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When someone says “spring break,” it usually evokes visions of beaches with scantily clad beauties at Fort Lauderdale or some other tropic getaway. If you’re like me, however, you have neither the organizational foresight, nor the cash to bring such a trip to fruition.
So, for those of us stuck in DFW for this school-free week, the Chuck’s Cheap Thrills team has compiled a list of fun(?) and frugal activities to fill your spring break.
Dollar Movies:
There used to be several movie theaters in the Metroplex that showed second-run movies for only a dollar. Unfortunately, only one remains in our neighborhood. Cinemark 8 in North Richland Hills offers the theatrical experience for a dollar or less and is about a 20-minute drive from Wesleyan. You can check out other locations and show times at www.cinemark.com.
There’s also Netflix, Redbox and a host of other cheap movie services that you can use to fill up all that time. For a complete listing of movie rentals, see previous “Cheap Thrills” columns.
Six Flags/Hurricane Harbor:
Right in our backyard, in Arlington, Texas, sit two massive amusement parks that offer great ways to fill a day or two. Six Flags has rides, shows, games and ridiculously overpriced food. You can avoid the price gouging, however, if you bring your lunch or eat at one of the local fast food places – just get your hand stamped when you leave so you can re-enter.
Admission will cost about $50, which is the same price as a “Play Pass” that allows unlimited visits to any Six Flags throughout the year. You can purchase tickets online and pay the children’s price of $31.
Hurricane Harbor, the Six Flags water park, is a bit cheaper – only $26 for admission – and offers fun for the whole day. They even have a new ride, the “Mega Wedgie,” which sounds… delightful. Check out their Web site sixflags.com for more deals, tickets and coupons. Also, if you visit an Arlington visitors center, they usually have discount tickets for both theme parks.
Museums:
Great works of art and intriguing exhibits await your perusal in any of Fort Worth’s magnificent museums.
Aside from their usual masterpieces, the Modern Art Museum (themodern.org) features awe-inspiring architecture, great masterworks of art and, for a limited time, the exceptional Andy Warhol exhibit featuring work from the last decade of his life.
Admission is only $4 with student ID and half price on Wednesdays. There’s also the Amon Carter Museum (cartermuseum.org), the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (fwmuseum.org) and the Kimball Art Museum (kimbellart.org) to name a few.
Zoo:
The Fort Worth Zoo (fortworthzoo.org) offers an afternoon of fun and fascinating animal watching.
Their new exhibit, The Museum of Living Art, is a $19 million project featuring a “30,000-square-foot, indoor/outdoor herpetological facility, which houses more than 100 amphibian and reptile species, representing more than 850 animals,” according to the zoo’s Web site.
There’s also many more exhibits including the penguins, primates and “Parrot Paradise” included with price of admission, which is $12 – and half price on Wednesdays.
Botanic and Water gardens:
If you’re looking for a more laidback, scenic place to spend some time, check out Fort Worth’s acclaimed Botanic Gardens or the Water Gardens. Both are free.
Located in downtown Fort Worth, the Water Gardens is “an oasis in the concrete jungle of the center of town,” according to fortwortharchitecture.com.
The Botanic Gardens are located off University Drive and are a great spot for a nice day.
Additional options for a fee include Butterflies in the Gardens, where 12,000 live tropical butterflies from around the world are released, the Japanese Gardens and Concerts in the Garden, featuring the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
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