Select museums to offer military families free admission

Starting Monday, Memorial Day, select museums around the country will offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families through Labor Day, Sept. 3.

The program is a partnership between the Department of Defense, the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, a nonprofit group providing support for military families. The museum program was started in 2010 and is now in its third year.

To obtain free admission, visitors must present a valid piece of identification showing active duty in the military or National Guard and Reserves. The identification is good for up to five family members.

Spouses of deployed personnel are eligible but must present valid identification for active duty military family members.

This year, more than 1,500 museums around the country are expected to participate in the program, according to Blue Star Families. Among the participating museums in Southern California are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Norton Simon Museum, the Orange County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego.

Here’s a list of participating museums in Southern California, organized by county.

Los Angeles area
Autry National Center
Bolton Hall Museum
Chinese American Museum
Columbia Memorial Space Center
Craft and Folk Art Museum
The Discovery Center for Science and Technology
The Gamble House
The Grammy Museum at LA Live
Heritage Square Museum
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Leonis Adobe Museum
Museum of Art and History (Lancaster)
Museum of Latin American Art
Museum of Tolerance
Norton Simon Museum
Otis College of Art and Design, Ben Maltz Gallery
Pacific Asia Museum
Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Pasadena Museum of History
Point Fermin Lighthouse
Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch & Gardens
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
Skirball Cultural Center
Simi Valley Historical Society & Museum
Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library
The Zimmer Children’s Museum

Orange County
ExplorOcean/Newport Harbor Nautical Museum
Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters
Laguna Art Museum
Orange County Museum of Art

Riverside County
Southern California Medical Museum

San Diego County
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
California Surf Museum
Barona Cultural Center & Museum
Escondido History Center
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation
Japanese Friendship Garden
Lux Art Institute
The New Children’s Museum
Mingei International Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla
Museum of Photographic Arts
Oceanside Museum of Art
San Diego Archaeological Center
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego History Center
The San Diego Museum of Art
San Diego Museum of Man
Timken Museum of Art
Veterans Museum and Memorial Center
Visions Art Museum: Contemporary Quilts + Textiles

Ventura / Santa Barbara
Carnegie Art Museum
Museum of Ventura County
Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Gallery
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Ventura County Maritime Museum

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