The Bushatz household is Nerd Central. We like to spend our weekends playing Scrabble, listening to NPR game shows (uh-huh – you KNOW that’s nerdy), visiting as many National Parks as possible and, oh yes, reading all the words on every museum display we can drum up.
What? You don’t want to hang out with us? I don’t understand.
We are also cheap. Actually, I prefer the term “thrifty.” And this, ahem, thriftiness demands that we pursue as many free things as possible. Look at that list of stuff we do: Scrabble — free (because I got the game as a gift – oh snap!). NPR – free. National Parks – free as of Saturday!
That leaves museums … and oh yes, as of Memorial Day many of those will be free, too, thanks to annual Blue Star Museums program.
Cue the thrifty-nerdy celebration.
This is the third year that the National Endowment of the Arts has organized museums across the country to participate in the Blue Star Museum program. This program allows free admittance to select museums across the country for military ID card holders and up to five accompanying non-ID holders. That means if you and your spouse show up with your IDs, you can bring 10 friends in with you. … it’s like a museum party! And what could be more fun than that? (Please don’t respond with “um. Everything.” Remember you’re talking to Queen Nerd here).
A record 1,600 museums across the country are participating in the Blue Star Museums 2012 program. A selection of stops the Bushatz Family will be making over the next several months: The National Quilt Museum, the River Discovery Center, The Parthenon, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts … and on. And on.
Check out details about museums participating near you on this handy, interactive map. Got questions? This page may have the answers.
But sad news for retirees: this program, like the National Parks pass deal, applies only to Active duty, Guard and Reserve families. Please don’t shoot the messenger.
About Amy Bushatz
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Our household will rival yours on the nerdiness! We live museums, learning, all that nerdiness has to offer!
i'm not sure if i love you more for your museum appreciation or npr-love, but the museum thing definitely just made my day. when we were in d.c., everything was free anyway… but now i can visit my old town, nyc, and finally afford to go museum-hopping! moma, here i come!
We can be nerdy friends!
Not sure this first page is correct. You mention "… This program allows free admittance to select museums across the country for military ID card holders and up to five accompanying non-ID holders. That means if you and your spouse show up with your IDs, you can bring 10 friends in with you. …" However, on the "interactive map", once you click on your state, it says this activity is only good for Active duty and I am retired Army. So which is right. I don't want to show up with my family and get embarassed.
the last paragraph in this article answers your question:
"But sad news for retirees: this program, like the National Parks pass deal, applies only to Active duty, Guard and Reserve families. Please don’t shoot the messenger."
I wish they would value our retirees too!
this is so sad. After 23 years , which I gave for our country for us all to be FREE..(among every other retired vets).you mean to tell me that now as a retirees we can't even get back a FREE PARK admission? this is sad. and you have got to be kidding. I think something needs to be done here as it was us..the retiree vets …that protected our nation for the last 50 to 75 years… and now that we are retired it puts us in a different category? does this seem right to do to your retired vets? cmon lets get this done right!