Saturday, September 22, 2018 is Smithsonian Magazine‘s free Museum Day for this year, and museums all over the country are participating. You can search by location (state or zip) or by subject matter (air & space, art, children, history, science, etc.). Both large and small museums participate in this, so there’s likely a museum near you that you can check out, either with your family or as a day date.
My small-ish town has three museums, and two of those three are participating. We plan to check one of them out. I’ve lived here since 2002 and have yet to visit either of these two museums, so I plan to remedy that. (Phippen Museum, here we come!) Museum Day is a perfect opportunity to check out some smaller local museums that have escaped your notice until now. Or take this opportunity to check out one of your area’s big museums that you haven’t been able to afford to visit.
If you’re away from home on Museum Day, simply search for a museum near your destination; there will likely be a participating one. What a great opportunity to check out an attraction somewhere outside your hometown, or get to know a bit more about your destination!
Though Museum Day isn’t for another month, I encourage you to reserve your tickets now. While it is free to participate in Museum Day, you must have tickets for your party. Now’s the time to get them!
Note: You’re only allowed one ticket for admission to one museum on Museum Day per email address, so choose wisely. Once you generate your ticket, you’ve committed yourself. Each ticket only allows two people into the museum, though, so if you have a larger group, break up into smaller groups for getting your tickets online so everyone in your party is covered. Or pay for admission for some of your party to help support the museum.
Also note: Special exhibits aren’t covered by this free admission.
After you have your ticket, be sure to mark your calendar, note the museum’s operating hours, and get there early! Museums have the right to limit guest entry when a museum reaches capacity.
Which museum will your family visit this year?
You can follow Museum Day on Twitter @MuseumDay or using hashtags #MuseumDay and #WomenMakingHistory.
