Summer is winding down, but it’s not too late to enjoy some of the D.C. area’s museum offerings.
For active-duty military families, it’s also a chance to take in many museums for free as part of the Blue Star Museums program, a partnership between the National Endowment of the Arts and nonprofit organization Blue Star Families.
THIS SUMMER: Visit one of the more than 2,000 #BlueStarMuseums ! Active duty military personnel and their family members can go to participating museums for FREE thanks to @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily . See https://t.co/BDRc5402YY for list of museums. pic.twitter.com/r6UvIkweLs
— Nat’l Endow f/t Arts (@NEAarts) July 16, 2019
The program is celebrating its 10th summer of allowing free entry to participating museums for active-duty members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Reserves, as well as the National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps.
All that’s required is valid Department of Defense ID. Up to five family members can get in for free with the active duty-ID holder, as well.
Should the active-duty member be unable to accompany family members to the museum due to deployment or other unavailability, a DoD issued identification for active-duty family members will is required to access the museums as part of the program.
Some of the participating museums already have free admission. Others usually charge, but are ditching the admission price for Blue Star Families until Labor Day.
The Blue Star Museums program is a way for military families to explore cultural treasures during travel in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, or to connect with a community if they’ve been re-stationed and are getting used to a new area.
“Whether it’s an art museum, science center, or botanic garden, there are so many wonderful opportunities for military families to share a memorable experience exploring our nation’s museums,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts in a news release.
“We’ve seen the tremendous impact the Blue Star Museums program brings to our military families, and we’re thrilled to be celebrating a decade of support,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, chief executive officer of Blue Star Families.
The summer program ends on Labor Day.
