OLD BRIDGE – The Thomas Warne Museum is one of more than 2,000 museums across the country to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense.
Through Labor Day, the program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their community, especially after a military move, according to information provided by Blue Star Museums.
The Madison-Old Bridge Township Historical Society/Thomas Warne Museum houses research, archival and genealogical libraries as well as early New Jersey artifacts. The former one-room Cedar Grove schoolhouse is the centerpiece of the facility, dedicated to the historic preservation of Old Bridge, formerly Madison Township. The Cedar Grove School is listed as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. weekends and weekdays by appointment only.
“We look forward to welcoming all military families to our museum” Chris Aboia, president of the Thomas Warne Museum, said in the statement.
“The Blue Star Museums program is a great opportunity for the NEA to team up with local museums in every state in the nation to support our service members and their families,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “It means a lot to offer these families access to high-quality, budget-friendly opportunities to spend time together.”
This year’s Blue Star Museums represent fine arts museums, science museums, history museums, nature centers, and dozens of children’s museums, including newly participating museums: The Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia; The Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame Museum in Memphis; the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in Hagerman, Idaho; and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.
The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps – and up to five family members.
Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in the free admission program.
For questions on particular exhibits or museums, contact the museum directly. To find participating museums and plan a trip, visit arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.