Military families were recently given the opportunity to earn free entry to every National Park in the country, and now they'll be able to visit some of the country's best museums free of charge. The Blue Star Museums program has expanded its offerings this summer, and military families can visit 1,600 museums across the country this summer without paying a cent.
The program began in 2010 as a joint effort between the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense. It has grown by leaps and bounds in its short history, and added 300 new museums this year alone. Among the establishments to join are the New Mexico Museum of Space History and San Francisco's Children's Creativity Museum. For military families of a deployed servicemember, the program has many advantages.
"Especially for families with limited time together, those on a limited budget and ones that have to relocate frequently, Blue Star Museums offers an opportunity to enjoy one another and become more fully integrated into a community," said NEA chairman Rocco Landesman.
The program has the support of first lady Michelle Obama's Joining Forces initiative, which was launched in an effort to help military families. According to The Associated Press, she is also working to improve health services and education opportunities for military children.