With the economy still in recovery and consumers continuing to limit their travel and entertainment budgets, what can families do together for fun on weekends or school breaks? Consider checking out a museum or two.
While some museums choose to be a showcase for “high brow” artwork in fancy galleries where patrons talk in whispers, many museums today offer exciting programs, special events and even on-going classes.
For example, for a relatively small entry fee, you can enjoy:
Washington, DC, the International Spy Museum welcomes visitors to the world of espionage. Not only can you learn what it takes to be a spy, you can also explore all the cool gadgets spies use (think 007’s James Bond). The museum even offers Operation Secret Slumber where kids can spend the night at the museum experiencing top-secret KidSpy training.
San Francisco, the Cartoon Art Museum offers approximately 6,000 pieces of original cartoon and animation art. Its collection ranges from editorial cartoons to comic books, graphic novels to anime, Sunday funnies to Saturday morning cartoons. Every gallery wall offers a chuckle, smile or the opportunity to learn more about our cultural diversity.
For the budget conscious, seeking out local and sometimes little known museums and exhibits can provide a special learning experience on a shoestring. For example: In Kansas City the world class Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is free to the public. With its striking architecture and expansive grounds, it contains a collection of more than 33,000 pieces of art.
In stark contrast to that, the Historic Oxford School, in Leawood, KS, is a one-room schoolhouse originally built in 1877. Today the school is also free to the public most Saturdays, with a costumed docent sharing the history of the school and the surrounding rural area. Special events and classes include Laundry Day on the Prairie, which incorporates an interactive demonstration.
You don’t have to be in a big city to find great museums. Consider the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. In addition to offering Space Camp fun for all ages, it’s recognized as one of the most comprehensive U.S. manned space flight hardware museums in the world.
Their facilities include Spacedome Theater, Rocket Park and the Education Training Center, which houses NASA’s Educator Resource Center. In one of its buildings, the Davidson Center for Space Exploration, is a fully restored Saturn V rocket. This massive rocket was a key part player in the success of the Apollo program which carried the first humans to the moon.
Curious about visiting “attractions” other than just museums? Get inspired by watching “Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations” on your local Public Broadcast Service (PBS) station. Once you begin to explore what’s available, you may be surprised at all the interesting things around you!