All military personnel and their families will receive free admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, according to an announcement today by Museum Director Garrett Boone.
“The offer is supported by Blue Star Museums, the collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense,” Boone said. “This is the third year the Georgia Museum of Agriculture has participated in the Blue Star Museums program.”
The Museum will officially launch the program on May 27. It runs throughout the summer and ends on Labor Day, Sept. 7.
“The Blue Star Museums program offers an excellent opportunity to introduce the rich, rural heritage of South Georgia to the military and their families,” Boone said.
“Parents of young children tell us that they go to museums to learn new things and have family time together,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Blue Star Museums help them do both, by helping military families learn about the cultural resources in their communities, and offering a fun, high-quality experience that’s budget friendly as well as family friendly. We’re proud to help connect museums to military communities nationwide.”
“Blue Star Museums has grown into a nationally recognized program that service members and their families look forward to each year,” Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet said. “It helps bring our local military and civilian communities together, and offers families fun and enriching activities in their home towns. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.”
The Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village at ABAC is one of 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2015. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and dozens of children’s museums.
Among this year’s new participants are the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville, Fla., the Duluth Children’s Museum in Minnesota, The Space Station Museum in Novato, Calif., and The Lyon Arboretum at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after a military move. The complete list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums.
The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps – and up to five family members. Museums that wish to participate in Blue Star Museums may contact bluestarmuseums@arts.gov or Wendy Clark at 202-682-5451.
The Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village at ABAC in Tifton resides on over 96 acres and includes a Country Store, Museum Hall, Art Gallery, Historic Village, Peanut Museum, and conference facilities. Admission Tuesday through Friday is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $4 for children 5-16 years of age. Children under five years old are free.
Saturday admission is $8 for seniors, $10 for adults, $5 for children 5-16 years of age, and free for children under five.
For more information on Georgia’s Museum of Agriculture, interested persons can contact the Country Store at 229-391-5205 or email Boone at gboone@abac.edu.
