I’m visiting Boston with partner and son on a house-hunting trip. We took a break today, however, to go to the Boston Children’s Museum—and got in free, thanks to a Reciprocal Membership I’d bought at our local Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum. The Reciprocal Membership Program, sponsored by the Association of Children’s Museums, gives free admission to over 130 participating museums around the country, as well as access to members-only special exhibits and previews.
If you have vacation plans or family in areas with children’s museums, a Reciprocal Membership may be worth it even if you make only a few additional visits. Museum admissions are typically $6-10 per adult, and sometimes per child, which adds up quickly. Reciprocal Membership costs around $30-$65 on top of a base membership, depending upon the museum selling it and the base options they offer. (Museums are allowed to set their own prices for Reciprocal Membership. One money-saving hint is to find the museum near you with the cheapest Reciprocal Membership and purchase yours there.)
On a side note, the Boston Children’s Museum, which my parents took me to when I was young, still ranks right up there with the best I’ve seen. It will, however, be closed for renovations and a 23,000- square-foot expansion January 1, 2007 through Spring 2007.
