Culture Crash

Children, listen up: First, steer clear of the ads in the back of this paper. Second, go over to the couch, wake up your parents or your court-appointed guardians, and tell them the following: Today, the city's Family Appreciation Day allows all of you free admission into places like the Wells Fargo History Museum, the Presidio Visitor's Center, and the Environment EcoCenter. Next, wake everybody up again and deliver the kicker: Free entry also extends to nearly all the major museums in the city (along with the minor ones like Musee Mecanique, Cartoon Art, and Cable Car), a couple ships (S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien and the USS Pampanito), and the places that everybody really wants to go, like the Hyde Street Pier and the Exploratorium. In total, you can get into 35 museums and attractions for free, and if you've got the kind of Dad who thinks he has the city wired, get ready to have a significant and potentially scarring childhood episode. With any luck you'll never have to go to another museum again.
Sun., Jan. 13, 10 a.m., 2008