Mom's tip: a guide to museums, and free passes

By Megan Ulland, Guest Columnist

The kids and I usually go to the Boston Children’s Museum once a week. They have a 0-3 year old gated area, PlaySpace, that is fabulous for toddlers like mine who run in opposite directions. There is music programming included in admission to the museum that runs for 45 minutes Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings in the PlaySpace. The extra treat of going into the Seaport district is having lunch with Daddy. It’s a great morning excursion.

There are times, though, when we all need a change from the Children’s museum, and for that, I turn to the Newton Free Library. The library has fabulous programming within the children’s room such as registered and drop-in story times, preschool music and films and weekend family events. Another perk of the library that I have used in the last few months is the museum passes. It’s a great resource, especially in this economy when we are trying to minimize expenses and maximize the fun the kids have!

Any Newton resident can take advantage of the museum passes. Other Boston suburbs also have the same program for their residents. If you are not a Newton resident, check with your local library to see if the program exists in your community. The passes in Newton can be selected either by day or by museum. The variety of museums is fabulous; there is a great combination of attractions for both children and adults. The list includes the Boston Children’s Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Discovery Museums of Acton and many more. The discounts vary by museum, but most make a day trip to visit each quite affordable. It’s a great way to sample the museum before you purchase a membership.

A week ago, the kids and I headed out to Acton for a morning at the Discovery Museums. I made reservations for the library passes on the library’s website. We picked up the library passes the night before we had reservations. For the Discovery Museum, the pass admits three people at half price to one museum and the second museum is free; the museums are free for children under one.

The Discovery Museums are a combination of a larger Victorian house remodeled into a welcoming Children’s Museum with trains, a large play restaurant and a ship on the third floor and the Science Discovery Museum with a sea of clouds, a rubber ball music wall and an inventor’s workshop. Having the two museums on one site allows for a larger age spread for kids who’d enjoy the outing. The museums run weekly events for kids of all ages. Another nice trait of the Discovery Museums is that they limit the number of people admitted at one time. At first I thought that would bother me because it means we might not get in when we arrive, but once in, that means we are able to enjoy the exhibits without fighting with a crowd. It’s a thoughtful touch. They also have a limited number of baby carriers available for use while in the museum, as strollers are not permitted in the museums.

After playing all morning, the kids and I found a small local pizza shop down the street, had a delicious lunch and then played at the Acton library for a bit before heading home for naps. It was a glorious sunny day and the kids slept really well having played hard at the museum and outside. This is what makes Newton such a great spot in which to live. We have fabulous schools, services and parks within our city, but we are ten minutes from Boston and within an hour of fabulous day trips for kids from Providence to Maine to the Discovery Museums in Acton. The library passes make those day trips even better!

Megan Ulland is the mother of two toddlers who lives in Newton.