Indoor Summer Fun:
Indoor Summer Fun:
QUICK TIP: A family pass from Anniston Museum of Natural History is $35 per year and you can use it to get in to the Space and Rocket Center free, McWane for half price and any other science center in the U.S. free-except Sci-Quest unless you live more than 45 miles from Sci-Quest (straight-line, not drive distance).
Free Movies
Each link will take you to that theatres free summer movie page
I have listed info if available now, otherwise, check the links:
RAVE Motion
Pictures
2009 line-up
All movies start at 10 a.m.
June 9 & 10 Kung Fu Panda PG 92 minutes
June 16 & 17 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa PG 89 minutes
June 23 & 24 Surf's Up PG 85 minutes
June 30 & July 1 The Tale of Despereaux G 90 minutes
July 7 & 8 Horton Hears A Who! G 86 minutes
July 14 & 15 Space Chimps G 81 minutes
July 21 & 22 Igor PG 87 minutes
July 28 & 29 Shrek the Third PG 93 minutes
AMC Theaters ($1 movies)
All city libraries in Alabama partcipate in summer reading programs, they offer
weekly events for kids such as craft classes or games along with a story time.
Kids read books to earn rewards all summer long. Check your local library for
more information about their program.
Huntsville Area
Art
Market every Saturday from noon-4 at the Flying Monkey Arts Center in Huntsville
2211 Seminole Drive
Huntsville, AL
Birmingham Area:
Birmingham art museum,
free
Golden
Flake Tour, free,
tours are given Monday thru Wednesday. Tours are given at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.
and 12:30 p.m.
QUICK TIP: Head to mapquest.com or google maps before heading out to get turn-by-turn directions. This will save gas and time. Both sites will allow you to tweak the route
Cullman Area:
Cullman County Museum
This replica of the home of city founder Col. John G. Cullmann houses thousands
of historical items dating back to the early 1800's. Displays include an Archaeological
Room with Indian artifacts, a Primitive Room showing turn-of-the- century tools,
a Clothing Store with outfits from the 1800's, a Main Street exhibit with 19th
century storefronts, and a photo gallery. Open Monday - Friday 9 a.m.-noon and
1-4 p.m.; and Sunday 1:30-4:30 p.m. Admission ($5 per family), Group Rates Available
- 256-739-1258.
www.cullmancountymuseum.com.
Evelyn Burrow Museum of Wallace State
College
The collection began 64 years ago and includes thousands of rare and unique
items, some from the Smithsonian Institute. On display are 97 rare pieces of
Dresden porcelain, fine antique glassware, antique furniture and a host of other
collectibles. The owners honor their World Champion horse, a Tennessee Walker
named Ebony's Leading Lady, with one of the world's largest horse statue collections.
The $9 million collection was donated to Wallace State Community College in
2004.
FREE, groups welcome — (256) 734-0693
www.cullmanmuseum.com
Decatur:
Carnegie Art Museum-free, 207 Church Street
NE, Decatur, AL 35601 Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Cook's Natural
Science Museum-free, 412 13th ST SE, Decatur, AL 35601 Monday- Saturday
9am-12pm and 1pm-5pm Sunday 2pm-5pm,
Wheeler Visitor Center- free, open from 9:00 a.m.
until 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (March through September), and seven
days each week (October through February) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
At home:
Online movie rentals:
www.blockbuster.com: pros:
one free month trial, low monthly rates, can return movies at store and pickup
free in-store rentals
cons: VERY slow shipping and new movies can take a couple weeks before they
are available. They often skip the first item in your queue, sometimes for several
shipments. It can get annoying.
www.netflix.com:
pros: One free month trial, low monthly rates, really fast shipping (1-2 day
turn around) huge selection. Can download and watch movies for immediate-viewing
within your monthly plan limits at no extra fee. (ex: 5-at-a-time plan allows
30 hours of downloaded movies)
Cons: no in-store returnsOnline dvd rentals are fantastic. At either site, you
simply select the dvd's you want to see and they are placed in your queue. You
get e-mailed as one is shipped or received, if you get a movie that does not
play, you can click a button and they send you a new one the next day. Netflix
in particular is very fast, they ship from Birmingham. Averaged out, we spend
less than $1.50 a rental and use no gas-just drop the return in your mailbox.
They have movies, documentaries, anime, TV shows, kid shows, science shows,
old movies, new movies...It is well worth the money if your family likes to
veg out now and then and it's cheaper than cable! Plus, you are in total control
of what you watch and when. No surprises.
Take them with you on vacation and drop in a post office box when you are done watching it, nothing to keep up with.
Flat
Travelers
Yahoo Group
Making Friends
Excellent paper doll site where you can make a flat traveler of yourself and
your kids to send out. The kids only went if Dad and I 'came along' the
first several flat traveler adventures!
On-line
Junior Ranger Programs