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Lesser-known family memberships to rock your summer
When your kids are small, a membership to a zoo or kid-friendly museum is an obvious lifesaver for rainy days or pre-naptime mornings. Outings to the Woodland Park Zoo (tigers, lions, penguins, Zoomazium, cotton candy, repeat) and the Pacific Science Center (rocket ship, dinos, toddler water play area, repeat) rescued my family many, many times.
Now that I have a school-age kid, like many families, I’ve let those memberships lapse. It’s hard to justify the expense for infrequent outings that can be hard to fit in. But with summertime and a more open schedule than usual, I’ve become intrigued by under-the-radar memberships and season passes that offer other perks beyond free admission, from discounts on boat rentals to a blissful berry-picking experience. Plus, there’s the do-good effect: Supporting an organization at a membership level can help it thrive over the long haul.
Use the arrows above the image to explore awesome, under-the-radar family memberships that will help make your summer super-cool.
Center for Wooden Boats
With the opening of its gleaming 9,000-square-foot building at Lake Union Park, the Center for Wooden Boats is a hot destination this summer. The historic boat center and museum offer loads of free fun to everyone —including free admission all the time, toy boat-building on first Thursdays and free boat rides every Sunday. But becoming a member adds some even more exciting perks: Members get hefty discounts off rowboat, sailboat and canoe rentals at the Lake Union location. Members also get discounts on rentals of boats and crab pots at CWB’s outpost at idyllic Cama Beach State Park; and the opportunity to rent the Boatman’s Cabin at Cama Beach. Plus, members can reserve seats on the free Sunday boat rides (depending on availability). Household memberships start at $75.
Remlinger Farms
With expansive grounds, a petting zoo and a mini amusement park that will thrill the most jaded preschooler (and seriously, probably up through third grade), Remlinger Farms is our region’s pint-sized Disneyland. So while the price of a season pass ($78.75 per person) might seem expensive, if you live nearby and want to take full advantage, it might well be worth it. You’ll get free admission through October to the farm’s Country Family Fun Park, which includes rides such as a small (but quite exciting) roller coaster, steam train, antique cars and canoe channel, as well as live performances and admission to the 4-H barnyard.
Blue Dog Blueberry Farm
Have you ever pulled up to your favorite berry farm only to circle the parking lot and then be told the fields have been picked clean? Hence, the brilliance behind the membership model at this lovely Blue Dog Farm in North Bend. Pay $30 for a seasonal membership ($25 before July 1) to this certified organic berry farm and you’ll get unlimited access to the picking fields during the season and a relaxed experience. (They especially recommend early evenings.) A note: It’s a self-serve model — so you won’t be waited on — and you still pay for berries you pick by the pound, on an honor system. But you’ll leave with not just a bounty of berries but the sweet feeling that your membership helps the farm maintain its sustainable practices.
Seattle Japanese Garden
With 3.5 acres of beautifully landscaped winding paths, bridges, stones, ponds and trees, the Seattle Japanese Garden can feel like a quick getaway in the city and a master class in mindfulness. A family membership ($50 a year) provides free entry to the garden, as well as access during special members-only hours. You’ll also get admission to its special events, including the fall Maple Viewing Festival, and early access to tickets for the Moon Viewing Festival, the garden’s most popular event of the year. Bring your bikes and take a spin on the Arboretum’s newer loop trail before or after your visit.
The Mountaineers
Founded in 1906, this venerable nonprofit organization has been the gateway to many a Western Washington kid’s obsession with the outdoors. A family membership ($130 for two adults and all children under 18) will give you access to the climbing walls at its centers in Tacoma and Seattle (inside Magnuson Park), and discounts on books, classes, camps and events.
You can also join one of its Outdoor Adventure Clubs, which plan regular outdoor adventures such as hiking and snowshoeing, with an emphasis on learning and safety (there are groups for different ages, including a teen group). Other perks include discounts at top outdoor outfitters and at cool festivals such as the Banff Mountain Film Festival; and discounts at stays at one of its mountain lodges.
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
It can be tempting to think of awesome Northwest Trek Wildlife Park as a full-day adventure your family undertakes only every couple of years. But there are so many reasons to visit: the thrilling Kids’ Trek playground; the tram tours through the open-range animal area with sightings of bison, elk, goat kids and more; and discounts on zip line tours (that range from kid-friendly to heart-pounding). A membership makes it so easy and enticing to regularly pop over and enjoy a couple of hours in the park. Or stop by on the way to the Nisqually entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. A family membership is $145. With gate admission at $17 for kids (ages 5–12) and $25 for adults, you could pay for a membership in two visits. (Tip: for $245, you can get a combo membership between Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek.)
Living Computers Museum + Labs
Kids don’t have to be card-carrying geeks to have a blast at Living Computers Museum + Labs in the Sodo neighborhood of Seattle. Starring what some say is the world’s largest collection of working vintage computers, kids can play with early supercomputers and PCs, as well as vintage video games, plus learn about computing’s celebrated local history and future.
Parents will love the 80s-focused exhibit on display through December 2019. Membership is a deal. For $90, a family membership will get you not only free admission to LCM+L, but also reciprocal benefits at museums such as the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (50 percent off admission) and MoPop (20 percent off admission) and guest passes.
The Burke Museum
Opening in the fall of 2019, the new Burke Museum will turn the traditional science museum model on its head. While not particularly cheap, if you’ve got a dino lover on your hands, it might be worthwhile. A special “new Burke” membership offer offers members-only access to the new museum before it opens plus a year of membership after it opens. Perks include free admission (of course), discounts on camps and paid events, priority entry to cool events such as Dino Days; and reciprocal admission to the Port Townsend Marine Science Center and the Stonerose Fossil Center. A family membership starts at $150 annually; for $50 more you can add reciprocal admission benefits to more than 700 museums and cultural centers throughout the U.S.
Northwest African American Museum
Located in the historic Colman School building, which sits in the Jimi Hendrix Park in the Central District, a family membership to NAAM (just $60 annually) gives you an opportunity to immerse your family in exhibits that tell the story of the Seattle area’s rich African-American history. Membership includes members-only exhibit previews and special events, free admission passes to share with friends and family and more. Bonus: NAAM is just a block from one of the most wonderful playgrounds in the city, the recently updated and even more magical Seattle Children’s Playgarden.
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
Ready for some time travel? For just $60 a year (the price of a family membership), your family can regularly “teleport” to 1855 at Point Defiance Park’s blast-to-the-past Fort Nisqually Living History Museum. Membership benefits include free admission to the museum year-round, special events such as the Family Fun Night and a 19th-century-style Christmas event. Membership also offers discounts on camps and classes. Upcoming summer events include Crafts of the Past and the annual August Brigade Encampment.
3 free memberships that pay off
- KidsBowlFree.com: Sign your kids for this program and they’ll get two free games a day all summer at participating bowling alleys (does not include shoe rentals). Local participants include Spin Alley in Shoreline; Lynnwood Bowl and Skate; Kenmore Lanes; Hi-Line Lanes in Burien; Daffodil Bowl in Puyallup; Tumwater Lanes; Bowlero Lanes in Lakewood; Evergreen Lanes and Glacier Lanes, both in Everett; Aztec Lanes in Olympia and Prairie Lanes in Yelm. For more Washington state participating bowling centers, check the website.
- Museum of Flight Connections program: This is such a deal. Children ages 5–18 can get a free membership (which means their parents are admitted free as well) to the Museum of Flight if they attend an educational activity.
- TeenTix: This amazing non-profit allows teen members to get $5 day-of-show tickets at dozens of Seattle-area arts venues. And on select days, TeenTix tickets are two for $10.
