When I first heard about buying a yearly membership to a place like the Zoo, The Discovery Museum or the Aquarium, I thought it was insane. I didn't even look into the cost because I figured if I spend $50 or more to go once, how much could a yearly membership possibly cost, probably way more than I wanted to spend.
Wrong.
Yearly memberships are really the only way to go,especially when you are talking about a family.
Take for instance the
Philadelphia Zoo, a yearly membership runs $99 to $229. And every year when it comes time to renew, they usually send you a coupon reminder in the mail with a discount code for around 15% off or so. But without the membership, take a family of four, 2 adults and 2 kids over the age of 3. The admission is $18 for adults, and $15 for kids ages 3-11. But that's not all, now take the rides,the balloon ride alone is $15 per person or $50 for a family of four, the train ride $3 per person, the carousel $3 per person, the swan boats $6 per person. If you have children like mine, they want to do every ride and beg for doubles on the train ride. This trip alone, admission and rides and $10 for parking, not including food costs, has run you $174, a small fortune.
Buy the membership level that includes all the rides you pay just $229 for the year. This level even includes 2 guests at every visit, meaning friends or Grandma and Grandpa can come for free.You know you can easily go to the Zoo more than once, so you definitely make your membership back and more.
The same goes true for places like the
Garden State Discovery Museum in South Jersey or the
Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. These museums pay upwards of $10 per person and you have to pay for adults too. You can purchase a yearly membership or a reciprocal membership, meaning you can go to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, The Garden State Discovery Museum in Philadelphia and any participating museum around the country FREE OF CHARGE.And with these memberships you also recieve discounts for birthday parites and at the unavoidable gifts shops.
One more place we all go is the Adventure Aquarium in Camden which runs $21.95 per adult and children 2-12 $17.95. One visit for a family of 4 will run you just under $80. Purchase an annual passport the Family Explorer level, which is 2 Adults and up to 4 kids,and you pay just $165 for the year.
Not only do these memberships help you save money, but now you can go as much as you want. We have the Discovery Museum membership and we went at least 2 times a month. For the Zoo, my family goes at LEAST 6 times a year, for all the great events they have. There are some places we don't even attempt to go to without a membership. These places aren't the only places around town that have yearly memberships, most play places, and museums have them so check the one you are interested in and get saving money now
Taking vacation, visiting the area or just have some time off and looking to visit alot of these places?
Why not purchase
City Pass?
Pick 6 locations around Philadelphia and save up to 47% for admission. The booklet contains tickets to 6 of Philadelphia's most popular venues, The Franklin Institute, the Adventure Aquarium, The Philadelphia Zoo and The Big Bus and Trolly Co..You can also choose from the Academy of Natural Scienes or the National Contitution Center and the Please Touch Museum or the Eastern State Penitentiary. One time admission to all 6 places is $59 per adult and $39 per child.
That is an amazing savings.
You can visit all six places in what would normally be the amount to visit just 3, and have transportation to get around town, without moving your car, and paying for parking. The tickets are valid for 9 days, perfect if a parent is taking vacation from work and you have time to visit local attractions, and no wasting time waiting in line, the pass entitles you to jump to the front of most lines.
If you don't live in Philadelaphia or you are visiting another City, City Pass is available in 11 cities across the country including Toronto. Check out their
website for more information or to purchase tickets
On another note, I'm a new contributor at Mama Buzz.
Check out my first post
here, leave a comment and tell me what you think.
When the box arrived at my door step, I was surprised because I forgotten about it, not completely but we all know when toddler sized chaos erupts, it happens quickly and it leaves you head bobbing and you spinning in circles. There is not much else we can remember except our names and that, yes, unfortunately these are my kids. So, when it arrived it was a pleasant surprise. At first the box looked smaller then I imagined it would be, but upon opening it, I found a spa oasis waiting at my finger tips.
The basket contained, Rose Scented Bath Fizzer, 5.1 oz Rose Scented Hand Cream,Soap Rose Petals, 8 oz Rose Scented Bubble Bath, White Body Sponge,10.7 oz Rose Scented Bath Salts and a Pink Bath Mitt. It looked beautiful and smelled even better. The rose scent which was not to strong, filled the bathroom as I excitedly decided what to try first. I closed the door, ran the bath and immediately felt relaxed. I loved the white body sponge, soft enough for gentle skin but firm enough to feel like a soft massage. I went for it and filled the tub with the bubble bath, a little salts and the Soap Rose Petals with were as pretty and delicate as they sound. And for the time I spent in the bath, I felt like I could escape the day, and the chaos, it was relaxing and refreshing. It was nice to have the spa come to me. 
