Museum of Space History in Alamogordo Carries on the Tradition
Today the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA) announced the participation of its museums and historic sites in the Blue Star Museums program. The program is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families beginning on Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 20, through Labor Day, September 4, 2023.
Who: NMDCA is the cultural steward of New Mexico’s state museums and historic sites which include: Museum of International Folk Art, NM History Museum, NM Museum of Art, and NM Museum of Indian Art & Culture in Santa Fe; the National Hispanic Cultural Center and NM Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque; NM Museum of Space History in Alamogordo; NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces; and Historic Sites throughout the state: Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site, Coronado Historic Site, Jemez Historic Site, Lincoln Historic Site, Fort Selden Historic Site, and Fort Stanton Historic Site.
What: Entrance fees at all NMDCA museums and historic sites will be waived for active duty military and their families as part of the Blue Star Museums Program. Waived entrance fees are for the museum only and do not include the Museum of Space History’s New Horizons Dome Theater.
When: The Blue Star Museums Program began on Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 20, and ends Labor Day, September 4, 2023.
Why: Museums in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands are registered as Blue Star Museums, with more museums signing up to participate throughout the summer. The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as Active Duty and Reservists, National Guardsman (regardless of status), 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 (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID cardfor entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum. For a complete list of participants, visit arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest grass-roots military family support organization, with a mission to support military families to improve military readiness. Its distinctive approach builds stronger communities around military families through knowledge and programs that address the unique needs of those who serve. Blue Star Families’ nationally recognized surveys and analysis give military families an important voice that informs policymakers and its military family programs. It uses the power of its collective resources and cross-sector collaborations to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of members of military families to strengthen the troops, their families, and our nation as a whole. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org
About the New Mexico Museum of Space History: www.nmspacemuseum.org