Get some culture in your life

I'm always on the lookout for fun, cheap, and this time of year, indoor things to do with the kiddos.  We are lucky to live in a major metropolitan area, and while Phoenix isn't exactly known for it's diverse culture, there are a few museums and things to do with the kids.  Our favorites include, the Arizona Museum for Youth in Mesa, The Children's Museum of Phoenix, downtown, the Arizona Science Center, downtown, and of course the Phoenix Zoo.

All of these things are loads of fun, but going to them can be pricey.  We all know I'm not one to shell out a ton for entertainment, so of COURSE I have an answer to that :).  Actually, a few answers :). 

1) The Culture Pass you check out the culture pass from the library and you get FREE entry into museums and attractions, how awesome is that?  This link is local to the Phoenix area, but check to see if there's something similar in your area!

2)  Take advantage of free days! Target has a programs that sponsor FREE days at museums and arts centers.  In Mesa, AZ it's called Target 3 for free that offers free admission the first Sunday of each month into select museums.  They also do free First Friday admission into the Children's Museum of Phoenix.

3)  I've said it before but I will say it again, sign up for the deal-a-day sites like Groupon, Google Offers, etc.  We got a year membership to the Arizona Science center for a little more than the cost of one day's admission for our family!  Great to have for those rainy (or in our case stiflingly HOT) days when you need to get the kids out of the house :).  I was also able to score a BOGO (buy-one-get-one) ticket into the Arizona Museum for Youth, which I just used for Zach and me to go today.

4)  I also mentioned this before but for lots of reasons experiences make GREAT gifts.  We ask for a membership to the Phoenix zoo every year for Christmas from my in-laws and we love it, and they love that they can give us something we will definitely use and enjoy every year!  We don't have to worry about more stuff cluttering up our house and we will get to enjoy time as a family, what better gift?

random picture of Z with his legos just so this post has a picture :)

What are some ways you save money on fun things to do?