When planning a trip it is helpful to include several FREE activities in your itinerary so you can stretch your vacation budget. Some free attractions are well-known and others you have to do a little digging to find! Here are a few ways we like to discover free activities when planning our trips.
1. Go to the Official Travel & Tourism Website for the city you are going to – The best place to start is on the tourism website for the city you are going to. For example, when planning a trip to Kansas City we went to Visitkc.com to help us get started.
When searching the Crown Center area in Kansas City for FREE attractions we found:
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- Kaleidoscope – A FREE art studio where children can create and explore.
- The Money Museum at Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City – This free attraction let’s you watch millions of dollars in currency be processed, lift a gold bar worth nearly $400,000 and enjoy fun, interactive exhibits.
- Boulevard Brewing Co. – A Brewery Tour for Free!
2. Check the local news stations or newspaper’s websites – Not only do they highlight free activities but they will many times have features on them so you can learn more. We went to kmbc.com (a local Kansas City News Station) to find out more information about The Money Museum and found a great story that gave us an inside look at what we will find when we go.
3. Check for Reciprocal Memberships – If you have a membership pass to your local zoo, museum or other venues, check to see if the city you are visiting allows you FREE entrance.
4. Search Parent Magazines – Most cities have a magazines designed as a resource for parents. These are great guides for free events or festivals. Many times you can find these magazine online. We found KCParent.com and discovered all kinds of free events and great articles relating to fun outings in Kansas City.
5. Travel Forums – Travel forums are a perfect resource to get honest opinions, tips, suggestions and reviews from other parents. Trip Advisor has a forum just for vacations in Kansas City! We looked up Kaleidoscope at Crown Center and found reviews, tips, where to park, restaurant suggestions and more!
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