Power Move #2: Museum of Life & Science

Power Move #2:

Museum of Life and Science

Free is nice, but it often comes with strings attached. Did you know that there is a Reddit feed entitled, “Your Free Stuff Sucks!”?  That’s kind of mean!  But hither and yon the careful observer can find free stuff that doesn’t suck, and even has some real value in it. 

A local case in point— Durham’s state-renowned Museum of Life & Science offers a nice opportunity to visit several times a year for free. On Durham Community Days, Durham residents get in for free!  Kids under 3 years old are always free. The cost of admission outside of the Durham Community Days is pretty steep, but well worth it if you have several hours or the whole day to explore.

The catch--- at time of writing there are only 11 Durham Community Days in 2026. Perhaps they will add more. You can check here for updates.  The next free day is Friday, June 19th. Anytime a business, government or other provider limits something (e.g. maximum Roth IRA contributions per year), it is usually because it is a really good deal. 

Ever notice the “Limit: 5” at the bottom of an item on sale at Costco? There is a reason I buy 5 buckets of Dunkin' Donuts coffee at Costco whenever I'm lucky enough to stumble across the 25% off deal. The soon-to-be released Power Move #7: Crack the Code @ Costco provides a healthy list of cheat codes for optimizing your next trip to America's top warehouse club.

Like Costco, a museum needs to make money to stay in business. Those who visit Durham’s Museum of Life and Science will get plenty of bang for their buck, however. This is especially true if you have children of any age in tow. 

Excavating shark teeth, building tornadoes, riding the Ellerbe Creek Railway, opening one’s pores in the Butterfly House, ambling along the Dinosaur Trail, traversing the pedestrian suspension bridges in the two-acre Hideaway Woods, exploring the Aerospace & Launch Lab, and visiting the rescued black bear and lemur habitats are just a handful of engaging activities for visitors of all ages. The Museum also runs excellent educational programming and summer camps for kids of all ages. 

Arguably the top feature of such a “Day at the Museum” we learned from parenting three daughters— a day at the Museum of Life & Science meant a night of sleep for Mom and Dad.    

And that my friends, was priceless!

David Norman 

Chief Ambassador, Take10^TM  for Financial Fitness

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