Discounted & Free Museum Days in The Triad

Who doesn’t love that Good Mom™ feeling that comes over you after taking your kid(s) through an enrichment experience? What if you could attain that feeling while keeping things low or no cost? Enter the Triad Moms on Main  discounted and free museum days list!

Winston-Salem Discounted & Free Museum Days

Winston-Salem is a virtual treasure trove of history, with tons of options to learn about the foundation of the city as it is today, as well as how it used to be. The interiors of the historical houses I’ll mention would certainly be enjoyed by older kids, as well as well-supervised younger children.

• Reynolda House: https://reynolda.org/free-museum-admission/

Several groups can enjoy free admission to Reynolda House at any time, including military members and their families as well as all children under the age of 18. Additionally, they will periodically host Community Days when admission is free for all. They have some fun kids’ programming there as well, at an additional cost. There’s also a huge grassy area where the kids can just run wild, and as a bonus it’s a great place for a picnic!

• NCMA (Formerly SECCA): https://secca.org/visit-information.php

I took my 5 year old over the weekend, not really knowing what to expect. She LOVED it! The space is huge and the current exhibition had some really neat interactive aspects so even though you couldn’t touch the art itself, you could look at it and smell it, and there was even a sample piece of the material that could be handled – that helped satisfy the curiosity of “What does that feel like??” while still respecting the rules of the exhibit. The pricing for the museum is $8 for adults while kids are free, and the adjacent James G. Hanes estate is also free and open to the public. 

• Historic Bethabara (https://historicbethabara.org/about-us/) is more of an open air museum in that it’s a collection of historical buildings and gardens. There’s an option for a guided tour ($4 for adults, $1 for children), or you can show yourself around and read the plaques. They have events called Living History Days a few times a year during which they do trade and craft demonstrations. The fee for these events is $5 per person. 

Greensboro Discounted & Free Museum Days

When you think of museums in Greensboro, you often think of the Science Center. It’s a really cool spot, but with admission hovering around $20 per person, it doesn’t have a place on this particular list. Fortunately, Greensboro is also home to some more affordable, if perhaps lesser-known options.  

• GreenHill Center for NC Art: https://www.greenhillnc.org/family-night 

GreenHill is home to one of my family’s all time favorite events; Family Night at ArtQuest! This free program is offered every Wednesday night from 5-7pm. There are stations to paint, work with clay, draw, or even design your own creation from a vast array of recycled materials. I can’t overstate how awesome this program is – Who doesn’t want all of the fun and none of the mess of crafting?

• Greensboro History Museum: https://greensborohistory.org/plan-a-visit

Full disclosure, this museum is still on my family’s “To Be Visited” list. Admission is free, and it looks like an interesting place to spend a rainy afternoon. They also run a program called Little Lions Saturday in Lebauer Park. This free program is geared towards preschool and elementary school aged children and their caregivers and uses different activities to teach about the history of Greensboro.

• Weatherspoon Art Museum: https://weatherspoonart.org/visit/

Free admission and free parking? Yes, please! This museum has six galleries as well as a sculpture courtyard, so there is plenty of room to explore. 

• Miriam P. Brenner Children’s Museum: https://mbcmuseum.com/discount-pricing/#:~:text=Every%20Friday%2C%20from%205p-8p%2C%20the%20Museum%20offers%20%245,rate%20is%20for%20all%20visitors%20within%20a%20group

If you want to check out the Miriam P. Brenner museum in Greensboro, but you’re on a budget (or weren’t able to snag a library pass), check out one of the $5 Friday nights. These are offered every Friday, 5 pm – 8 pm.

Finally, I have two other options in the area, one in Burlington and one in High Point. Depending on where you’re located in the Triad they may be more or less driving for you, but I recommend stopping off if you’re in the area! 

Burlington

In Burlington, there’s the Children’s Museum of Alamance (https://www.childrensmuseumofalamance.org/hours-admission). The admission for this museum is $6 per person. Right up the street from the Children’s Museum is Alamance Arts (https://www.alamancearts.org/), a very cool place with lots of breakables, so we typically take a quick peek before grabbing one of their free children’s craft kits off the front porch.

High Point

In High Point, The Art Gallery at Congdon Yards offers free admission for all. Once you’re done browsing the gallery, check out the Hands-On Studio (https://www.facebook.com/TAGArtHP/posts/1069484051141971/) where kids can try weaving, coloring, and experimenting with magnets and/or Legos. When we went, there was a needle and thread activity my daughter absolutely adored amongst other crafty options.

Know of another great discounted museum option? Add it as a comment below!

by Emily Eagle

Want to see more blogs from Triad Moms on Main, as well as notifications on local events and happenings? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletters.