Reciprocal Agreements Can Save You Money...

There are a number of Utah attractions where you can buy season/yearly passes- Lagoon, Hogle Zoo, Tracy Aviary, etc.

But, what many fail to realize is that when you purchase these season/yearly passes, is that there are often other benefits to these purchases known as reciprocal agreements. These agreements get you into other attractions for free, for free on certain days, or give you a discount off the regular admission price.

But, not all reciprocal agreements are crafted equally, or, one yearly pass may offer you access to attractions that you would use more than those offered with another pass' agreements. When buying season/yearly passes, take these different factors into account:

1) What season/yearly pass will you use the most? For example: if you buy a yearly pass to Hogle Zoo, will you use it enough to make it pay for itself PLUS save you money on additional visits? Are you more likely to visit Hogle Zoo, Tracy Aviary, or Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park, etc.?

2) What reciprocal agreements does that yearly pass have? Does it offer enough value to make it worth buying that particular pass or should you consider a different season/yearly pass that gives you access to other attractions that might be of more interest to your family?

3) Do the reciprocal agreements offer free admissions to other attractions, discount admissions, or a combination of both, and which of these would you use most often?

4) Some reciprocal agreements offer free admission on certain days of the month (usually weekdays). Can you make the time to take advantage of these reciprocal agreements?

5) If you live in Logan, for example, would buying a yearly pass to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi be worth the time you would need to make to travel? In this case, buying a pass to the Willow Park Zoo may be a better value and still give you opportunities to visit other attractions for free or discounted rates. Consider the distance that you would need to travel in order to take advantage of passes and reciprocal agreements.

Here is a list of some of the attractions in the state that offer season/yearly passes that also come with reciprocal agreements. While I try to list as many as I can, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list, nor does this list guarantee that all the reciprocal agreements will be honored, as they can be changed by participating parties at any time.

Hogle Zoo- Tracy Aviary (50% off admission every Thursday); Willow Park Zoo (50% off admission Nov. 1 thru Feb. 28); there are also reciprocity agreements with other zoos and attractions in many other states, usually a 50% off admission.

Tracy Aviary- Hogle Zoo (50% off admission every Thursday); Willow Park Zoo (free admission); Thanksgiving Point Farm (free admission on 1st Thursday of every month); Red Butte Garden (free admission); Ogden Nature Center (free admission 1st Thursday of every month); Living Planet Aquarium (50% off admission); Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park (free admission on weekdays only, excluding holidays and special events); there are also reciprocity agreements with other zoos and attractions in many other states, either free or discounted admission.

Willow Park Zoo- Hogle Z00 (free or discounted admission. Willow Park Zoo's website is not clear on the reciprocity policy); Tracy Aviary (free or discounted admission. Willow Park Zoo's website is not clear on the reciprocity policy); there are also reciprocity agreements with other zoos and attractions in many other states, either free or discounted admission. Call Willow Park Zoo to inquire about reciprocity agreements.

Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park- Tracy Aviary (free admission on weekdays); Ogden Nature Center (free admission on weekdays); Ogden Union Station (50% discount on daily admission).

Red Butte Garden- Tracy Aviary (free admission); there are also reciprocity agreements with other gardens and attractions in many other states, either free or discounted admission.

Odgen Union Station (three museums included in pass- Utah State Railroad Museum, John M. Browning Firearm Museum, and the Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum)- Ogden Nature Center (free admission); Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park (free weekday admission, excluding holidays and special events).

Getting season/yearly passes is both a great way to explore and save money.

Memberships- Choose Wisely, Then Have Fun

Do you or your family have a favorite place you like to go? Do you go, or want to go, again and again? One of the best ways to enjoy a venue like Hogle Zoo or Thanksgiving Point is to purchase a membership. Here are a few reasons why you might consider a membership, and a few things to consider before forking out the dough.

Memberships Might Save You Money

Buying a membership may be a wise choice if it will save you money. This depends on a couple of factors.

Will you go enough times to pay for the membership?

Do you live close enough to take advantage of the membership?

If you're a couple with no kids, going to Hogle Zoo once will cost you $16. You could buy a one year membership for $50, but you would need to go to the zoo four times for the membership to pay for itself.

If you're a family, two parents, a 14 year old and two kids ages 11 and 8, one trip to the zoo will cost you $36. You could purchase a yearly membership for $65. Two trips to the zoo will more than pay for the membership.

Distance is a factor as well. If you live in Logan, is the money spent on gas for the car and the two hours you will travel to the zoo worth the price of the membership? Can you make it to the zoo enough times for the membership to pay off? You might be better off going to the zoo once during the year and taking the extra money and using it for another activity.

Memberships May Have Other Benefits

Often, but not always, memberships to one attraction may also offer you entrance for free or for a reduced price at another attraction. Take this into account when purchasing a membership. What else might you be able to do with this membership?

Some examples:

Hogle Zoo's membership offers a reciprocal agreement with many other zoo's around the country and a few in other countries. How often are you going to be in another state that is part of this reciprocal agreement? What you may not realize is that one of the places that has a reciprocal agreement with Hogle Zoo is the Tracy Aviary. Membership at the Hogle Zoo will allow you to visit the Tracy Aviary for FREE, but only on the first Thursday of each month. If the zoo is the place you like to visit most, but a visit or two to the Tracy Aviary would be nice- get a membership at the zoo.

On the other hand, if you purchase a membership to Tracy Aviary, their reciprocal agreement allows you to visit Hogle Zoo for FREE on the first Thursday of the month as well. But, hold on. Take a closer look at the Tracy Aviary membership. With your membership at the Tracy Aviary you can enter the Ogden Nature Center, Thanksgiving Point Farm, Hogle Zoo, and the Utah Museum of Natural History for FREE on the first Thursday of every month. You also get HALF PRICE anytime at the Living Planet Aquarium, FREE entrance to the Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park on any weekday, and FREE entrance to the Willow Park Zoo in Logan. If you want to visit Tracy Aviary the most and make an occasional visit to these other 6 places, the Tracy Aviary membership is for you.

Reciprocal Membership Agreements may include FREE admission, reduced price admission, or have admission restrictions (Please check each membership agreement carefully):

Hogle Zoo Membership- Tracy Aviary

Tracy Aviary Membership- Hogle Zoo, Ogden Nature Reserve, Thanksgiving Point Farm, Utah Museum of Natural History, Willow Park Zoo, Living Planet Aquarium, and Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park.

Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park Membership- Tracy Aviary, Union Station Museums in Ogden (Utah State Railroad Museum, Eccles Rail Center, John M. Browning Firearms Museum, and Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum).

Union Station Museums Membership (in Ogden)- Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park and the Odgen Nature Center.

These are just a few of the reciprocity agreements that I've found. Other attractions may have additional agreements. When looking at purchasing memberships, ALWAYS ask about the benefits and if those benefits include reciprocity agreements with any other local attractions.

Now find your special place, get a membership, and have a whole lot of fun.