Many local museums are free on certain days

Yes, there is such a thing as a free Picasso.

The Seattle Art Museum offers free admission the first Thursday of every month.

Other museums also have free entry on Thursdays as well as other designated days.

If you plan it right, you can get all cultured up without spending a dime.

One helpful site, www.free museumday.org, lists free and screaming deals in Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Many of the local museums are free all the time, or ask only for donations.

Here’s a list:

Snohomish County

• Blackman House Museum: 118 Ave. B, Snohomish; 360-568-5235. Noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; free but $5 donations accepted for guided tours.
• Edmonds Historical Museum: City Hall building, 118 Fifth Ave. N., Edmonds; 425-774-0900; www.historicedmonds.org. 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission $5 for adults, $2 for students; group tours available.
• Flying Heritage Museum: 3407 109th St. SW, Everett (Paine Field); 206-342-4242; www.flyingheritage.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day; Tuesdays through Sundays the rest of the year. $8 to $12, free ages 5 and younger; group rates available; tickets at 877-342-3404.
• Future of Flight Aviation Center &Boeing Tour: 8415 Paine Field Blvd., Mukilteo; 425-438-8100, information and reservations at 800-464-1476; www.futureofflight.org. Open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. $12 to $18 through Sept. 30. Children must be 4 feet tall for tours.
• Granite Falls Historical Society Museum: 109 E. Union St., Granite Falls; 360-691-2603; www.gfhistory.org. Noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; free but donations accepted.
• Imagine Children’s Museum: 1502 Wall St., Everett; 425-258-1006; www.imaginecm.org. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. General admission $9; $4 for all ages from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursdays; free for those younger than 1.
• Lake Stevens Historical Museum: 1802 Main St., Lake Stevens; 425-334-3944. 1 to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Group tours by appointment.
• Monroe Historical Society Museum: Old City Hall, 207 E. Main St., Monroe; 360-217-7223; www.monroehistoricalsociety.org. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Donations accepted.
• Lynnwood, Heritage Park: 19921 Poplar Way, Lynnwood:
• Heritage Resource Center: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Formerly superintendent’s cottage and water tower, only surviving structures from Alderwood Manor Demonstration Farm. Moved to Heritage Park in 2003 and reopened in 2005 as resource center, 425-775-4694; www.alderwood.org.
• Wickers Building: The first general store and post office in Alderwood Manor, was moved to Heritage Park in 2003. Now South Snohomish County Visitor Information Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, 425-776-3977.
• Interurban Car 55: Car 55 is a 1909 Interurban single-ended wooden electric rail car that provided commuter service from Alderwood Manor to Seattle and Everett from 1910 to 1939. Tours 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. second and fourth Wednesdays and Saturdays June through August; by appointment September to May.
• Humble House: Original residence built in 1919. The park site’s original residence was built in 1919. Now houses Sno-Isle Genealogical Society’s genealogy research library. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; 425-775-6267.
• Stanwood Area History Museum: 27112 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood; 360-629-6110; www.sahs-fncc.org. 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays; also by appointment; donations welcome.
• Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum: 20722 67th Ave. NE, Arlington; 360-435-7289; www.stillymuseum.org. 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays through October; check website for holiday closures; $2 and $5.

Skagit County

• La Conner Quilt &Textile Museum: Inside Gaches Mansion, 703 S. Second St., La Conner; 360-466-4288; www.laconnerquilts.com. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays; by appointment Mondays and Tuesdays; $5 for members, $7 for nonmembers; free ages 12 and younger.
• Skagit County Historical Museum: 501 S. Fourth St., La Conner; 360-466-3365; www.skagitcounty.net/museum. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. $4 to $10; free ages 5 and younger.

Seattle

• Burke Museum of Natural History &Culture: NE 45th Street and 17th Avenue NE, UW campus, Seattle; 206-543-5590; www.burkemuseum.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. first Thursdays; closed July 4. $7.50 to $10; free for ages 4 and younger; first Thursday admission free for all.
• Children’s Museum: 305 Harrison St., Seattle; 206-441-1768; www.thechildrensmuseum.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; $7 to $8.25; younger than 1, free.
• Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum: 325 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle; 206-770-2700; www.empsfm.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through May 24. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily May 24 through Sept. 3. $20, $17 students, seniors, military, free for ages 4 and younger. Online discounts available.
• Museum of History &Industry, known as MOHAI: 860 Terry Ave. N., in Lake Union Park, Seattle; 206-324-1126; www.mohai.org. Free admission the first Thursday of the month.Museum of Flight: 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle; 206-764-5720; www.museumofflight.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, 10 .m. to 9 p.m. first Thursdays (free after 5 p.m. first Thursdays); $8 to $18; free ages 4 and younger.
• Nordic Heritage Museum: 3014 NW 67th St., Seattle; 206-789-5707; www.nordicmuseum.org. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; $4 to $6; free ages 5 and younger.
• Pacific Science Center: 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle; 206-443-2001; www.pacificsciencecenter.org. Spring hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. $9 to $16, free ages 2 and younger. Imax film costs are separate from admission, $6 to $14.25.
• Seattle Aquarium: 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle; 206-386-4300; www.seattleaquarium.org. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. $13.95 and $19.95; free for 3 and younger.
• Seattle Art Museum: 1300 First Ave., Seattle; 206-654-3100; www.seattleartmuseum.org. Free admission the first Thursday of the month. Free on the first Friday of the month for ages 62 and older. On the second Friday of the month, teens ages 13 to 19 get in free from 5 to 9 p.m.
• Seattle Asian Art Museum: 1400 E. Prospect St., Volunteer Park, Seattle; 206-654-3100; www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/visitsaam.asp. Free admission the first Thursday of the month. Free on the first Friday of the month for seniors 62 and older. Free on the first Saturday of the month for families. Second Thursday of the month, free from 5 to 9 p.m.
• Volunteer Park Conservatory: 1400 E. Galer St., Seattle; 206-684-4743; www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/VolunteerPark/conservatory.htm. Free admission the first Thursday and Saturday of the month.

Snoqualmie

• Northwest Railway Museum: Depot at 38625 SE King St., Snoqualmie; 425-888-3030; www.trainmuseum.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day; free admission.