This summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, military members and their families can enjoy free access to many of our nation’s most interesting museums. The Blue Star Museums program, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and individual museums, has provided free summer access for the military community since 2010.
First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence both expressed their support of the program. In a letter of appreciation to participants, they urged military families to take advantage of this program. “Museums expand our horizons and broaden our imaginations. They enrich and enlighten us as we innovate for the future and honor our past,” the First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence said in a letter of support. “This summer, we encourage military families and all Americans to explore museums and engage in the wondrous history they impart.”
How to Participate
Over 2,000 museums nationwide have partnered with the Blue Star Museums program, to bring the joy of discovering new things to the military and their families for free. Museums range from children’s museums to zoos, and from art museums to history museums.
Popular locations include the American Museum of Natural History, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, as well as the National Archives and United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.
Starting today, May 26 through Labor Day, September 3, we will proudly offer free admission to to all active duty military personnel and their families as part of #BlueStarMuseums. https://t.co/PZyu2yGV1T pic.twitter.com/q4l1hRyEnR
— Guggenheim Museum (@Guggenheim) May 26, 2018
Interested museum attendees only need to show a Common Access Card, CAC, or dependent ID to gain admission. Free admission is offered to Active Duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, as well as those serving in the Reserves, National Guard, U.S Public Health Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Commissioned Corps. With appropriate identification, the servicemember or dependent claiming the benefit can also get free access for up to five family members.
Why Visit a Museum?
Museums both spark our curiosity and expand our horizons. Learning about new things, whether animals, art, history, or one of many other fascinations offered at museums, can be a wonderful bonding experience for families.
Military families often face prolonged separations, which makes taking advantage of bonding experiences even more important.
“Blue Star Museums was created to show support for military families who have faced multiple deployments and the challenges of reintegration,” the program website says. “This program offers these families a chance to visit museums this summer when many will have limited resources and limited time to be together.”
The summer is the perfect time to visit museums as a family. Many military families plan relocations during the summer months to keep disruptions to school commitments to a minimum. With kids out of school and military members taking some vacation time between tours, a museum is the perfect place to create memories. When it is done for free, it’s even better.
It can also be a great way to get to know a new community after relocating to a new duty station. With participating museums all around the United States, families can take advantage of the program in their home state, during their travels, or after arriving to a new area.
The National Endowment for the Arts is an “independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities.”
Blue Star Families works to “support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions, including career development tools, local community events for families, and caregiver support.”
The 2018 program will run from May 26, 2018 to September 3, 2018. For a full list of participating museums, visit the Blue Star Museums program website for an interactive museum map.
