More than 1,200 museums across the country will participate in Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day on April 4, an initiative in which participating museums across the United States open their doors for free.
Participating museums and cultural institutions will emulate the policy of the Smithsonian Institution by opening their doors for free to visitors, providing free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket. Participants may download one ticket per email address and each ticket provides free general admission for two people.
Museum Day goes beyond getting visitors through museum doors – it acts as a springboard to empower and help advance the hopes and ambitions of the public, particularly school-aged children and those in underrepresented communities. It represents a national commitment to access, equity and inclusion.
This year’s Museum Day also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Smithsonian Magazine, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This year’s Museum Day theme, “Earth Optimism,” encourages hope about the future of the planet.
Eleven museums in Kentucky are participating in Museum Day:
• American Saddlebred Museum, Lexington
• Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington
• Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum, Marion
• Historic Locust Grove, Louisville
• Historic Railpark and Train Museum, Bowling Green
• International Museum of the Horse, Lexington
• Janice Mason Art Museum, Cadiz (free every day)
• Kentucky Gateway Museum Center, Maysville
• Kentucky Museum, Bowling Green (free every day)
• Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site Museum, Perryville
• The Lincoln Museum, Hodgenville
A number of museums in nearby states also are participating.
Visit Smithsonian’s website for a complete list of participating museums or to download a ticket.
This story first appeared in Kentucky Teacher, a publication of the Kentucky Department of Education.
