Beginning this Saturday, the Appleton Museum of Art will provide free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families.
The Appleton Museum of Art has joined the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to those who are currently serving in the United States military. That includes any member of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and members of the Reserves.
Military members may also be accompanied by up to five family members who will also be permitted into the museum free of charge.
The 2024 Blue Star Museums program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 18, and will run through Labor Day (Monday, September 2).
The program is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.
“We are grateful to the Appleton Museum of Art for participating in this summer’s Blue Star Museums program and we hope military families will take this opportunity to create meaningful, lifelong memories,” stated Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.
“Whether you are traveling this summer, getting to know a new duty location or exploring what your community has to offer, Blue Star Museums is a wonderful opportunity to create connection and find inspiration,” added Jackson.
In addition to the Appleton Museum of Art, the Blue Star Museums program includes children’s museums, art, science and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses and more, and hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to grow as more organizations register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer.
Qualified members of the military must show a Geneva Conventions common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card, or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
The Appleton Museum extends free entry to U.S. military Veterans, who receive free admission year-round. Veterans can show a Veteran ID Card (VIC), Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) or the Veterans designation on their state-issued driver’s license or ID for entrance.
“Our founder, Arthur I. Appleton, served as a Navy Lieutenant during World War II and the Appleton team is composed of over 30% Veterans,” stated Appleton Museum Director Jason Steuber. “We are pleased to once again join the Blue Star Museums program and also extend free entry to Veterans.”
The Appleton Museum, Artspace, and Store are open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with reduced hours (noon to 5 p.m.) on Sunday.
A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 W Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala.