Visiting museums can get expensive, particularly if you take the whole family, but many in South Florida have free admission at least once a month, and some schedule special activities on those days.

Here are the free days in Miami-Dade:

• Miami Art Museum: Free the second Saturday of the month with activities for families 1-4 p.m.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami: By donation 7-10 p.m. the last Friday of the month, with free jazz in the courtyard at 8 p.m.
• History Miami (formerly the Historical Museum of Southern Florida): Free noon-5 p.m. the second Saturday of the month with programs for families.
• Wolfsonian-FIU: Free 6-9 p.m. every Friday, often with films, talks and café drinks specials.
• Miami Children’s Museum: Free 3-9 p.m. the third Friday of the month with activities for children.
• Gold Coast Railroad Museum: Free the first Saturday of the month.
• The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum (photo) at Florida International University’s south campus is always free. The second Wednesday of the month, there is a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. with a lecture and a chance to meet artists.

And the free days in Broward:

• Coral Spring Springs Museum of Art: Free every Wednesday.
• Young at Art Children’s Museum, Davie: Free 5:30-8:30 p.m. the first Friday of the month with activities for children.

On the first weekend of every month, anyone with a Bank of America credit or debit card can get free admission to museums nationwide through the Museums on Us program.

Local participants include the Miami Art Museum, Miami Children’s Museum, Miami Science Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Bass Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science, the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale and Young at Art.