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Home / Military Discounts / Blue Star Museums – Free Admission for Military Members and their Families
by Ryan Guina, Last updated: July 24, 2017

Blue Star Museums – Free Admission for Military Members and their Families

Military members and their family members are eligible for free entry at thousands of museums nationwide through the Blue Star Museums Program. More than 2,000 museums across the US have partnered with the military charity Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and the National Endowment for the Arts, to offer free admission to our nation’s service members, including members of the Guard and Reserves, and their families. Free admission at participating museums runs from Memorial Day, May 29, through Labor Day, September 4, 2017. This is the eighth year of the annual program.

Blue Star Museums

Blue Star Museums Program

Blue Star Museums - Free Admission for Military Members

The goal of the Blue Star Museums program is to help servicemembers and their families enjoy our nation’s national heritage and learn more about their new communities after completing a military move.

Participating Museums: There are more than 2,000 participating museums, which are located in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the American Samoa. There are also a wide variety of museums participating, including museums that feature the fine arts, science museums, history museums, nature centers, and children’s museums. You can find participating museums at the following link: www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums

Free Admission Eligibility: Free admission* is open to anyone carrying a valid military ID card (CAC Card), or a DD Form 1173 ID Card (Dependent ID Card). This includes members of active duty military, National Guard, Reserves,U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the NOAA Commissioned Corps. Free admission is valid for the service member, and up to 5 dependents.

Commonly Asked Questions About the Blue Star Museum Program

Where can I find a list of participating museums? Visit this website and click on your state: www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums.

How many people are eligible for free admission? Free admission applies to the military ID holder plus up to five family members.

Does the active duty military member need to be present? No. Family members can obtain free museum admission as long as they have a dependent ID card. This also applies to family members of deployed service members.

Who is considered a family member? Admission is for the military member, and up to 5 family members. The FAQ page states a family member may include a spouse or child, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Verify with the museum before assuming everyone in your party will have free admission.

What about children under the age of 10 who do not have a military ID Card? They may still have free admission, provided they are attending with a military ID card holder.

Does this program include free admission for veterans, military retirees, significant others, parents with a child currently serving on active duty, or for those who have lost a child on active duty? The sponsor must have a Geneva Convention Common Access Card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID Card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card. Members without one of these forms of ID are ineligible for the Blue Star Museums free admission program.

Does free museum admission include free access to all museum exhibitions and special programs? This varies by museum. In general, one should assume free admission is included for the primary museum. Call ahead to verify participation for special events, exhibitions. and other features.

This is such a cool deal. Who can we thank for this awesome offer? Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America. 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. Additional support has been provided by several other companies and organizations.

*Some special events or limited time exhibits may not be eligible for free entry, so be sure to call ahead to verify availability.

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Article by Ryan Guina

Ryan Guina is the founder and editor of The Military Wallet. He is a writer, small business owner, and entrepreneur. He served over 6 years on active duty in the USAF and is a current member of the IL Air National Guard. Ryan started The Military Wallet in 2007 after separating from active duty military service and has been writing about financial, small business, and military benefits topics since then. He also writes about personal finance and investing at Cash Money Life. Ryan uses Personal Capital to track and manage his track his finances. Personal Capital is a free software program that allows him to track his net worth, balance his investment portfolio, track his income and expenses, and much more. You can open a free Personal Capital account here.

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Comments

  1. Michael Neuton says

    October 3, 2018 at 11:43 pm

    Does this benefit extend to military civilian employees who have also been issued a CaC Card?

    Reply
    • Ryan Guina says

      October 4, 2018 at 8:47 am

      Michael, I’m not sure. Your best bet is to contact the individual museums or organizations to verify.

      Reply

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