Frugal & Free Summer Adventure Excursions to do with your Family

If you are anything like me you are looking for some really fun things to do this summer with your family; but have limited funding to accomplish this.

 For many years now I have discovered several frugal ways to get free passes to hundreds of family fun destinations across the country; no matter where you are from or are traveling too.

To that end, I have compiled the following from various web sites so that this information is altogether in one place and is very handy when making summertime plans.

Family Fun with Free Passes to Museums or Parks

1. 'Target Free Sundays' is a program that provides free admission on specific Sundays to culturally diverse museums.

This is a partial list of Target free sites

The Studio Museum in Harlem, NY

http://www.studiomuseum.org/target-free-sundays/

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, CA

http://www.asianart.org/hoursandadmission.htm

Latin American Museum Long Beach, CA

http://events.presstelegram.com/long-beach-ca/events/show/87658823-target-free-sundays-at-museum-of-latin-american-art

The Chicago Children's Museum,

http://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/target_philosophy.html

The Charles H Wright Museum

http://www.maah-detroit.org/events_programs/events.html

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Texas

http://www.artshound.com/event/detail/23149

Other Free Target Venues taken from wikipedia

"Target also sponsors the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, New York. It hosts Target Free Friday Nights, providing to all visitors free admission to the museum during Fridays after 4 p.m. The company also hosts Target First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum. A similar Target-sponsored program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art called "Free after Five" provides free admission in the evening throughout the week. Tuesdays are free at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois, courtesy of Target. In its hometown of Minneapolis, Target sponsors the Target Free Thursday Nights at the Walker Art Center, where admission is free after 4 p.m. as well as in its sister-city Saint Paul hosting "Target Third Free Sundays" at the Minnesota Children's Museum. In Boston, Massachusetts, Target sponsors $1 Friday Nights at Boston Children's Museum from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m."

2. 'Museums on Us'  sponsored by Bank of America

For the 2009-2010 season, there are more than 100 museums in 27 different states participating.  Many major museums participate in this program, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Art Institute of Chicago, LACMA in LA, deYoung and Legion of Honor in San Francisco, just to name a few.

To participate you must have a Bank of America debit card and each cardholder gets free general admission during these eligible weekends to the participating museums.

Weekend dates:

July 4-5, 2009
August 1-2, 2009
September 5-6, 2009
October 3-4, 2009
November 7-8, 2009
December 5-6, 2009
January 2-3, 2010

For more details and list of museums near you, go to:
http://museums.bankofamerica.com/

3. Local Libraries offer free Museum and or State Park Passes

Most work like checking out a book. There are a limited number of passes available each week and the passes cover admittance into museums for up to four people. The passes are checked out quickly but getting to the Library early could mean enjoying a free family activity.  

 Below is a list of some of the Libraries that I have had a chance to experience this with:

•  Great Kids Museum Passport available at all public libraries in Chicago. Thee are one week passes that provide free admission into one of 13 museums. www.chipublib.org and search 'Kraft Great Kids Museum Passes'.
• Jefferson County, Colorado offers free museum passes every day. To view the locations and reserve a pass go to www.jefferson.lib.co.us and search for 'culture pass'.
• Museum Adventures Pass is a one week pass available in Minnesota and Detroit libraries. This pass admits up to four people into 24 different museums, zoos, and exhibition locations in Minnesota (www.melsa.org/MuseumAdventurePass) and 28 diverse locations in Detroit. (www.detroitadventurepass.org). You can visit one or everyone of them during the week.
• The Boston Public Library offers reduced and free admission to a variety of local museums, the New England Aquarium, and Wheelock Family Theatre. www.bpl.org and search 'museum pass program'.

Thanks to Tammy N. I am adding further information

"Georgia Library Park Pass Loan Program

Here's the info from the www.getoutdoorsgeorgia.com webpage

Any Georgian who holds a valid library card can borrow a Georgia State Park "ParkPass" and Historic Site Pass from their local libraries. The passes are good for free parking or admission at any of the 63 parks and historic sites statewide for up to five days. Because of the expected popularity of the Park Pass loaner program, families interested in borrowing a ParkPass from their local public libraries are advised to plan early, as supplies of the Park Pass are limited. "

Check with your local library for other similar program

4. Last but not least is the National Parks Service Fee- Free - Weekends

Fee-Free weekends this summer:

• June 20-21, 2009 (Father's Day weekend)
• July 18-19, 2009
• August 15-16, 2009

100 national parks Listed by State

And to make the fun even more affordable, many national parks are joining the National Park Service in welcoming visitors on this summer's fee free weekends with the their own special offers.

I hope you enjoy this summer as frugally as possible and ultilize this compilation; my family has had a blast traveling the country and participating in some of these activities.