Want to explore more than 2,000 varieties of barbed wire in the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum? Or get an in-depth look inside the Space Shuttle Trainer Crew Compartment at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington? Then check out this year’s Blue Star Museums program with free opportunities for military families around the country.
About 2,000 museums are offering free admission to currently serving military personnel and up to five family members now through Sept. 1, Labor Day. Participating museums, large and small, can be found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. They include history, art and children’s museums; historic sites; botanical gardens; zoos; aquariums; and more.
“For 15 years, Blue Star Museums has opened doors for military families to explore, connect, and feel at home in their communities,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families, in an announcement of this year’s launch. “Thanks to our continued partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and participating museums nationwide, we’re proud to continue this tradition of belonging and enrichment. Museums are more than cultural spaces ― they’re places where military families feel seen, welcomed, and celebrated.”
Some museums could provide interesting day trips. With some planning, they could also provide side trips during summer travel, such as during a move to a new duty station.
Additional information and a complete list of participating organizations are available at arts.gov/initiatives/blue-star-museums, where you can search by museum and state. Museums can join the Blue Star Museums program all summer long and the map will be updated regularly.
Those eligible for free admission are currently serving members of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a military ID for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
Spouses can show their dependent ID card for free admission if their service member is deployed or otherwise unable to come to the museum.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is honored to help connect military service members and their families with their communities through the Blue Star Museums program,” said Mary Anne Carter, senior adviser for the National Endowment for the Arts, in the announcement.
Participating museums range from large institutions like the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago to smaller museums like the Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vermont.
A spot check of participating museums finds interesting nuggets, like the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in LaCrosse. The “Barbed Wire Goes to War” exhibit displays military wire and tools. Concertina wire — rolls of twisted barbed wire — first came into widespread use in World War I.
One of their more unusual exhibits is a massive raven’s nest built mostly out of hundreds of bits of barbed wire, lined with grass as a cushion for their eggs. A railroad engineer discovered it in a tree in Greeley County in the 1960s.
Some museums offer free admission to the general public all year, and some may offer special discounts for military and veterans. For example, admission is free at the Barbed Wire Museum, but donations are encouraged.
Before heading to a museum, be sure to check the hours and other information.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
