BYU offers students a wide array of resources and activities for free without having to leave campus. Here are eight different places to visit for free:
Bean Life Science Museum
The Bean Museum first opened in 1978 and still offers free admission to all of its exhibits today. The museum features various taxidermy animals and insects paired with facts and information. BYU senior Alyssa Adams said the last time she went to the exhibit was with a group of kids, but it can be enjoyed by all ages or even be made into a scavenger hunt for an activity.
Student Wellness Facilities
It is commonly known that the Richards Building has a gym for BYU students to attend, but the facilities offer much more than that. BYU students can also take advantage of the pool, sauna, track, courts, YFitness classes, a women's only gym and even meet with a wellness coach to reach their specific goals all for free, according to the Student Wellness website.
Sydney Lish, a BYU student studying business, said she attends the YFitness high fitness classes every week and invites everyone to come join. She says they are an easy activity for family home evening, friends or anyone. “I love them … it’s free and awesome,” she said. Besides high fitness, the facilities offer Zumba, barre, yoga, kickboxing, cycling and more. Options can be found on the YFitness online schedule.
Wilkinson Student Center
Commonly referred to as “the Wilk,” the student center houses BYU’s food court, classrooms, the bookstore and places to study and meet up with friends. The WSC also has board games that can be checked out for free along with pool and ping pong table supplies. For only a dollar, students can also attend movies in the Varsity Theater, according to the website.
Women's Services and Resources
Despite its name, Women's Services and Resources are available to all students on campus. Kelsey Parker, a junior in the nursing program, said she loves free things on campus, but Women's Services and Resources is her favorite. Parker said she wished more people knew about it and utilized their services.
Located inside the WSC, Women's Services and Resources offers nutrition counseling and one-on-one counseling sessions to connect students with resources they may need. They also have an eating disorder support group and free yoga classes.
Parker said, “Occasionally they will have guest speakers come through the women's resources center and they’ll have refreshments … it's super informative. They’ll have people come in with the latest research on really interesting topics.”
Museum of Art
The MOA has rotating art exhibitions and free events. Their website says, “One of the largest and best-attended art museums in the Mountain West, the BYU Museum of Art offers a dynamic exhibition schedule that includes displays of its permanent collection, world-class traveling shows and thought-provoking exhibitions organized by museum curators.”
Parker said the “Art After Dark” events are fantastic and free. Parker said they have live music with local bands that play inside the museum, and they often offer refreshments as well. While anyone can attend, Parker said many people use the event as a date night.
Museum of Peoples and Cultures
The Museum of Peoples and Cultures may be one of the lesser-known free museums on campus. The museum collects, preserves and displays material objects that document the diversity of human experiences, according to the website. The museum currently features the exhibits Maya Weaving: Colors of Enchantment and Mesoamerican Jade: Artifacts or Artifice and Utah Valley.
Harold B. Lee Library
The Harold B. Lee Library may seem like a typical library, but the building offers much more. BYU students can check out a variety of items including GoPros, iPads, digital single-lens reflex cameras and even binoculars for free. Student Sydney Lish said the cameras are great quality and she uses them on photoshoots with her friends.
Inside the library, students can also use professional sound recording rooms, green screens, video production studios, a sewing machine, virtual reality equipment or even reserve a small movie theater. Lish said she loves using the movie theater for family home evenings or even just with friends. Lish said, “I am definitely a freebie girl. I am all about that discount.”
Counseling and Psychological Services
BYU's Counseling and Psychological Services, located in the WSC, offers free counseling, stress coaching and biofeedback tests. Parker said in the biofeedback test, they hook the student up to equipment and the center helps them better understand how their body reacts to stress. She said the resources can be super helpful for college students.