This summer, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 Gap Road, Strasburg, will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families. The 2021 program began on May 15 and will end on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6. Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and participating museums nationwide.

Through the program, free admission is available for those currently serving in the United States military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

Blue Star Museums include children's museums; art, science and history museums; zoos; gardens; lighthouses; and more in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

To find the list of participating museums, visit http://www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania also offers free admission to active-duty service personnel year-round.

For more information, visit http://www.rrmuseumpa.org or call 717-687-8628.