Buffalo Zoo -- The family membership is $118/year. If you have younger kids and live fairly close to the zoo, this is definitely worth it! This is a year-round place to visit, especially on those colder days in the spring and fall when you need to get out of the house and everywhere else is muddy. Likewise, most of their members-only events are pretty awesome! We really enjoy their Halloween events and Breakfast with Santa. In the winter, we can just pop in and visit the polar bears and arctic foxes. In the summer, we bring picnics and spend most of the day enjoying animals, the playground and the rides. (The member pass gets you tickets for rides and free parking, too.)
Buffalo Museum of Science: The family membership is $70/year. This is a great go-to place whenever the weather is yucky and you're desperate to get the kids out of the house. Not only are there exhibits appropriate for all ages, but the membership allows for either free or discounted tickets to some popular events that my kids LOVE. Bufflefest and MessFest, in particular, are their favorites!
Fantasy Island: I'll admit that buying a one-day pass here feels like a rip-off. However, the season passes are actually worth the investment, especially if you have little ones. The passes are around $40 per person (depending on when you buy them), and include the rides and water park. The ease of just coming for a couple of hours after work, or for a Saturday afternoon at the water park, really make these passes worthwhile. Once you get out of the mentality of "I must stay here all day" and ease into the mentality of "I can come and go as I please," you'll start to appreciate them better. I'm not crazy about the meal plan, but I do like the $20 Pepsi bottle. It gives you unlimited fountain drinks for the entire summer. (Some may think this is gross, but I just buy one bottle and share it with my kids all summer long.)
