Wickiup Hill Learning Center is among 1,800 sites participating in an initiative to offer free admission this summer to military families. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Wickiup Hill Learning Center is among 1,800 sites participating in an initiative to offer free admission this summer to military families. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Linn County Conservation sent the following about free admission being offered for military personnel and their families this summer at Wickiup Hill Learning Center. Others in Eastern Iowa include:

May 21, 2013 – Linn County, Iowa  – Today Linn County Conservation announced participation in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2013. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.

See the complete list of participating museums.

“Blue Star Museums is a collaboration between the arts and military communities,” said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. “Our work with Blue Star Families and with more than 1,800 museums ensures that we can reach out to military families and thank them for their service and sacrifice.”

“Blue Star Museums is something that service members and their families look forward to every year and we are thrilled with the continued growth of the program,” said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Through this distinctive collaboration between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 1,800 museums across the United States, service members and their families can connect with our national treasures with this unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country’s finest museums for free.”

 Linn County Conservation believes that Wickiup Hill Learning Center is a great fit for the Blue Star Museum initiative.  Director Dan Biechler explains, “Increasing environmental awareness, providing outdoor recreational experiences and fostering human development are just a few of the goals of Wickiup Hill Learning Center.  We are excited to be able to share this critical education center with military families.”

This year, more than 1,800 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 450 new museums this year. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and 75 children’s museums.