My husband and I have been members of The Henry Ford for close to 20 years. Actually, when I brought him home to meet my folks—we met at college in New York—we went to the museum. So, 22 years later, to say the place holds a special place in my heart is putting it mildly.

But it isn’t sentimentality that keeps us coming back and renewing our membership. For us, it’s been a place where we have fun, always learn something new and spend some cherished family time.

The children pose by the Josephine Ford Fountain near the entrance to Greenfield Village during this year's Fall Flavors Weekends.

With a family our size, a membership pays for itself in just one-and-a-half visits. And since we make many visits in a year to both the museum and village, it’s been a great educational investment for us. (Even more so during the years I was homeschooling.) But even before we had quite as many children, we wanted to support The Henry Ford, and membership gave us the perfect way. To show special appreciation to its members, The Henry Ford will host Member Appreciation Days, November 11-13, which includes —among other things —two free admission tickets to the Rouge Factory Tour (Other special offers and details are below.)

Mary Claire and Henry during the Maker Faire.

We enjoy making frequent short visits and are always finding reasons to return, whether for special events, a trip to the IMAX Theatre, viewing temporary exhibits, having a picnic in the village, or taking a Sunday afternoon stroll through the museum. It seems we can always get a fresh look at even some of the static collections. (Although with all the enhancements to the museum and village over the years, the collections can hardly be called “static.”)

In preparation for writing this post, I asked my kids what they like best about The Henry Ford. I expected some of the answers, others surprised me, and a more than a few made me chuckle. What amazed me the most was how the list just kept growing and growing. It made me realize how many memories we have made being members for so many years.

Of course, some of the icons of the collections topped the kids’ list.

Fourteen-year-old Mary Claire loves the Rosa Parks Bus. I remember one visit when she was five and had just learned about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks in Montessori school. She stood looking at the still unrestored bus and asked me if Mrs. Parks missed the bus and came to visit it. Her understanding that Rosa Parks lived in Detroit, along with seeing the bus made history really come alive for that little five-year-old brain. Over the years her fascination with the bus and the history around it has only grown. When the museum put that treasure at the end of the With Liberty and Justice for All exhibit, Mary Claire eagerly soaked in the information about some of the other movements in our history that led up to Mrs. Parks’ quiet act. Mary Claire is also a big fan of the Rouge Factory Tour.

Helen's dream home.

Our 19-year-old has had a long-time fascination with theDymaxion House. Helen’s fondness for little spaces makes the compact Dymaxion House a dream abode for her. We can’t take a trip to the museum without her making at least a quick walk to view the home. She always says, “I have to go visit my house and my boyfriend.” Her “boyfriend” is the crash-test dummy that sat for many years by the auto exhibit. When I told her that the museum was completely rebuilding that exhibit, her response was, “But what about my boyfriend?” It’s silly, I know. But since membership gives us the opportunity for frequent visits, our relationship with the artifacts is different than just a one-time visit. We’re all eagerly awaiting the new Driving America exhibit. Its predecessor, The Automobile in American Life, introduced in the late 1980s really changed the museum experience from what many of my peers remember as a kid. This new exhibit—to be unveiled in February—from what I understand, is going to reinvent the museum. Completely. The idea of being able to actually eat at Lamy’s Diner alone has my kids ready to get in line.

Henry is happy to be at Greenfield Village.

Ten-year-old Henry talked about his affection for the planes, trains and combines. The first thing he does when we visit Greenfield Village is scope out which train is pulling the passenger cars. For some reason, he just loves that little diesel. A drawing of the C & O Allegheny locomotive I bought from the museum’s gift shop was the very first item to adorn his walls when his room was redecorated from that of baby to a big boy.

Five-year-old Lillian loves the historic carousel, the ladies in pretty dresses and the real horses in Greenfield Village. She frequently insists we ask the horses names. It’s not enough for me to tell her (since I certainly can identify most of them by now). I must ask the operator, who always cheerfully obliges.

Other things that popped up in the discussion included frozen custard; Eagle Tavern, andMichigan Café; frequent picnics in the village; special exhibits;Discovery Camp; missing the Suwanee steamboat; the guy who played the banjo for years; the amazing Langston Hughes tribute during Black History Month years ago; my mom-imposed scavenger hunts involving me texting clues and them having to picture mail the mystery artifacts to me; rides on Model Ts, and whether they do or do not like Hobo Bread.

As I listened, I couldn’t help but wonder what two-year-old Clifford’s fondest memories of The Henry Ford will be. Recently he’s been imitating the dancing skeletons he saw in the gazebo during our Halloween visit. Other than that, the thing that captivates him the most when we’re at the village is the commercial jets flying overhead going to and from Detroit Metro Airport. Go figure. I have yet to take him for a visit to the Heroes of the Sky exhibit in the museum, but soon we’ll do that some chilly Sunday afternoon. I’ll be eager to see his reaction. I’ll have to let you know.

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Member Appreciation Days are Nov. 11-13. Members receive 10% off handcrafted items from Liberty Craftworks, which is valid year round; 20% off non craft purchases (excluding sale items, Hobo Bread, Beverages, Fuji Film products and gift cards); free gift-wrapping on in-store purchases; great prizes and daily giveaways—free backpack, courtesy of College Prep Sponsor MESP (limit 100 per day) and 2 free admission to the Ford Rouge Factory Tour (valid Nov. 11 and 12 only).

Kristine Hass is a mother of five, a freelance writer and a long-time member of The Henry Ford. She frequently blogs about her family’s visits to America’s Greatest History Attraction.