When a recession hits, one of the first things families sacrifice is their entertainment budget. This means pulling the curtain on movie nights, dropping big-ticket sports events and scrapping dinners out. And while this saves money, it also means that you’re kids will grow up to hate you.
I’m kidding.
In all honestly, though, no ching means no fun and no fun means the loss of a lot of valuable family time. But, you shouldn’t let a bare-bones budget put a damper on your fun, especially during these stressful times. Thankfully, the Milwaukee County Zoo offers a fun stimulus package for you and your entire family.
The first Saturday of every month from November to April (excluding May through October) is Family Free Day at the Zoo, which means that all visitors – parents, kids, relatives, EVERYONE – receive free admission. Now, you’ll be able to have an eventful day without worrying about the financial backlash when bills are due.
Because I love the Zoo (and obviously my family), I decided to take advantage of the sunny spring afternoon and a free animal-filled outing with my parents and siblings.
While I waited for everyone to arrive, I got a little nostalgic, reminiscing about my fascination with animals and my childhood trips to the County Zoo. As a kid I loved the penguins and Monkey Island, and riding the cho-cho train. My mom would pack PB&J sandwiches, graham crackers and juice boxes, and then cart all of us to the Zoo to spend an entire day with the animals.
Although I have many fond memories from all of my past trips to the Zoo, returning on Saturday, however, made me realize that as an adult without kids, the Zoo certainly doesn’t evoke the same feelings of excitement as it did when I was in grade school. It’s still a fun time, nonetheless.
Once my family arrived, we made our way out to the Milwaukee-Wauwatosa County boarder and found parking on one of the side streets (even though admission is free, you still have to pay to park in the lot). After gathering up our things, we entered the Zoo through the brand new front entrance, the U.S. Bank Gathering Place, which doubles as a mall and atrium with two renovated gift shops, an upscale coffee shop that serves Alterra coffee, concession stands that offer everything from burgers to pasta to salads, and lounge areas where folks can map out their day.
Here we took a moment to scan the new electronic information signs that run announcements, event listings, attraction hours and animal news. We also stopped for a minute to mull over the animal photos taken by longtime Zoological Society photographer Richard Brodzeller, which are prominently displayed in the atrium.
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