Alison Brick reports on an uptick in museum visits in the U.S.

We've finally found an upside to the recession--thriving museums.

According to a report by the American Association of Museums, attendance increased at 57 percent of museums in 2009. It's all because of the recession--specifically, people opting to stay local, preferring the price of a museum ticket (averaging $7) to a more expensive movie ticket, and wanting a peaceful experience during stressful times.

The AAM survey was conducted online over ten days in January, collecting responses from 481 museums (ranging from art museums to children's museums, zoos to gardens). Interestingly, the museums that felt the biggest boost in attendance were those focusing on science and technology.

That's not to say that museums weren't affected negatively--let's not forget that they're vying for entertainment dollars. More museums now charge an admission fee (66  versus 59 percent in 2008), and 23 U.S. museums closed in 2009.

But as a whole, museums are adapting to these tough financial times. They're directing more of their marketing dollars locally, offering new discounts to local residents (18 percent), and adding free days (29 percent).

So if we're heading to museums because of the bad economy, it's the free admission days that should really make us happy. They come in all shapes and forms, from one-offs to reoccurring to month-long. Click through for a list of free museum days happening near you.