Thursday, May 6, 2021
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, MAY 6, 2021: The Aviation Museum of Kentucky announced it will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2021 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 15, 2021, and end Labor Day, Monday September 6, 2021. A list of participating museums is 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 participating museums nationwide.
“The Aviation Museum has been a Blue Star Museum for several years. We are proud to offer this incentive to active military,” said Jim McCormick, board chair of the museum.
“Like the resilience that military families demonstrate time and again, AMK is an example of the resiliency in the arts sector over the past year,” said Ann Eilers, acting chair of the National Endowment of the Arts. We are grateful to the aviation museum for its leadership in strengthening community through their participation in the Blue Star Museums program this summer.”
Blue Star Museums are in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The list of participating museums will continue to develop over the summer as other organizations register.
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, 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, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
The Aviation Museum of Kentucky was founded in 1995 at Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport, and is the official aviation museum of the Commonwealth. It is home to the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame, and operates as a non-profit corporation. Visitors are welcome Tuesday through Sunday.
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965. It uses resources as an independent federal agency to give Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, to experience America’s cultural heritage, and to have equal access to the arts in communities across America.
Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest grass-roots military family support organization, supporting military families to improve military readiness. Military families are given a voice through the organization, making a difference in the lives of thousands of troops and their dependents. Meeting the unique needs of those who serve is the mission of Blue Star Families.
