Looking for some frugal fun this weekend? Saturday is Museum Day in the United Sates — a chance to get into local museums for free. This event is presented by Smithsonian Magazine and a handful of sponsors. According to the magazine’s website:
Enjoy free general admission for you and a guest to hundreds of museums and cultural venues nationwide Saturday, September 27, 2008.
Present the Museum Day admission card to receive free general admission at participating Museum Day locations. The admission card is available in the September 2008 issue of Smithsonian magazine or downloadable via this site.
The following Museum Day restrictions apply:
- One time use on Saturday, September 27, 2008.
- Card must be presented for free general admission. Admission Card will be collected upon entry.
- General admission only. Does not include entry to special exhibits or IMAX screenings.
- Admission Card is good for general admission for you plus one guest.
- One Admission Card per household.
- Not for use with any other offer.
- No rain checks.
- Some participating museums may already have a free admission policy year round and are participating in the “spirit” of the day.
Institutions participating in Museum Day are doing so voluntarily and Smithsonian Magazine is not responsible for individual institution participation or for individual institution participation or content.
At the Smithsonian web site, you can find participating venues, print an admission card, or explore a partial list of places to explore. If you’ve got the time this weekend, Museum Day is a great way to get a little free culture in your life!
This article is about News, Self-Improvement, Travel






One reason I love DC – every day is free museum admission day!
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Awesome. I have a work trip to LA at the end of the week, flying home Sat pm. Perfect timing on a bit of frugal entertainment.
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Just read your “Credit Cards Encourage Spending” article. A survey published by The People’s Almanac indicates that we tend to spend 23% more with a credit card than with cash. I found this in a book I am reading now called “Your Money Or Your Life” by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
A Dawn Journal
http://www.adawnjournal.com
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Who doesn’t love free stuff? And who doesn’t love the museum….
why not combine the two and enjoy a day out?
This is a really interesting thing to know. Thankyou
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Thanks for the heads-up on this! I will refer to your blog when I post on this.
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I second Deppali! LOVE DC
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As a museum professional I appreciate you getting the word out about this unique opportunity. I just wish it didn’t take something so big for people to remember that museum’s are frugal entertainment.
Many museums in the United States are free. Of those that do charge admission many offer free days or evenings throughout the year, and discounted or free admission to members. It is estimated that there are over 17,500 museums in the United States. If even 25% of these are free think of all the neat experiences folks can have for a few hours of their time.
The American Association of Museums has a members directory that can help people find museums in their area or that may relate to a topic they are interested in.
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Wow! There are a bunch in my state…naturally, the art museum isn’t included, but several other neat organizations are participating.
Some museums — such as our art museum — are well worth the price of membership. You get free guest passes and passes to the big traveling shows, which are expensive for the hoi polloi to visit. Often, too, you get reciprocity with museums in other states. And you support a key cultural feature in your community.
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This is awesome and I wanted to point out that the Smithsonian Institute museums are free everyday in DC. So it fun lasts even longer for those close to the DC area.
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Interesting! It’s nice to see events like this being promoted.
For other non-U.S. readers and those who may be on the road, World Tourism Day is September 27 (coincidence… I think not). Many other countries are holding free events on this day too. Worth a look!
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Thank you! This is great info and the first I have heard about this.
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I think Museum Day is a great idea. What better way to promote out local museums that I’m sure most neglect by not visit every so often!
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Sounds like fun! Thanks for sharing that with us. Unfortunately, we’re moving that day so I don’t think we’ll be able to participate
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If you do come to the Smithsonian(always free) museums on Saturday- the Library of Congress has its incredible Book Festival on the Mall where you can hear and meet some of your favorite authors- go to http://www.loc.gov
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