Ten Hawaii visitor sites offer free admission to active-duty military families this summer
Ten Hawaii institutions will be offering free admission to all active-duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve, and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day as part of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense.
Among the participating venues is Honolulu Museum of Art. The museum is closed on Mondays. (Because the Honolulu Museum of Art is closed on Mondays, its participation will start on May 28 and wrap up on Sept. 1.) The other Hawaii participants are: the African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawaii, Hawaii State Art Museum, Iolani Palace, and Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu; the Kona Coffee Living History Farm, Kona Historical Society, Laupahoehoe Train Museum and Lyman Museum and Mission House on the Big Island; and the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum on Maui.
Across the country, more than 2,000 museums are participating in Blue Star Museums, with leadership support provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The program aims to provide families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after completing a military move.
In a news release issued by the Honolulu Museum of Art, its director, Stephan Jost, said: “We gratefully open our arms to service men and women and their families. Relaxing in front of priceless works of art in two of the most beautiful settings in Honolulu for free is the least we can do for a group of people dedicated to serving our country.”
On view this summer at the Honolulu Museum of Art’s main location on Beretania Street are the exhibitions Lethal Beauty: Samurai Weapons and Armor and Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: The Hawaii Pictures. At Spalding House, the museum’s location in Makiki Heights, is Now Hear This, an exhibition of sound-related art.
For more information about Blue Star Museums, click here.
