Free admission

On the first Saturday of each month (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.), Target sponsors free admission to the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.

In nearby Fort Worth, the Amon Carter Museum is devoted to American art of all media. Admission to the permanent collection is free; admission to most of the temporary exhibits is free, but not all, so check the web site. The Amon Carter Museum also sponsors family days with crafts and other activities, storytime for the younger set, and a variety of lectures, talks, and tours by experts, also free. The museum is located in the Fort Worth Cultural District.

Or if you're closer to Houston, on the 1st Sunday of the month (noon to 6 p.m.), you can get in free at the Children's Museum of Houston. And I noticed on the museum's website that they're giving free back-to-school vaccinations to the first 200 kids during every free Thursday family night in August (5-7 p.m.). The vaccinations are administered by Texas Children's Hospital Superkids Mobile Clinic, and sponsored by radio station Mega 101.5 FM. Check out the museum's website for what you have to bring with you.

While you're in Houston, don't forget to visit the zoo. We used to go to the Houston Zoo when I was a kid (back before they started charging admission!), and I loved it. The Houston Zoo offers free admission on the first Tuesday of every month from 2 p.m. until closing. During the months that Daylight Saving Time is in effect, the zoo closes at 7 p.m. (last admission at 6 p.m.). During Central Standard Time, the zoo closes 6 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.).

And on the second Tuesday of the month (1-7 p.m.), Target sponsors free admission to the Atlanta Children's Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.

If any of these is something that appeals to you and you're close enough to drive, it would be a great way to spend a few hours on the cheap.