If you're starting to plan a summer vacation, or even a few overnight outings, it can be daunting when you look at the price tag attached. Luckily, military families have access to a variety of destinations, for free, so long as they can show proper military ID.

For starters, more than 2,000 museums nationwide will open their doors, free of charge, to active duty Servicemembers, National Guardsmen and Reservists, as well as their respective, through Sept. 2. The Blue Star Museums Program, which began in 2010 as a collaboration between the DoD, Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts, has been growing dramatically and includes everything from science to fine arts to children's museums. For a state-by-state list of participating museums, click here, which includes Tacoma's Museum District.

Military families can also take advantage of the Anheuser-Busch Here's to Heroes program, which offers once-a-year free access to all Servicemembers and their families at all Busch Gardens, Sea World and Sesame Place theme parks. To date, more than 3.2 million military members have utilized the program. 

Finally, Servicemembers and their dependents can gain access, at no charge, to any Fish and Wildlife Service or National Park Services site that would normally charge an entrance fee. There is no limit to the number or parks or the frequency of visits with this program. For a full list of parks, click here.