Our new Christmas tradition

Every year our kids get toys all the time, on birthdays, holidays, and just because. We are running out of space with all their stuff. It seems like the more we give away, the more we have.

This past Christmas, we asked the family to get the kid’s experiences instead of toys. Of course, in true family fashion, nobody listened. However, my boyfriend and I stuck to the plan. Santa brought some small toys, and we bought them memberships.

You are probably wondering what I mean when I say memberships. Places like zoos, aquariums, museums, and others offer memberships. These memberships come with free admission, gift shop discounts, discounts to other locations associated with the company, and discounts for special events or guests. You pay one price for a year (some are monthly) to get access to these perks.

Memberships we bought

We bought three different memberships, a children’s museum, a zoo, and a science center. Each membership varies in price and discounts available. When looking into the memberships, do your research to ensure that it fits what you are looking for, and you will be getting back your investment and then some. Most memberships have multiple membership levels, depending on family size and the perks you are looking for.

• The Strong National Museum of Play price for this one was $154. This includes admission (for one year) for two adults and four children (under 18 years old), six free parking tickets, four rides on the carousel, a $1 discount for the rope course and butterfly garden, a 10% discount at the gift shop, 50% discount (for up to six people) to participating ACM Reciprocal museums, and member-only exhibit previews and discounts on select museum events.
• Ithaca Science Center, the price for this one was $85 (they have increased it to $100). This includes free admission (for one year) for two adults and all children living in the same household, free entry to over 325 ASTC science museums worldwide, 10% off Sciencecenter giftshop, and discounts on birthday parties, mini-golf, and summer camp.
• The Buffalo Zoo, the price for this depends on your family size. We paid $90 for free admission (for a year) for two adults and two children (my son is not technically included in the membership price because he is free). Discounts for the gift shop, photos, rides, and drinks. Discounts at other AZA locations.

If you plan on using your memberships at other locations, call in advance to ensure they participate in the program. Be sure to ask what the discount price is. Most memberships can be purchased online and as gifts. If you are buying online and have questions call the location to get all answers. You can find lists of partcipating locations for all associations online. I printed out all three associations list to reference it when we are planning an adventure.

So far, we have gone to multiple locations with each membership. The discounts range from free to 50% admission. Follow along to see all the places and my reviews for each.