This summer in is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums nationwide to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
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, DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
In Ohio that means 51 museums in Ohio will open their doors to military and their families as part of the ninth annual Blue Star Museums program, including:
“Ohio’s museums have once again embraced the NEA’s Blue Star Museums initiative. Each year, more and more museums are participating and sharing in the appreciation we have for military members and their families who sacrifice so much for all of us. It makes me ‘Ohio proud’ to see so many museums saying ‘thank you’ to our military members and their families,” says Ohio Arts Council Executive Director Donna S. Collins.
A full list of participating museums nationwide is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.