2,000 Museums Offer Military Families Free Access

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More than 2,000 museums nationwide are offering free admission to military personnel and their families this summer, beginning on Memorial Day.

The Blue Star Museums program is being launched Wednesday at the San Antonio Museum of Art in Texas. This is the fifth year for the program created by the National Endowment for the Arts with the group Blue Star Families and the Defense Department.

The free admission offer runs through Labor Day in September. It's extended to military service members, including National Guard and Reserve members, and their families.

The initiative began in 2010 with fewer than 1,000 museums. New participants this year include the High Museum in Atlanta and The Thinkery children's museum in Austin, Texas.

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