There's no better deal than free for helping make family travel affordable. On Sept. 24, you and one guest can get in free to one of hundreds of museums across the United States.

The annual Museum Day even is sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine (of the famously free Smithsonian Museums).

Click here to view the list of 2011 participating museums. You can view by address or, if you'll be traveling that weekend, by state, to see which museums have chosen to participate in Museum Day. And, please note, the free ticket doesn't guarantee you entry to the museum. If the venue reaches capacity, museum officials could turn you away or make you wait until the crowds thin a bit. So, once you print your free admission ticket, make plans to arrive early to ensure you get inside.

Now, for the fine print:

• One ticket per household, for two people.
• A ticket will gain entry to only one of the participating museums, excluding parking and special events and exhibits.
• If the museum reaches capacity, museum has right to limit the number of guests until space becomes available.

Cindy Richards is the mom of two who gets her muse from traveling the world, usually with kids in tow. She also writes for TravelingMom.com, where she also serves as editor.

See more of Cindy's stories here.

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