Eugene is a great place to live – regardless of your age and family status. With a thriving university and bustling performing arts scene, there’s always something going on. Alas, these events aren’t always in the family budget! Here are some suggestions for cheap and free family activities in and around Eugene…
Eugene is home to a large, new library space located right in downtown Eugene at 100 W. 10th. It is accessible by bus and there is plenty of parking in the parking structure below the building and street parking around the perimeter. Most of the first floor is taken up with the children’s section, complete with computers and games and reading areas separated by age-level. The library hosts various reading and writing groups for kids of all ages. To get the calendar and up-to-date information, check out the website at: www.ci.eugene.or.us/Library/. The library generally opens at 10am every morning, closing hours vary. There is also a little café in the lobby if the kids start hankering for a snack and a courtyard off the children’s library area just in case someone needs to escape for a little fresh air.
The newly renovated Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is now reopened on the University of Oregon Campus. The museum features some wonderful modern art exhibits, as well as a variety of other art to peruse and enjoy. The hours are Thursday through Sunday, Noon-5pm and there is a suggested donation of $3.00 per visitor. You can also call 346-3027 or check out the website at: http://www.uoma.uoregon.edu/ to find out about current exhibits, classes and events, as well as parking and other particulars.
While we’re on the subject of museums – Eugene’s prime spot for children is the Science Factory Children’s Museum andPlanetarium located at 2300 Leo Harris Parkway, near Autzen Stadium. This hands-on, activity-laden museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12-4pm, there are two planetarium shows daily. Admission is as follows: combination of exhibit and planetarium is $7, Exhibits or planetarium only is $4, Seniors are admitted for $3 and children 3 and under are admitted free. For a family membership ranging from $50-$95 annually, members can attend for free throughout the year. You can check out current goings-on by calling 682-7888 or at www.sciencefactory.org.
For a free outing in the park – Alton Baker Park, off Coburg and Martin Luther King Boulevard, near Autzen stadium, is home to wonderful bike and walking trails along the river, play structures and some very accessible duck ponds. This is a great place to take a picnic (there are covered structures for those misty days) and take along some old stale bread to feed the ducks and geese. When my kids were younger, we used to take our bikes to Alton Baker Park so we could all ride on the wide, smooth bike trails along the river.
Another free Eugene tradition is the “ShoCase” performances in the lobby of the Hult Center on Thursdays. While they take a break in the summer months, throughout the rest of the year, various organizations and performers entertain the crowds for a lunchtime treat. Performances begin every Thursday at 12:15 in the large, open lobby – there are steps, chairs and they leave plenty of open space for the little ones. You can call the Hult Center at 682-5000, or the entire calendar is listed on the website at: www.hultcenter.org.
For information on seasonal events, check out the Eugene Weekly website at www.eugeneweekly.com and the Register-Guard website at http://www.registerguard.com These local newspapers do a great job of keeping track of current and upcoming events and both list calendars to help plan your activities.
These are just a few of the cheap and free activities to keep your family busy in Eugene, Oregon. Stay tuned for more suggestions in part two!
