Select Honolulu venues will join more than 1,400 museums across the country offering free admission on Sept. 22 as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 14th annual Museum Day.
“The program is a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington D.C.-based museums,” explained Amy Wilkins, chief revenue officer at Smithsonian Media.
14TH ANNUAL MUSEUM DAY
Presented by Smithsonian Magazine
>> Where: Participating museums include Hawaii State Art Museum, Iolani Palace, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii Historical Gallery and Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.
>> When: Sept. 22
>> Cost: Free
>> Note: To participate in Museum Day, visit smithsonian.com/museumday to download a free Museum Day ticket; visitors who present a ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues (one ticket permitted per email address; contact participating museums directly for more information)
Museum Day also aims to rally mayors, educators, community groups and museum-goers to support and advocate for museums, she said.
“The theme of this year’s Museum Day is ‘Women Making History,’ honoring women in society who are trailblazers in the arts, sciences, innovation and culture, and emboldening others to be pioneers,” Wilkins said.
One of the participating venues, Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, will bring America’s history during World War II to life at its annual Living History Day, also on Museum Day. There will be World War II-themed games, screenings of “Go For Broke: An Origin Story,” and to amplify this year’s Museum Day theme, the museum will also host a special Women in Codebreaking program.
“Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day goes beyond getting visitors through museum doors — it acts as a springboard to inspire, empower and advance the hopes and ambitions of the public,” Wilkins said. “Museum Day is about access, equality and inclusion.”