UPDATE: Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day 2020 will not take place on April 4 as previously scheduled. As a public health precaution, the Smithsonian is postponing or canceling all public events, programming and gatherings through May 3.
New dates for the event will be shared / updated when they become available (updated on 4/2/2020).
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Free tickets will be made available online for free admission for 2 to “participating museums and cultural institutions across the country” on the next Museum Day (Saturday, September 18, 2021).
Museum Day is “an annual celebration of boundless curiosity” and is hosted by Smithsonian magazine. There is a different central theme chosen for each year — the focus of the 2020 event was going to be “celebrate Earth Optimism.”
Free Museum Entrance for the annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day
Each Museum Day ticket provides free admission for two people on Saturday, September 18, 2021.
In the past, advance registration and downloaded tickets were required to attend receive free admission. Check back to see if this will still be required for the 2021 event.
In 2019, Museum Day celebrated the Year of Music and had over 300 thousand tickets downloaded nationwide! Stay tuned to learn what the Museum Day focus will be for 2021.
There are usually over 1,250 participating museums across the country that you may visit for free. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket. Use the Museum Day “Find a Museum” search page to find a location near you or visit some of the best options like the following museums in Northern Georgia.
Georgia Mountain Museums Participating in Museum Day
In the past, these great museums were available to visit for free on museum day. Check back to see which locations will participate for 2021.
The Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center
Visit the Foxfire Museum and explore 10 relocated authentic pioneer log cabins and additional structures built from historic period materials in the traditional methods of construction. The property includes over 100 acres filled with artifacts, tools, and folk art that provides a glimpse into the lives of the people of Appalachian wilderness more than 180 years ago.
- Located in Rabun County at 98 Foxfire Lane, Mountain City, GA
- Monday – Saturday 8:30 a.m. ‐ 4:30 p.m. (closed Sunday)
- Adult admission is regularly $8.00
- +1 (706) 746-5828
Crawford W. Long Museum
Learn more about Dr. Crawford W. Long and the “Birthplace of Anesthesia” at this site where on March 30, 1842, ether was first used for surgical anesthesia.
- Located in Jackson County at 28 College Street, Jefferson, GA
- Tuesday – Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (closed Sunday, Monday, and holidays)
- Adult admission is regularly $5.00
- +1 (706) 367-5307
Currahee Military Museum
The Stephens County Historical Society Office, Currahee Military Museum, and Stephens County History Museum are all located in the newly-renovated Train Depot in historical downtown Toccoa.
Veterans receive free admission year round with valid ID.
- Located in Stephens County at 160 North Alexander Street, Toccoa, GA
- Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Adult admission is regularly $10.00 (always FREE active military with ID)
- +1 (860) 870-3563
Click here to learn more and to register for the event — then return to the page between February 27th and April 3rd to download your free Museum Day tickets (remember that you must download the free ticket to receive free admission). Where will your curiosity lead you this Museum Day?
Tips for enjoying Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day
Follow these guidelines to make sure that everyone has a great time on your Museum Day excursion!
Consider waiting to choose your museum and download your ticket
This event provides free admission for you and one (1) guest to a participating museum of your choice. Keep in mind that once you select a museum, you can not change your preference to another museum. Make sure that you know which museum you’ll be able to visit before making your choice
Confirm whether a printed ticket is required
Some museums require a printed ticket while others will allow you to present the ticket on your smartphone. Make sure to note the requirements for your museum of choice.
Make sure everyone has a ticket
The downloaded ticket is good for you plus one guest. If you have additional people in your party, then they may wish to register and request their own free tickets instead of paying for admission.
Pay attention to what is included with your ticket
While you are entitled to get free entry to the museum with your Museum Day ticket, this does not include entry to special exhibits, IMAX screenings, or parking. Some venues do choose to include these extra freebies, but make sure to note what is and is not included at your chosen museum.
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Follow the event on social media with these hashtags #MuseumDay #SmithsonianMag #EarthOptimism #BoundlessCuriosity
Which museum are you planning to visit this year for Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day?
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Learn more about other great deals in the Georgia Mountains from these posts about Super Museum Sunday (once per year), National Parks Day (5 times per year), and other Georgia mountain freebies!
Thanks for sharing this information about Museum Day! I had no idea that it was a day and that there are free admissions at museums across the country. It is great to spread this information so that people that normally don’t think to go visit a museum will take this opportunity to do it for free and then keep going back in the future! I will have to check where the closet museum to me that will be having a promotion is. Thanks again!
It’s certainly a nice event to help draw more people to these great Smithsonian institutions!
So I honestly had no idea that Museum Day even existed! I clicked on the Find a Museum link and found out four museums near me participate, and a couple of them look really interesting. Now I just need to convince my husband to go with me… I mean it’s on a weekend and it’s free, so hopefully he’ll want to join me 🙂
Hi Missy, Hopefully It’s a much easier sell since the price is free! 🙂
Hi there,
Wow, I love museums. I often go with my kids. And my kids bring their friends too. So we always end up being a large group of people visiting the museum. Thank you for this free tickets museum. This time I’ll go with my husband:)
I am going to register right now. I see there are other tickets available on the list. I’ll check these too.
Thank you for again!
Hi Daniella, I think that you can only sign up to get free admission to one museum for this day, but it’s still a great opportunity!
There are no Museums where I’m located; thankfully, I have bumped into this just in time. My family and I have been wanting to take a short trip and would love to take this opportunity; get out of our comfort state zone. hehe. I can now see how much we will learn and how much fun we will have! 🙂 Gracias!
It’s great that the timing of this has worked out perfectly. Since you’ll be traveling, you may also be able to take advantage of 2 more Free Entrance Days that are happening the same week. See posts about FREE ENTRANCE DAYS AT US NATIONAL PARKS and FREE ENTRANCE DAYS AT US NATIONAL FOREST SITES (HAPPENS 5 TIMES PER YEAR!).
Enjoy your trip!
Wow thank you that is cool that you can go to the museum in Georgia for free. Maybe I would go to the folk Pottery Museum. It would be a good time to plan my trip to Georgia because I may as well go while there is free admission into the museum. That makes it even more of a bonus.
Also I have some friends in Georgia and I will let them know about this. Thanks for the heads up. I probably wouldn’t Have heard about it otherwise.
You’re most welcome for the information. Feel free to share to a larger audience, because as this website / post features places in the Georgia mountains, the free museum day promotion is for museums all over the USA! Enjoy!!
Thank you for sharing the information about the free admission to a Smithsonian museum. You have shared the information early enough that we actually have time to save the date. My children are in Georgia, so I will share this post with them.
I am in Colorado, so I’m sure I’ll be able to take advantage of it here also.
p.s. nice website.
Awesome! I hope you and your children have a great time!
Warm Regards, Alyce