Several Wichita and Kansas City area attractions have partnered with the Blue Star Museums program again for the 2024 summer season. The program, presented by the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with the Department of Defense and Blue Star Families, allows active-duty military personnel and their families to receive free admission to participating arts and cultural attractions from Armed Forces Day (May 18) through Labor Day (September 2).
There are more than 2000 museums and attractions across the country participating in the Blue Star Museums program.
Wichita organizations participating this year include:
- Botanica, the Wichita Gardens
- Exploration Place
- Kansas Aviation Museum
- Old Cowtown Museum
- Wichita Art Museum
- Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum
- Cosmosphere – Hutchinson
Kansas City area museums participating this year include:
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum
- Thomas Hart Benton Home & Studio state HistoricSite
- 1849 Jail Museum – Independence
- Harry S. Truman Presidential Library – Museum
- Kansas City Automotive Museum – Olathe
- Johnson County Museum – Overland Park
- Museum of Prairiefire Foundation – Overland Park
- C.W. Parker Carousel Museum – Leavenworth
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, 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), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum. For more information about Blue Star Museums across Missouri, Kansas and the United States, visit https://www.arts.gov/initiatives/blue-star-museums.