Free admission for military at state museums and historic sites through Labor Day
Dianne L. StallingsActive-duty military personnel and families will be thanked for their service with free admission to state museums and historic sites through Labor Day.
Celebrating the 10th summer of Blue Star Museums, officials with the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families announced that museums nationwide, including New Mexico’s eight state-run museums and historic sites under the Department of Cultural Affairs signed on to provide free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families this summer.
The 2019 program began Saturday, Armed Forces Day, and will end on Sept. 1.
Military families 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, according to information from the cultural affairs department.
“After a decade of participation, it remains a privilege for New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs museums and historic sites to serve members of the military and their families through this National Endowment for the Arts program,” said DCA Cabinet Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego.
“It’s a small token of our esteem and a ‘thank you’ for the sacrifices they make every day and a wonderful opportunity for military families to share a memorable experience exploring New Mexico’s outstanding cultural treasures.”
Participating DCA institutions include:
- New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors and New Mexico Museum of Art near the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe
- Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on Museum Hill in Santa Fe
- New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque
- New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces
- Fort Selden in Radium Springs
- Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner
- Fort Stanton Historic Site, north of Ruidoso in Lincoln County
- Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo,
- Jemez Historic Site in Jemez Springs
- Lincoln Historic Site northeast of Ruidoso in Lincoln
- Los Luceros Historic Site in Alcalde
About Blue Star Museums
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 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.
About the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
Created in 1978 by the New Mexico Legislature, the Department of Cultural Affairs oversees a range of New Mexico's arts and cultural heritage agencies that include 15 divisions representing a variety of programs and services. Among its primary functions is the management of the largest state sponsored museum system in the country.
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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. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.