Free? Did Someone Say Free?

My husband, Bob, always reminded the kids that nothing in life is free. And that smacks true most of the time. There are however, some places you can visit for free admission. Granted it may take a little money to get to them and they are museums but if you like that sort of thing or it's a rainy day, that could be just the best thing in town.

A SmarterTravel article listed some free museums starting with the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. We used to live near DC and visited often. There are some 19 buildings that make up the museum and the major ones all surround the Mall. My favorites were the Air and Space Museum, American History (where Dorothy's red slippers are), Art Museum and of course the National Zoo. It's been years since we've visited and I'm sure there is a lot that has changed but it is still free admission.

On a rainy day in Wellington, New Zealand, we chose to visit the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum and thoroughly enjoyed it. I normally would not chose to visit a museum but rather do outdoor activities and sight seeing but this was delightful. There was quite a variety of subjects from history to marine life which included a huge preserved squid reminiscent of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

It's always a good idea to check out a place you are planning to visit for alternative activities if weather is not friendly. They only take brochure pictures when the sun is shining.