OnTheBrink Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 If you lived 200 miles from Chicago, would you purchase memberships at the museums there? OR, would you just pay the regular admission. Would having the membership motivate you to drive up and visit the museums more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Dh and I are talking about joining a water park next year that's 1 1/2 hours away. Once we've been 3 times, we will have paid for it. For our local zoo, we had to visit 8 or 9 times to pay for the membership. Since it's local, we do that easily. If you only have to visit 4 or 5 times to pay for the membership, it's much different than if you have to visit 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I live only 40ish miles from Chicago and even we do not get there enough to justify the cost of a membership. Gas or train fare and then food makes a museum jaunt too $$$$. 200 miles is pretty far to travel just for a museum visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 I live only 40ish miles from Chicago and even we do not get there enough to justify the cost of a membership. Gas or train fare and then food makes a museum jaunt too $$$$. 200 miles is pretty far to travel just for a museum visit. I hadn't even factored in food costs. And, I just remembered--toll roads! Hmmm. I'm thinking just paying the admission might be the way to go. I think we'd have to visit the Field Museum 3x to pay for the pass. I don't think we'd drive up there that much. We're driving up Tuesday and going to TRY to work in the Art Institute and Field Museum in one day. Dd is more interested in the Field, but we'll consult with the folks we're going with to determine if we skip the AI and spend the whole day at the Field. Either way, it's going to be F.U.N! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 If you lived 200 miles from Chicago, would you purchase memberships at the museums there? OR, would you just pay the regular admission. Would having the membership motivate you to drive up and visit the museums more? We live about an hour and a half from Chicago and go to the museum or aquarium maybe every 2 years. I don't think even having a memebership would make us go more, especially with gas prices and everything going up. If money is not an option for you, you might try it for a year and see if that makes you go more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I'd check to see if the museum in question is part of a museum reciprocity organization. Usually it will say on their website - it would be an included benefit of membership. I would check the list to see what museums are closer to my house, then I would check out *their* membership information. Many times, I have been able to get a membership to a local museum for much less money than it would cost for a membership at the far-away museum (sometimes even for less than just a regular family admission price at the far-away museum!), and then still get into the far-away museum for free or for a good discount. Plus, we support a local museum that we could actually visit more frequently. The reciprocity organizations are usually set up by museum type, although some museums belong to more than one group. http://www.aza.org/foreveryone/reciprocity/ http://www.astc.org/about/index.htm http://www.nhnature.org/pdf/ancareciprocal2007.pdf http://www.childrensmuseums.org/visit/reciprocal.htm http://www.mohistory.org/membership/timetravelers http://www.slam.org/files/Reciprocal%20Museums.pdf http://www.greenvillemuseum.org/narm_mem.html And don't forget about Museum Day on September 27th! http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/about.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy in IL Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I live in Chicago. I have a membership at the Boston Children's Museum. I chose that one because if I had a membership at a local museum, the other local museums won't accept it - the Field Museum is particularly strict about this policy. The Boston Children's Museum was the least expensive one that was part of both the science museum association and the children's museum association. I can get into nearly all the museums in Chicago for free. The Art Institute admits teachers free, so bring a homeschool assotiation card with you if you have one. As far as food in Chicago, why not pack a lunch and then only eat out for dinner? Eat dinner on the way out of downtown, and you won't have to pay the downtown prices. Parking will still cost you unless you felt ambitious enough to find a place to park near the train and take it into the city. I see the train from my front porch, but we usually end up driving and paying to park because it's just easier. If you get there at the right time and are lucky, you can sometimes find parking on Columbus Drive south of Buckingham Fountain and walk to the museum along the lakefront. Have fun Tuesday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 I live in Chicago. I have a membership at the Boston Children's Museum. I chose that one because if I had a membership at a local museum, the other local museums won't accept it - the Field Museum is particularly strict about this policy. The Boston Children's Museum was the least expensive one that was part of both the science museum association and the children's museum association. I can get into nearly all the museums in Chicago for free. The Art Institute admits teachers free, so bring a homeschool assotiation card with you if you have one. As far as food in Chicago, why not pack a lunch and then only eat out for dinner? Eat dinner on the way out of downtown, and you won't have to pay the downtown prices. Parking will still cost you unless you felt ambitious enough to find a place to park near the train and take it into the city. I see the train from my front porch, but we usually end up driving and paying to park because it's just easier. If you get there at the right time and are lucky, you can sometimes find parking on Columbus Drive south of Buckingham Fountain and walk to the museum along the lakefront. Have fun Tuesday! Aren't you a Smarty McSmartington? What a great idea! I'll have to check out the Boston Children's Museum and see if that plan will work for us. I do think I'll just pay to park. I noticed the Field has a Mc Donalds inside so we my opt for that for lunch. After a quick conversation with my friend, we decided on the Field for the day. My dd wants to see the Nature Unleashed exhibit and her dd wants to see the Mythic Creatures exhibit, so we'll get a Platinum Pass and do those two, as well as see the rest of the stuff. It'll be nice to get out of town and look at a real city again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I live in Chicago. I have a membership at the Boston Children's Museum. I chose that one because if I had a membership at a local museum, the other local museums won't accept it - the Field Museum is particularly strict about this policy. The Boston Children's Museum was the least expensive one that was part of both the science museum association and the children's museum association. I can get into nearly all the museums in Chicago for free. Have fun Tuesday! I went to the Boston site and looked at the agreement - is said something about having to be at least from 90 miles away...do they ask you for proof of where you are coming from when you use your Boston card at Field or Museum of Sci. and Industry??? We are but 40 miles from Chicago.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 If you lived 200 miles from Chicago, would you purchase memberships at the museums there? OR, would you just pay the regular admission. Would having the membership motivate you to drive up and visit the museums more? Well, when I lived in North Carolina the science museums had a rule that to get the reciprocal rate for partner museums they had to be more than 90 minutes apart. So, I found it was useful to purchase a membership at the museum that was farthest away. eta: d'oh, I see this is already under discussion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy in IL Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 They ask for your zip code. Mine is right in Chicago, just outside of the loop. I have never had a problem getting in. I think it is the museum your membership is at that has to be 90 miles away. They have never asked why I have a membership in a state I have never been in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 One other consideration is that many memberships are tax-deductible. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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