The Orange County Regional History Center will offer free museum admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, through Labor Day, Monday, September 5.

This offer is part of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 1,300 museums across America. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.

Active military personnel and their families can trace Central Florida’s fascinating history from Indian settlement to small town surrounded by citrus groves and cattle ranches to military hub to today’s tourist-centric community. Starting Saturday, July 2, visitors can also enjoy the limited-run exhibit Games People Play: The Evolution of Video Games, on display through Saturday, September 10.

More than 1,324 museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 500 new museums this year. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent fine arts museums, science museums, history museums, nature centers, and 70 children’s museums.

Blue Star Families is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect, and empower military families. The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established – bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education.

The Orange County Regional History Center, housed in a restored historic five-story 1927 courthouse in downtown Orlando, showcases the vast collection of the Historical Society of Central Florida, Inc. The museum features three floors of permanent exhibits and also presents nationally important limited-run exhibitions. The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Free Admission Details
The free admission program is available to active duty military and their immediate family members (military I.D. holder and five immediate family members), which includes active duty Reserve and active duty National Guard. To find a list of participating museums and a map, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

The Orange County Regional History Center, located at 65 E. Central Boulevard in downtown Orlando, is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5:00 p.m. General admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors (60+), students and military* with I.D., $6 for children ages 5-12, and children ages 4 and under and Members of the Historical Society are free. For more information call (407) 836-8500 or visit www.thehistorycenter.org.