Teaching a Spectrum Kid UPDATED

Last night, while researching a future field trip, I came across a gem: the Smithsonian sponsors a nation-wide free museum day that extends well beyond its own museums and the confines of Washington D.C. With a little planning, you may visit a participating museum nation-wide and encounter no admission costs for one person and her guest. This is one day only, Sept. 28.

I've not participated before, so I cannot vouch for this activity, but will likely try it. By visiting the Smithsonian Magazine site, you may see which museums participate and print a required ticket to visit.

Note that this only gives you admission to a museum and does not cover any associated costs, such as parking. In some cases, this will give you no savings at all. For example, the Udvar-Hazy Center near us, never charges admission, but does charge $15 for parking before 4 p.m. You'd still have to pay this parking fee.

However, the Museum of the Shenandoah would normally cost $10 for an adult and $8 for a child. So that's a big savings. I also noticed several science and children's museums, which also normally charge admission.

The site gives you several search options. Since we're studying Virginia history, I searched within the commonwealth.