Summer of Free Museums for Active-Duty Military

Active-duty military and their immediate family will be provided free entrance into more than 1,300 museums in the nation and 23 in San Diego County this summer, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced on Monday.

Known as the Blue Star Museums program, it will run from Memorial Day to Labor Day for the second year in a row.

"Blue Star Museums recognizes and thanks our military families for all they are doing for our country, and simultaneously begins young people on a path to becoming life-long museum goers,'' NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said at a news conference at the San Diego Museum of Art.

 Participating museums in San Diego County this year are:

• Barona Cultural Center and Museum, Lakeside
• California Surf Museum, Oceanside
• Escondido History Center
•  Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, San Diego
• Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation, San Diego
• Japanese Friendship Garden, San Diego
• Lux Art Institute, Encinitas
• Mingei International Museum, San Diego
• Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla and San Diego
• Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego
• Oceanside Museum of Art
• San Diego Archeological Center, Escondido
• San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas
• San Diego Children's Discovery Museum, Escondido
• San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
• San Diego Hall of Champions
• San Diego History Center
• The San Diego Museum of Art
• San Diego Museum of Man
• Timken Museum of Art, San Diego
• Veterans Museum and Memorial Center, San Diego
• Visions Art Museum: Contemporary Quilts and Textiles

Active-duty military, including reservists and members of the National Guard, can present their identification for entrance for them and up to five immediate family members.

City News Service contributed to this report.