National Firearms Museum Joins 2014 Blue Star Museums Program
OutdoorHub 06.18.14
The NRA’s National Firearms Museum and more than 2,000 museums across the United States are participating in Blue Star Museums this summer in a collaborative effort with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense to provide free admission to active duty, National Guard, and Reserve military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2014. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. A complete list of participating museums is available at http://arts.gov/national/blue‐star‐museums.
“The National Firearms Museum examines the nearly 700-year story of firearms with an emphasis on the American spirit possessed by our armed forces throughout our country’s great history,” said Director of NRA Museums Jim Supica. “We are honored to be a Blue Star Museum and provide an opportunity for military families to enjoy a piece of our nation’s cultural heritage.”
“As we kick off our fifth year of Blue Star Museums, more museums than ever are part of this military appreciation program,” said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. “Together with Blue Star Families and more than 2,000 museums, we are proud to help connect military families with the cultural resources in their communities.”
Museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in this year’s initiative. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the Association of Science‐Technology Centers. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and dozens of children’s museums. Among this year’s new participants are the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, The Thinkery children’s museum in Austin, Texas, the Mass Audubon Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick, Massachusetts, and Henricus Historical Park in Chester, Virginia.
“Blue Star Museums has grown into a national recognized program that service members and their families look forward to each year,” said Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet. “It helps bring out local military and civilian communities together, and offers families fun and enriching activities in their home towns. We are thrilled with the continued growth of the program and the unparalleled opportunities it offers.”
