If you are on a 'frugal' budget but not quite at the 'free' mark; check out the local museums.

While your spouse may not like foo-foo museums or art... there are typically other museums that you may have in your city that you don't even realize.

By doing a little homework through the internet, your local chamber of commerce or looking for those silly brochures and tourist info at a local hotel lobby, you can find fun, silly or interesting museums in your own hometown.

Some ideas might be a local 'train' museum, a 'local history' museum, a nature museum, a sports memorabilia museum, local orphange museums (again, from your towns local history), a science museum, starving artists museum, your local German, Swedish, African American Heritage Museums, etc.

Usually the museums that are "off the beaten path" are free or very very low cost or usually for "donations".