35577

(205) 486-5330

GO

F BIRMINGHAM EVENTS FOR ALL AGES.

GO

F HUNTSVILLE DECATUR MADISON EVENTS FOR ALL AGES.

GO H

ERY EVENTS FOR ALL AGES.

GO

LL LIST OF MOBILE EVENTS FOR ALL AGES.

GO

LIST OF TUSCALOOSA EVENTS FOR ALL AGES.

GO

PARK EVENTS.

ATLANTA --

Here are the details:

Admission to the museum during games is one token ($2) and $5 on non-game days. Walk-up tour tickets are $12 for adults, $7 for children and $10 for groups of 20 or more. Walk-up tickets can be purchased at the Braves ticket window at Turner Field and groups of 20 or more must make reservations two weeks in advance by calling (404) 614-2311 or emailing turnerfieldtours@braves.com. Prices for school groups are listed below.

Hours of Operation

Baseball Season (April - September)
Monday - Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sunday 1-3 p.m.
Tours are not available on days when the Braves have afternoon home games.

Off-Season (October - March)
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Closed: MLK Day, Thanksgiving Day, December 23-January 2

Tours start at the top of each hour and last approximately one hour. No reservations are necessary for individuals or groups of less than 20 people. Tickets can be purchased the day of your tour at the main ticket window. Free parking is available in the Green Lot.

SPECIAL SPRING BREAK EVENTS in AG Stores

- home of Brier Rabbit author Joel Chandler Harris.

This is a kid friendly museum

We're open from 10:00am - 2:30pm Tuesday through Saturday, with

. We are closed Sunday and Monday.

Admission

• Walk-In Tours
• $5 for children
• $7 for seniors and students
• $8 for adults

Stone Mountain Park in Georgia

-- www.

m

They are open daily.

They are 16 miles east of Atlanta

The park is open 6 a.m. to midnight.

However attraction hours vary.

Adventure pass is $27 plus tax for Adults  $21 for kids -- Go here for ticket pricing.

You can save on tickets by stopping by a Kroger and purchasing tickets there.

To see what's going on next week go here.  You can just click on the date and all of the available attractions will appear on the screen.

This is about a 3 hour drive from Birmingham so you could easily make this a day trip.

Stone Mountain Park

Spring Fun Break: March 31-April 7 http://social.stonemountainpark.com/rqT

Spring FUN Break: March 31-April 7

Source: social.stonemountainpark.com

fter you’ve climbed up Geyser Towers, experience all of the exciting Stone Mountain Park attractions. Challenge yourself on Sky Hike, one of the nation’s largest adventure ropes courses. Engage your senses with the wildest bears on Earth at the YOGI BEAR 4-D Adventure, plus much more. Spring FUN Break also features activities and entertainment for the whole family. Click here for a sneak peek of all of the fun entertainment that’s in store!

Cabbage Patch Babyland General Hospital -- Cleveland, Ga.

They are open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST time.

Sundays 9 to 4 p.m. CST

Admission is FREE.

They are located in Cleveland, Ga.  It's a bit of a drive, however it's worth it.

They've got new digs and it's really fun for the kids.

We took the kids to old location and they really enjoyed it.

You can actually watch a new Cabbage Patch Kid be born via a blooming cabbage.  It's really sweet.

It's an hour & a half north of Atlanta.

Go

ut the details.

KENTUCKY --

Creation Museum Buy one get 3 free, admission with a valid college ID

As a bonus, when you arrive at the museum, you can also register to win a $75 gift card for a pizza party from your friends at Answers in Genesis! See flyer for details.

What: Buy 1 Adult Admission Ticket and get 3 additional tickets for free
When: March 16, 23, 30, and April 6, 13, and 20
Where: Creation Museum, 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, KY 41080 (seven miles west of the Cincinnati airport)

Fine print: Limit 3 free admissions with 1 paid full price adult admission. Must show current valid college student ID for each free ticket received. Tickets must be used on day of purchase. Not valid with any other promotion or discount.

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky

--

Go here for more info.

This might be a long day trip or an overnighter.

However it's packed with adventure for any age child.

It's only 4 hours 36 minutes  from downtown Birmingham on I-65 north.

The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky --

G

for more info.

The NCM is open 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) 7 days a week - year round. NCM is closed only on Easter, Thanksgiving day, December 24th and 25th, and New Years day.

Phone: 270.781.7973 ~ Fax: 270.781.5286 ~ Toll Free: 800.53.VETTE

Admission to the museum is: $10.00 adults, $5.00 children 6-16, 5 years or younger are FREE, family rate $25.00 and Senior Citizens (55 or older) $8.00. Plant tours must be arranged with the plant and there is a $7.00 fee. Click for more information.

Go

It's free.

Here's a brief description:

Memorial Building interior is closed for renovation.

Renovations to this 100-year-old memorial are fulfilling the National Park Service mission of preservation. The park is open daily from 8 AM - 4:45 PM (ET).

Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln

Visitors can view the exterior of the first memorial built to honor Abraham Lincoln. This memorial, with its formal landscape, protects the birth site of our 16th president. Visit the unique Sinking Spring which was the family’s water source and namesake of the farm. The Visitor Center offers an information desk, exhibits, a 15-minute video Abraham Lincoln: The Kentucky Years, and a bookstore.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

2995 Lincoln Farm Road

Hodgenville, Kentucky 42748

Phone Visitor Information (270) 358-3137

This will be about a 5 hour drive.

Check out the Amish country in Tennessee

This will be about a 2 hour drive from downtown Birmingham.

Go h

e around and visit some of the stores.

It's a beautiful area.

Graceland Coupon: Save up to $24 on your visit (3 new exhibits included)

Get this coupon if you plan to visit Graceland...

While bird shows and animal encounters are offered every day in the Ranger Rick gallery, youngsters will have even more to explore as Keeper Kids during spring break from March 10^th through April 8^th. Children, ages six and up, may choose two of the 19 different daily activities being offered FREE with Aquarium admission. They explore "Keepers Only" areas to meet penguin experts, feed feisty otters, make toys for playful parrots or discover what it's like to care for sharks, sea turtles or reptiles. Each program lasts approximately 15 to 20 minutes and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. "They get to discover more about our animals and what it takes to care for them," said Graves. "A few leave wanting to work for the Aquarium as biologists, but many more head out excited to explore nature with eyes wide open."

To see the complete list of Keeper Kids activities, go to:  http://www.tnaqua.org/SpringBreak.aspx

Families may choose to explore nature aboard the River Gorge Explorer. The Williams Island Family Adventure Cruises give everyone a chance to view a heron rookery and osprey nest during a special 90-minute excursion for kids. Naturalists lead an on-board scavenger hunt in addition to their duties pointing out wildlife and historic points of interest. "A pair of bald eagles is frequently seen near Williams Island," said Aquarium naturalist John Dever. "Our younger passengers always have fun identifying and calling out great blue herons and kingfishers. It's fun to see them getting excited about wildlife." The Williams Island Family Adventure cruises depart from the Chattanooga Pier daily at 12:30 pm from March 10^th through April 8^th. Special Spring Break pricing will be offered for these cruises: $20 / per person (age 3 and up), $18 / per person under age 3. To make a reservation, go to: http://www.tnaqua.org/RiverGorgeExplorer/BoatSchedule.aspx

According to the National Wildlife Federation, fueling a passion for nature has many benefits for children. The organization cites research showing that environment-based education boosts critical thinking and raises test scores. And, children that spend time outdoors are more likely to; maintain healthy weight, have reduced stress levels and develop teamwork and problem solving skills more quickly than children who have less exposure to nature. (See NWF's "Be Out There" page at: http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There/Why-Be-Out-There/Benefits.aspx )

Spring Break fun continues at the IMAX 3D Theater. Guests have three giant screen adventures to enjoy. The Last Reef 3D uses new underwater 3D technology to lead audiences on a journey through brightly-colored coral reefs. These "Cities Beneath the Sea" are bustling with amazing creatures from sharks to jellyfish. Born to be Wild 3D is a heart-warming story of two women who have dedicated their lives to saving baby animals. One helps raise baby orangutans in the jungles of Borneo while the other saves baby elephants living in the rugged savannah in Kenya. Tornado Alley 3D places viewers in the Tornado Intercept Vehicle with storm chaser Sean Casey.  The filmmaker races across the Great Plains to document how researchers study severe weather at point blank range to better understand tornado formation. For showtimes or to purchase tickets online, go to: http://www.tnaqua.org/IMAX.aspx

Learn about additional Chattanooga Spring Break Safari adventures at: http://springbreaksafari.com

###

The Tennessee Aquarium inspires wonder, appreciation and protection of water and all life that it sustains. Admission is $24.95 per adult and $14.95 per child, ages 3-12. Each ticket purchased helps support Aquarium conservation programs. The IMAX® 3D Theater is next door to the Aquarium. Ticket prices are $9.95 per adult and $8.50 per child. Aquarium/IMAX combo tickets are $30.95 for adults and $20.95 for children. Excursions aboard the new River Gorge Explorer depart daily into "Tennessee's Grand Canyon." Cruise tickets are $29.00 per adult and $21.50 per child (3-12). Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.tnaqua.org or by phone at 1-800-262-0695. The Aquarium, located on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, is a non-profit organization. Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Aquarium and IMAX are accessible to people with disabilities.

Gaylord Opryland Resort

Spring Break with Friends from Madagascar event! Have fun with other families in our "Can't be Tamed Family Games"--a good-natured competition designed for parents and children alike. Our DJ brings you to the tropics with his rockin' selection of tunes, while friends from Madagascar—Alex, King Julien, Gloria, Skipper and Kowalski—join in for a game or two! The fa...See More

DreamWorks Experience - Spring Break with Friends from Madagascar at Gaylord Opryland

www.gaylordhotels.com

Join us for an evening of tropical family fun! Your favorite characters from DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar - Alex, King Julien, Gloria, and the Penguins Skipper and Kowalski! - will all be here at Gaylord Opryland for a tropical DJ party and DreamWorks-themed games for the entire family.