My Favorite History and Science Museum Membership

April 9, 2014 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Hopewell Museum

Since I have written about our science museum membership from our vacations and monthly visits, I wanted a share my secret with you.

You see, I used to purchase a membership at our local science center which was part of ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated).

As part of the ASTC, members of museums that participate get FREE admission into other ASTC museums.

So, as a member in South Carolina, our family could visit the reciprocal museums on the ASTC list in Florida when we visit my family.

This membership served us well until my son’s class took a field trip to North Carolina to visit a science museum on the reciprocal list. In preparing for that visit, I made a call to that museum to make sure our membership would gain our family FREE admission.

During that call, I was informed that because the museums were within 90 miles as the crow flies, then the North Carolina museum did not honor the South Carolina museum’s membership. Totally confused with the comment about how the crow flies, I asked for clarification because the driving distance is more than 90 miles.

I was told that it was measured directly, and the two museums were 86.7 miles apart. Since they were close, the NC museum was not required to accept the reciprocal membership.

After receiving that information, I called our museum to see if they were reciprocal with the North Carolina museum and was given a similar story. Just to make sure all my bases were covered, I also called the ASTC and was again informed that museums within 90 linear miles of each other were exempt from taking reciprocal memberships.

Finding our History and Science Museum Membership

Realizing that our local science membership was no longer meeting our needs, I began a search for another museum with a less than $50 annual family membership.

After going through the reciprocal list one museum after another, I finally found my favorite history and science museum membership.

You want to know where it is? . . . in Paris, Kentucky. Yes, the Historic Paris-Bourbon County/Hopewell Museum met and exceeded our family’s parameters.

The annual individual or family membership is $45. You can become a member by either filling out the form and mailing it to the museum or by calling (859.987.7274) and making a payment over the phone.

Since paying full price for one visit for our family to the North Carolina museum was more than the $45 annual membership at HPBC/Hopewell Museum, I called the museum, made a payment, and our membership cards arrived in time for my son’s field trip.

On the day of the field trip, the North Carolina museum gave us FREE admission since our Kentucky membership was outside the 90-mile radius.

Benefits of our History and Science Museum Membership

In addition to access to the science museums in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, the HPBC/Hopewell Museum is also an historical museum.

At the time of our renewal, our membership cards also included the NARM (North American Reciprocal Museums) seal. This allows our family into over 600 historical and/or art museums in North Carolina.

Since our last renewal, this benefit has been removed from the $45 level membership but is included in the $100 level membership.

From the little bit of research I have done in sampling the reciprocal museums on the NARM list, the museum memberships from $100 and up include the NARM seal. I could not find a museum membership under $100 that included the history museums.

When we renew our membership later this year, we will upgrade to the annual $100 Supporters membership as we have a number of history museums in our area that we enjoy visiting.

Since each visit would cost around $25 and we usually visit 4 or more times a year, the annual membership is worth the investment with unlimited visits for one year.

Though our family has never visited the HPBC/Hopewell Museum, we actively enjoy our $45 family membership with the benefits of last year’s NARM inclusion. If you do not plan to use the NARM reciprocal museums, the $45 science museum membership is worth the investment and has a long list of ASTC reciprocal options.

As you plan your next getaway, you might find a science or history museum on your way. If you have a membership, you could receive FREE admission. My recommendation is to call ahead to verify that the museum still reciprocates, as policies change frequently.

Tracy’s Tip: If you live in the Kentucky vicinity, then you will want to find another science museum outside of the 90-mile radius to prevent any conflicts.

One option is the Great Valley Nature Museum in Pennsylvania where an annual family membership is $50 which includes the reciprocal science museums (ASTC) and reciprocal botanical gardens, arboretums, and conservatories through the AHS (American Horticultural Society).

Now that my secret is out, I hope you can enjoy the benefits of a science membership. Keep using time wisely with your family and friends while stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Comment: If you know of another annual family science membership under $50 that includes the NARM benefits or the AHS benefits, then please post a comment with the details. Thank you!

Vacation Savings: Reviewing and Evaluating Annual Memberships

June 29, 2013 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Can you believe summer is nearly half over? As our annual membership with our recreational district expired recently, we are ready to use our other memberships on our vacation.

With our time away quickly approaching, I am collecting research and making vacation savings plans. My plans are many, and include reviewing and evaluating annual memberships.

Reviewing Annual Memberships

The big thrill of going on vacation in our house is “what are we going to do.” Realizing that most activities cost a pretty penny, my children have begun asking if we can watch for a deal or coupon for whatever they would like to do.

As they are more money-conscience, we share more information with them about how we decide what activities to do. The fun comes when the activities are free due to our annual memberships.

By staggering our vacations late in the summer of 2012 and earlier in 2013, we get two vacations for the price of one with our annual memberships. With this strategy, we can save any extra from this year to put toward annual memberships for next year.

Keeping a watch on daily deal sites, I am able to purchase some annual memberships at 50% off. The following are our current memberships we plan to use on this trip:

As our memberships expire, we can watch for new deals and wait to activate our memberships next summer to get another 2 years of vacation memories on one membership. By working on a two-year plan, we review our annual memberships to stretch our dollars as far as they can go.

Evaluating Annual Memberships

Before purchasing any membership, I check the reciprocal list to evaluate if the pass is a good fit for our family. For example, purchasing a zoo membership down in Florida was a better deal for our family than purchasing through our local zoo in South Carolina.

We visit the Florida zoo 4-5 times a week when we visit whereas we might visit our local zoo 1-2 times a year. We still save 50% off our local zoo with our membership, but admittance into the Florida zoo with unlimited rides is FREE. Therefore, we purchase our membership for the Florida zoo.

We are thankful for the annual memberships and the benefits given to pass holders, as investing once a year reaps hours of fun all year long. In reviewing and evaluating annual memberships, all is good to go. We are ready to head down to Florida for some fun in the sun, or rain, as it has been this summer.

If you are planning a July or August vacation, consider annual memberships. Our costs ranged from $25 to over $200 for these annual memberships. Evaluate your budget and your needs, and then do a little research.

In using time wisely, our research has saved us hundreds of dollars and allowed us hours of fun. But if you don’t have the money to spend, then no matter the savings, an annual membership is not a good fit for your family. Happy savings!

Vacation Savings: Guest Passes – Part 5 of 5

November 10, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

With so many vacation savings options, I love sharing the strategies we used for our trip down to Florida.

Having generous family members scattered throughout Florida, who graciously allow us to stay and visit with them, I know our situation is rare.

But in working with our situation, we chose options that fit our budget and enjoyed a great time together while stretching our dollars.

In this 5-part series, we started with the cost breakdown of our two-week vacation where we spent less than $1,000. Then in Part 2, I shared the benefits of our zoo membership, followed by Part 3’s science membership and Part 4’s botanical gardens membership. In this last segment, I highlight guess passes.

Part 5: Guest Passes – Free

When purchasing annual memberships, some establishments offer guest passes with your membership. With our current memberships, we have guest passes with our zoo membership.

Our science and gardens membership are only for our family. With these two memberships, we had the option of selecting a level with guest passes. In finding the prices better through daily deal sites for my parents’ admission, we bypassed the upgraded membership prices.

Having grown up in Florida, I have lots of friends and family in the area. On a previous visit, we were given passes to an amusement park from my mom’s generous neighbor, who had extra tickets through his business.

On this visit, another friend graciously granted our family admission to an aquarium. With a $6 parking fee, our family enjoyed a morning walking through the aquarium, touching the sting rays, watching the sea creatures, and racing the river otters, which seem to have boundless energy.

In accepting guess passes from generous friends, our family enjoyed an additional experience for a minimal cost of $6 while stretching our dollars. As this series comes to an end, I trust by showing you how we maximized our savings that you can go forth and prosper.

While planning your next vacation, use savings strategies, like memberships and guest passes, to save money and stretch your dollars. In using time wisely, start early and enjoy planning. Happy savings!

Question: How do you plan to stretch your dollars on your next vacation?

Vacation Savings: Gardens Membership – Part 4 of 5

November 3, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

In going down to Florida for our family vacations, we repeat some of the same activities and then branch out to try new places.

In this 5-part series, I am sharing how our family stretched our dollars during our two-week vacation spending less than $1,000.

In Part 1, I gave our cost breakdown; in Part 2, I explained our zoo membership; and in Part 3, I shared the benefits of our science membership. In Part 4, I present a new-to-us gardens membership.

Part 4: Botanical Gardens Membership – $25

Researching the Information

While checking my junk e-mail account to peruse the daily deals to which I subscribe, I found an interesting Groupon – an annual membership to a botanical garden in Florida for $25. In researching the address, I found these gardens next to the Children’s museum we visit.

In addition to the close proximity to the museum, this garden has reciprocal benefits. The American Horticultural Society reciprocal list offers free admission to numerous other gardens with this one membership.

Evaluating the Information

Having never visited a botanical garden and not knowing how our young children would react to the flora, we weighed the cost vs. the benefits. Though the adventure might lack activity, our children would enjoy seeing the plants, flowers, and waterfalls while walking the paths.

Choosing an Option

Taking a chance that one or more of our family members would enjoy the visit, I checked the expiration date on the Groupon to verify we could activate our membership within the time frame. Upon confirmation, I purchased the voucher for the botanical gardens annual membership for $25.

Using our Membership

In planning our vacation day, we chose to visit the gardens before heading to the Children’s museum. When we arrived at the location, the admission counters for both the gardens and the museum were in the same place.

The admission process for the gardens took longer as the cashier verified the Groupon voucher and then activated our annual membership. I had also purchased two additional admissions from Groupon for $10 to admit my parents.

When getting our membership cards, we learned that for the month of August, membership at this garden granted us access into a unique aquarium nearby. We did take a trip over to that location on another day and enjoyed the free admission from our garden membership.

Though the day was very hot and we hurried through the last portion, the adults enjoyed the scenery more than the kids. Thankfully, we saw the garden first as we ended up staying at the museum until it closed for the day. 🙂

In researching, evaluating, choosing, and using our botanical garden membership, this purchase was worth the money. Just giving our children a different perspective was worth the investment. Had we needed to save that money, then this membership would not have been purchased.

By subscribing to daily deal sites, I snagged this garden membership deal with all the reciprocal benefits and paid half price. In stretching our dollars, we saved on the full price and gained at least two new adventures while using time wisely.

If you know your next destination, then subscribe to daily deal sites, check your e-mail, and verify expiration dates before purchasing. In using time wisely, you can plan a fun vacation while stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Question: What does your family enjoy doing on vacation?

Vacation Savings: Science Membership – Part 3 of 5

October 27, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

In stretching our dollars to fund our 2+ week family vacation within a $1,000 budget, we combined savings strategies with patience.

In Part 1 of this series, I posted the cost breakdown of our vacation. The reasons and price tag of our zoo membership comprised Part 2. Today, I will share our most versatile annual pass, our science membership.

Part 3: Science Membership – $35

Researching the Information

Our local science museum does not offer much, but the membership is worth the money for the reciprocal benefits. Unlike the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Association of Science-Technology Centers compiles one list of all the approved science centers.

When you purchase an annual membership with one of the centers on the list, then your annual family membership gives you free admission to all the other centers on the list. Wow . . .what a money saver!

Evaluating the Information

In looking over the science centers on the list, our family has limited options in South Carolina. However, there are a number of science centers in Florida. With our membership, our family could enjoy all the listed science centers paying the one price of $35 for the year. Each of the other centers in Florida offered family memberships starting at $99.

Choosing an Option

Though our family has no plans to visit our local science museum, purchasing this annual family membership is worth every penny. This $35 price is a discount through my husband’s work and does not drop any lower in cost with discounts or daily deal sites, so we purchased our family membership and received two membership cards.

Using our Membership

While we were in Florida, our family attended a multi-building and multi-floored science center as well as a Children’s museum. Other options available were an air museum and an aquatic center which we did not see. My children enjoyed the Children’s museum so much that we visited two different days.

Among the tree house, farm area, large sand box made from bits of rubber – not sand, the fire station, clay creations, grocery store, pizzeria, golf, cafeteria, veterinarian office, and many more areas, my kids had a ball. The best part, our admission was free in Florida because we purchased our science membership in South Carolina prior to our visit.

In researching, evaluating, choosing, and using our science membership, our family enjoyed multiple venues while on vacation and can repeat these activities within the year. In using time wisely to plan for our vacation, we purchased an annual science membership in South Carolina accepted at two additional centers in Florida.

As you plan for your next vacation, spend time researching your science center options. In using time wisely, you might find a science membership your ticket to stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Question: How often does your family visit a science museum?