Seniors around Australia can access a wide range of entertainment activities at more generous discounts than those on offer to other members of the public. It’s never been cheaper to have fun, be amused, inspired or even scared witless.
Get spirited away
What do you imagine happens in an abandoned morgue when the lights are turned off? Join a Lantern Ghost Tour and find out. And even if you don’t see something creepy, at least you didn’t have to pay full price. The company offers seniors a 30 per cent discount.
It conducts tours of old jails and lunatic asylums in NSW, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria. In the latter state, there are also ghost-hunting tours that involve supper and sleepovers at a number of historic and spooky homesteads.
Full price for short tours begins at $29, with the more extensive Overnight Paranormal Investigations starting at $149.
Repeat this history
If you enjoy blasts from the past of a different type, you will find that most museums offer either discounts or free entry to seniors.
Some also offer concession prices on special exhibitions. Sydney’s Australian Museum, for example, charges seniors $8, a saving of $7.
Follow your animal instinct
If stuffed animals are not your thing, you might want to visit furry creatures, live and kicking behind enclosed habitats. Problem is, zoo admission fees are not cheap, thanks to the high costs of looking after the many species housed. Fortunately, most zoos offer sizeable discounts to seniors.
Perth Zoo discounts prices from $31 to $24; Taronga Zoo charges seniors $32.40, down from $41.40; and Melbourne Zoo slices $3.50 off admissions to $32.50.
Take a screen shot
Perhaps you prefer to watch life unfolding from the safe distance of a comfy seat at the movies. Some cinemas are especially welcoming of seniors, such as Dendy Theatres, which has $10 tickets every day, with free coffee, tea and biscuits for the first movie session on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Village Cinemas allow seniors to watch the first session of selected movies on Fridays for just $8. When you search for session times, look for the light grey ‘SEN’ icon indicating films offering $7 savings.
Hoyts Cinemas are a little less generous, charging seniors $13, down from $21.
Start acting up
Going upmarket to watch a live production need not be a great deal more expensive. The Melbourne Theatre Company offers seniors discounts for Wednesday matinee performances.
Seniors may also use their card to buy a rush ticket two hours before curtains open. If you are lucky, you may be able to score one of a limited number of seniors’ day seats from just $20.
You will find that major theatres in other cities also offer discounted matinee tickets.
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