Because it's slow

tawillers

I'm taking the kids to see The Croods tomorrow.  Neither of the girls has been to the movies yet, so I hope they like it.  Son doesn't have school and it's not *that* nice out yet to go to the zoo, so I thought this would be fun.

PMeg819

Let me know how they do. There is a Disney Planes movie and the new Monsters Univeristy movie coming out this summer and I'd like to take DS to see one.

6fsn

Good luck.  I'm waiting for a freebie to try.

tawillers

All movies before noon during the week are only $5.  We're going to the 10:05 showing and DD2 will be free, so this won't be too bad (we'll have to get popcorn and drinks).  More expensive than the zoo, but it's not worth it to walk around in the cold.

baconsmom

Your zoo must be cheap; I'm jealous. It's like $60 for us to visit the zoo.  

6fsn

The zoo is one reason I don't want to move.  I've already been scoping the summer classes, but we get a membership for Christmas now.

tawillers

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_because-its-slow-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:b0b0eb70-51ea-4ed3-9b03-e98947ba42f4Post:d7bdbe8f-24b8-4190-8afa-f430bbb148ec">Re: Because it's slow</a>:
[QUOTE]Your zoo must be cheap; I'm jealous. It's like $60 for us to visit the zoo. :( 
Posted by baconsmom[/QUOTE]

Oh yeah. $7.25 for adults, $5.75 for kids 3-12. It would cost the 4 of us less than $20 to go to the zoo. It's a nice zoo, but it's not very big. If we take our time and look at everything, it takes us an hour and a half to get through.

If we didn't get popcorn and drinks tomorrow we'd beat that price, but you can't go to the movies and NOT get popcorn.  :)

baconsmom

We're not popcorn people, and I usually wait for stuff to go to the cheapie theatre, so we can go to the movies, all three of us, for $7.50. A little more if we smuggle drinks in. 

Although the cheapie by GayH has a Domino's in the same plaza, so you can actually bring in pizza. You can get a $2.50 movie, a $3.00 drink, and a $5 pizza and call it a night, yo. 

alikatt17

Man, I think it's at least $15 pp to get into our zoo plus $10 parking.  Or you can go to the smaller free zoo in the city and pay $20+ for parking, but it's just not as nice.  I can't wait to get our membership on when we have the kid.

tawillers

It would cost us $51 to get into Brookfield, Ali.  I LOVE Brookfield.  And Shedd.  Ugh, I love Chicago in general.

TheMrsC23

We're probably going to join the zoo.  We can do a family + 2 (and unlimited kids) membership for $160/year.   If we go 2 times with extra people, it's paid for itself.  We'll probably go more often than that if we are members.  

Also, zoo parking is discounted for members and it's a half mile walk from the zoo to downtown...so we could park there for baseball games, museum visits, dinner out. ,etc. 

I love, love, love Brookfield Zoo.  That was the field trip destination when I was in school.  I need to take my kiddos there.  

6fsn

I was curious about zoo prices.  Ours is $15 for adults, $10 for kids and seniors, and free under 2.  Parking is $8.  Our membership is $124- it includes my family, my parents any time and any 2 adult guests can get in with DH or I.  I think it gives a discount to the water park too. 

tawillers

Membership is super cheap:

1 adult and all children in the household 17 and under - $55
2 adults and all children... - $75

Grandparents can get the same memberships above at the same prices, but can name all of their grandkids 17 and under, whereas a parent can only name kids in the household.

The premium memberships are an extra $30 and include a free guest and passes for the train and carousel.


ETA:  I always balk on the membership because they also have free days once a week (or they used to, I don't see any on their calendars for this year).  We probably don't spend $55 in a year because of this.  If they quit doing the free days, we'll probably start getting a membership.

TheMrsC23

Ours is: $17 adults, $15 for seniors, $12 for 2-12, Under 2 is free.  There's a $2 discount for online purchasing. 

*Barbie*

note - if you have one zoo membership, you can usually get in free/discounted at other zoos. good if you travel. 

I'm not sure on the individual prices for Houston, but the "individual" membership is $55/60 year and it is good for one adult + adult guest, all kids under 3 are free. I've been buying the member ship since we lived down here. it worked out to paying for itself with 2-3 visits we can't really go May - September because it's just too hot, but i generally go at least 3-4 times in the rest of the year. We're trying to go again on Saturday since my membership expires on the 31st. 

alikatt17

God, I think the Shedd costs us at least $60 plus parking.  The last time we went was after the 2011 blizzard and they had special free admission for the basic admission but still spent $11pp to see the "extras," which is pretty much the majority of the aquarium.

The fracking Art Institute went up again to $23 pp.  It used be a $7 suggested donation.  Apparently, college teachers don't count as "educators" anymore and don't get in for free at any museum anyway.  Suckage.  They clearly don't know that adjunct professors make a shitton less than full-time employed K-12 teachers.  At least we can park for $10 there at my office's garage.

The Field & Science and Industry are really expensive now too.  Going to the museum now is like a  $150 day for us anymore, with parking, food, and admission. 

jojobrn

 So, a one day pass for adults here is $44, $34 for kiddos. Annual membership is $114 for 2 adults, $44 for kids up to age 12, then it jumps to $48 until they are 17.

And Butterfuly Jungle is running right now, which makes me want to go so I can get pictures of butterflies landing on my baby.

alikatt17

I love the San Diego Zoo so much.

I also really love STL (free! free parking!), Jacksonville,FL, Cincinatti, and Columbus.  My mom would take us to both of those zoos when we lived in Ohio. 

jojobrn

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_because-its-slow-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:b0b0eb70-51ea-4ed3-9b03-e98947ba42f4Post:31f32b9e-e8be-4e9b-b8a5-a9003da90317">Re: Because it's slow</a>:
[QUOTE]I love the San Diego Zoo so much. I also really love STL (free! free parking!), Jacksonville,FL, Cincinatti, and Columbus.  My mom would take us to both of those zoos when we lived in Ohio. 
Posted by alikatt17[/QUOTE]

<div>I am kind of bummed when I was out in Columbus many years past we didn't get to their zoo. I did hit Atlanta's zoo and it wasn't bad at all. Philly too. It is so hard to go to other zoos honestly because I am so insanely spoiled by the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.</div>

alikatt17

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_because-its-slow-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:b0b0eb70-51ea-4ed3-9b03-e98947ba42f4Post:4394402d-f11f-4138-82f1-757ca5b551b8">Re: Because it's slow</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Because it's slow : I am kind of bummed when I was out in Columbus many years past we didn't get to their zoo. I did hit Atlanta's zoo and it wasn't bad at all. Philly too. It is so hard to go to other zoos honestly because I am so insanely spoiled by the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
Posted by jojobrn[/QUOTE]

To be fair, San Diego is the bestest zoo ever.  I mean, it's absolutely beautiful.  Zoos only really look pretty in the midwest in late spring/summer.

6fsn

I love my Columbus zoo, but their reciprocity is kind of sucky.  Cincinnati zoo is a WORKOUT of hills.

Ella and Pedro

I live in Washington D.C. and just about everything here is free.  Pretty awesome.  Going to see a curent exhibit at the NGA of Pre-Raphaelite (Victorian British) paintings soon. 

A couple of months ago we went to Virginia to their Fine Arts museum to see an exhibit of Chihuly and that was a special exhibit so not free, but otherwise their museum is free.

When I lived in Boston I worked at the MFA, nearly 6 years.  I was also enrolled at a Fine Arts College so I got in free based on my student ID, but if I had not worked/studied there, I would not have gone much - many residents rarely if ever go, very sad especially for children.

Hope the movie was good!

VarunaTT

Our zoo is ridiculously cheap and, for such a small city, we regularly win awards for our elephant and giraffe breeding programs and best small zoo, things like that.  It's $9 for adults, $6 for anyone under 12, over 55.  But they have lots of free days and my favorite one is Teddy Bear Day.  Anyone with a teddy bear gets in free and they have teddy bear related activities all day.