tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068320.post6147586610887268487..comments2007-06-04T20:08:16.822-04:00Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10635304837180578317noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068320.post-40409925569978910562007-06-04T14:01:00.000-04:002007-06-04T14:01:00.000-04:00Great tip, Amy! I've been to both the MOSAI and Shedd Aquarium - they are fantastic! I hope your family has a good trip. Your kids will love Shedd - when my hubby and I went, we didn't have kids yet, but the number of families with young children was incredible! It's cool inside the building with lots of fish to look at - all the kids loved it! And I could have spent a week looking around the MOSAI - there is so much to do and see there.Vickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09421670954976184097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068320.post-36993096456365235022007-06-04T12:53:00.000-04:002007-06-04T12:53:00.000-04:00Ok, while not free- I have a great tip for you. We lived in Chicago for 10 yrs, and also love museums. We'd only go on free days- cuz of the cost and membership is also killer. <BR/><BR/>Well, we discovered that the Anniston Museum of Natural History (in AL) has a family membership that was around $40. Get this- it is reciprical to almost all of the Chicago area museums! (not the Shedd.) <BR/><BR/>So, for $40 (it might have gone up) we could go the museums whenever we wanted. You can see the list of reciprical museums on most museum sites. <BR/><BR/>Oh, this made a great family Christmas gift.Terihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05285402829344255910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068320.post-41411605151158679932007-06-04T09:44:00.000-04:002007-06-04T09:44:00.000-04:00We also look forward to the free days in Chicago. Last year we went to the Shedd Aquarium and the kids really enjoyed it. We are planning to visit the Museum of Science and Industry hopefully sometime soon. We always pack a lunch also and usually eat in the parking lot of the museum. We have found that if the kids eat lunch on the 2 hour drive to Chicago then it isn't long after we've been in the museum they are hungry again. (only after seeing other people eating do the kids seem to get hungry once inside the museum, though) In the past we have been members of Brookfield Zoo near Chicago and once you pay the inital membership fees then the rest of the year it it free admission. If you plan on going to the zoo frequently this is a good deal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8068320.post-1074627666320260162007-06-03T23:17:00.000-04:002007-06-03T23:17:00.000-04:00One local trend is for historic homes to have free days on their historic figure's birthday (the Hermitage, Traveller's Rest).<BR/><BR/>Otherwise, the best free museums and galleries I find are usually attached to universities or sponsored by the state (TN Agricultural Museum, TN State Museum).Meredithhttp://likemerchantships.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com