6 Ways to Save at a Museum

PREVIOUSLY ABANDONED FOR trips to the beach and other venues further afield, museums are finding their way back onto families' schedules.

"It's the concept of the staycation," says Ford Bell, president of the American Association of Museums. "[High fuel prices are] keeping people closer to home."

While the trend is bad news for the broader travel industry, locally-based attractions like museums smell an opportunity. As a result, museums across the country are offering a slew of special promotions and discounts to help lure visitors through their marbled thresholds, says Dana Hines, president and CEO of Membership Consultants, which helps institutions like zoos and museums market to and sign up new members. Minneapolis' famed Walker Art Center, for example, teams up with large corporations and local businesses to offer discounted or, occasionally even free, admission.

"If you're trying to save money, there are museums of every type and size all over the country," Bell says. "There are more museums than Starbucks, by far."

Here's how to stroll through the storied halls of a museum for little to no cost.

Corporations love to attach their brand name to various cultural events and institutions — and museums are no exception. Retail giant Target (TGT) sponsors free or reduced admission days and evenings at more than 70 cultural institutions around the country. Visitors arriving at New York's Museum of Modern Art between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Fridays, for example, don't have to pay the museum's typically pricey $20 admission fee thanks to such a program. In total, Target sponsors more than 1,500 free admission events. Check Target's web site to see which museums it's partnered with and for a schedule of events.

Another big museum supporter, Bank of America (BAC), offers its cardholders free admission to more than 70 museums across the country during the first weekend of every month. The program, which began as a summer promotion in 1997, was recently expanded to run year-round. "It's helping people get access to institutions they wouldn't otherwise go to," says Ernesto Anguilla, of Bank of America. Check Bank of America's web site for details.

Many public libraries offer free museum passes that you can check out for a certain number of days just like you would a library book. The partnership, explains Bell, makes sense: both libraries and museums provide cultural and learning opportunities for the local community. Check with your local library to see what they may offer.

Besides emergency vehicle assistance and maps for your next road trip, local AAA branches often offer discounts to area museums and other attractions. Members can typically save between 10% and 20%. At the Sports Museum of America in New York City, for example, flashing a AAA card will save you $5 off the $27 adult admission price. Visit Ouraaa.com and enter your zip code to find a list of discounted attractions in your area.

If you decide to get away for a long a weekend, make sure to check in with the hotel's front desk to see what kind of museum discounts they might offer. The Ritz-Carlton, in Cleveland, for example, offers a "Reconnect with the City" package that boasts deluxe accommodations and two tickets to the Cleveland Museum of Art starting at $269 per night. The popular package attracts just as many visitors from the local community as it does out-of-towners, says Gina Berila, public relations coordinator at the Ritz-Carlton.

Check your nearest museum's web site for any preferred hotel listings. Also, when booking your hotel room, make sure to ask the reservationist about any special offers or package deals.

Last year, 24 million people visited the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. and not a single one of them paid a dime. The Smithsonian isn't the only institution offering always-free admission; about one-third of museums around the country don't charge at the door, according to Bell.

Live near a college or university? You're in luck — most campus museums are free and open to the public. In addition to exhibits not available elsewhere, university museums also offer extensive programming, like lectures, films and gallery talks, says David Robertson, director of the Block Museum at Northwestern University and President of the Association of College and University Museums and Galleries. Another bonus: fewer crowds during the summer.

Hold off until September and gain free admission to one of 700 museums thanks (again) to the Smithsonian. On Saturday September 27, the organization will sponsor National Smithsonian Free Museum Day. Anyone with a Museum Day pass, available at the Smithsonian web site or in the September issue of Smithsonian Magazine, is eligible. Karen Mendolia, promotion manager at Smithsonian Magazine, says the event is a way to bring culture to people in their own backyard.

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