by Joyce Slaton posted in Products

Modern parents prefer experiences to things. Or as BabyCenter's global editor-in-chief Linda Murray put it when we released the results of our most recent Cost of Raising a Child report, "Parents are redefining what the American Dream means to them. Today, they are placing more value on shared family experiences and making lasting memories than on material possession. Happiness is about love, not money."
With that in mind, we asked the families we know what places were important to visit together. What are the places, close at home or far away, that offer experiences that bring families together, that teach children the things they need to know, that make memories for years to come. Here are the 13 answers we most commonly received.
Pictured: Florida's State Capitol in Tallahassee
1. Your state's capitol: Whatever state you live in, there's a capitol where your state government gets work done. Go there. Take the tours that are available, visit the capitol building, and other state buildings. Learn how your government works. You want your child to grow up to be a voter and politically aware citizen, right" Start here, and bring what they'll learn in a textbook to life.

2. Grand Canyon National Park: The Arizona chasm looms large in the imagination of parents, who think of it as a place to show their children nature's majesty, and visual, irrefutable proof of the passage of time. Take your child to the Grand Canyon and...