Do you have more than $1,600 put
aside for museum visits with your kids? No? Me neither.
However in March 2013 I paid $65 for a two year membership to the
. I knew this was a wise investment because of the generous reciprocal membership program they offer to hundreds of museums and science centers nationwide.
That decision would save me more than $1,600 over the course of just one year of using the membership.
It is a reciprocal membership through the
.
How it works:
Visit a center listed on their membership list and present your membership card and driver's license to access the center. There are a few exclusions which you can read about
Our travels:
We have visited 10 museums or science centers in the past year, some with multiple visits. In fact when we are on road trips, I plan trips around some of the locations featured on the ASTC Passport list.
This is one of the ways we travel frugally, instead of hitting sites that require fees we search for free or cheap options. The membership has expanded opportunities for our roadtripping adventures.
Breakdown for my family of five (two adults and three children):
Fort Worth Science Center Fort Worth, Texas: $66 family 1 visit
Tellus Science Center Cartersville, GA: $58 1 visit
Adventure Science Center, Nashville, TN: $59 1 visit
Cincinnati Natural History & Science Museum, Cincinnati, OH: $40.50 1 visit
US Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL: $85 each visit, 8 visits = $680
Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, AL: $32 each visit, 5 visits = $160
Sci-Quest Huntsville, AL: $47 each visit, 4 visits = $188
Mary G. Hardin Center, Gadsden, AL: $27 each visit, 4 visits = $108
Fernbank Science Center Free to everyone but they are still a member
1 - Visit = $0
Fernbank Musuem of Natural History, Atlanta, GA: $84 each visit, 3 visits = $252
Total $1,611.50
So for math's sake I'll subtract $65 from my total savings. That gives me a total of $1,546.50.
Now let's divide that total by $65.
That means that the membership has paid for itself almost 28 times.
So how can you do the same?
If you are interested in joining the Southern Museum of Flight go
. However you can join any of the local ASTC members near you and replicate the same savings.
While your out of pocket expense for memberships may vary, the perks are the same for everyone.
It's a powerful and frugal tool to entertain and educate your children.