Free Admission to Museums Nationwide for Military This 2018 Summer

Washington, DC—For the ninth year, the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families announce that museums nationwide have signed on for Blue Star Museums, a program which provides free admission to our nation’s active-duty military personnel this summer—Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day 2018. Military can find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums nationwide, including children's museums, fine art museums, history and science museums, zoos, and nature centers. “Visiting a museum is a great way to get to know a community—whether it’s in your hometown or a stop on a road trip,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “We appreciate the enthusiasm of museums all across the country who open their doors for military and their families to spend time together and have new arts experiences.” Blue Star Museums is one way our nation’s museums can express appreciation to our military for their service and share with them America’s cultural treasures. Blue Star Museums also provides a way for military families to feel connected to their community, especially for those families who have recently relocated through a change of station. “As many military families spend the summer months moving from one duty station to another, or reconnecting with a parent who has returned from deployment, Blue Star Museums helps service members and their families create memories,” said Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Blue Star Families has great appreciation for the generosity of the museums across the country who roll out the red carpet for the families who serve alongside their service members. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.” “Blue Star Museums represents an exciting opportunity for military families to learn and have fun together,” said A.T. Johnston, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy. "The Defense Department congratulates Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts on nine years of service to the military community, and offers our sincere gratitude to the more than 2,000 museums across the country for opening your doors through this wonderful program. Your patriotism and generosity have enriched the lives and experiences of our military families.” Museums may sign up at any point during the summer to participate; contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov for more information. This year’s Blue Star Museums program welcomes many new participating museums, such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in Indiana and the GulfQuest National Maritime Museum in Mobile, Alabama. These museums will join long-time participants such as the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and the New Children’s Museum in San Diego, California. The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as Active Duty and Reservists, National Guardsman (regardless of status), U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum. Keep up with news about Blue Star Museums this summer by following #bluestarmuseums on Twitter and Instagram. You can also follow @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily on Twitter, and National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families on Facebook. Leadership support for Blue Star Families programming and promotional materials has been provided by MetLife Foundation. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. About the National Endowment for the Arts Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA. Blue Star Museums is one of the National Endowment for the Arts’ programs that support military personnel and their families. Others include Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network and grants awarded to nonprofit organizations to support projects that reach military and veterans. About Blue Star Families Blue Star Families builds communities that support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions, including career development tools, local community events for families, and caregiver support. Since its inception in 2009, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and serves more than 1.5 million military family members. With Blue Star Families, military families can find answers to their challenges anywhere they are. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.

Map of participating museums