Many complain there is not much room for entertainment on a college student’s budget. However, not all students know that their ASU SunCard could entertain them and a friend for an entire week for free by simply handing it over to the information desk at any campus library. The library Culture Pass is a great way to experience many places unique to the Valley. With over half a dozen destinations and activities to choose from, students can no longer complain about their boredom on a budget.
A great place to visit with a Culture Pass is the Arizona Science Center on Washington and 7th streets. The Arizona Science Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
The Science Center is full of different rooms, each with a different focus and theme. One room is dedicated to physics, one to nature and another reveals the different systems of the body. There are wheelchairs to race and even a game in which visitors can compete in a mental tug-of-war by strapping on headbands and testing each other’s ability to focus with a marble maze. There is also an IMAX planetarium that maps out the night sky and of Arizona.
Some featured exhibits at the Arizona Science Center are “Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs,” which will be open until Jan. 13, 2013 and “LEGO Travel Adventure,” until Jan. 1, 2013.
The Culture Pass can also get students into the Arizona Museum of Natural History on MacDonald Street in Mesa, for free. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Featuring exhibits about the origins of the universe, dinosaurs and hands-on exploration areas, the museum is a great place to have some fun and learn about the world we live in.
One featured exhibit currently on display is “Rulers of the Prehistoric Skies.” The exhibit takes visitors on the wings of many different flying giants that once soared the skies. With different types of exhibits such as art, nature and history, the museum is an entertaining and beneficial free activity.
Students with a Culture Pass can also get into the Phoenix Zoo free of charge. Located in Tempe, the zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
With over two-dozen different animals to see, the zoo is a nice way to spend some time outside. This zoo has animals from Africa, Asia, North America and also some that only dwell in the Arizona desert. With this year being the Phoenix Zoo’s 50th anniversary, there are sure to be special events throughout the month of November, such as ZooLights, which begins Thursday.
Reach the reporter at mmgilber@asu.edu
