Free Admission to a Smithsonian Museum on Museum Day
The Smithsonian Magazine has announced that this annual event will not happen in 2023:
Thank you for your interest in Museum Day. We have made the difficult decision to pause Museum Day for 2023.
Please check back for information about 2024.
This article will be updated when and if the event is rescheduled in the future.
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The Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day 2022 is scheduled for Saturday, September 17, 2022.
Free museum admission on Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day
Museum Day provides free admission tickets to participating museums and cultural institutions across the country. Join the excitement during this “annual celebration of boundless curiosity” as a different central theme is explored each year. The focus for the 2021 Museum Day was “Experience America”. The theme for the current year is expected to be announced soon.
Free Museum Entrance for Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day
Each Museum Day ticket provides free admission for 2 people on Saturday, September 17, 2022.
Advance registration and downloaded tickets are required to attend and receive free admission.
Smithsonian FREE Museum Day 2022
In 2019, Museum Day celebrated the Year of Music and had over 300 thousand tickets downloaded nationwide! The Museum Day focus for 2021 encouraged visitors to Experience America – check back for more information on the theme for 2022.
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.
North Georgia Museums Participating in Museum Day
These great museums are available to visit for free on museum day plus over 20 more choices across the state of Georgia (and even more throughout the country)! Choose the one you’d like to visit and register for your free tickets today.
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!
Crawford Long Museum
From crawfordlong.org:
Dr. Long was a young bachelor of 26 when he noticed that participants under the recreational use of ether felt no pain from injuries received during their “frolics.” He reached the conclusion that ether could make surgery painless. The opportunity to test his theory came when James Venable requested that Dr. Long remove a cyst from his neck. Three witnesses reported that, on March 30, 1842, the operation was successful and Venable felt no pain.
Adult admission is regularly $5.00, and kids 5 and under are free. Discounts are available to anesthesiologists, active duty military, senior citizens, and students.
Crawford Long Museum Regular Hours
The museum is normally closed on Sundays, Mondays, and holidays.
- Tuesday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Crawford Long Museum Hours on Museum Day 2021
The open hours on Museum Day are from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (EST).
Crawford Long Museum Contact Info
- Call: +1 (706) 367-5307
- Address: 28 College Street, Jefferson, GA
- Email: info@crawfordlong.org
- Website: crawfordlong.org
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.
Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa Ga [photo ExploreGeorgia]
Currahee Military Museum Regular Hours
Note that the museum is now closed on Sundays (as of June 2021).
- Monday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Tuesday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Wednesday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Currahee Military Museum Museum Day Hours 2021
The open hours on Museum Day are from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (EST).
Currahee Military Museum Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (860) 870-3563
- Address: 160 North Alexander Street, Toccoa, GA
- Email: contact@toccoahistory.com
- Website: toccoahistory.com
Funk Heritage Center
The Funk Heritage Center offers an immersive experience to tell the story of the early Appalachian Settlers and Southeastern Indians.
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Learn about 12,000 years of Southeastern Indian history through a short film, artifacts, and the Rogers Contemporary Native American Art Gallery at the Bennett History Museum. View a unique collection of historic hand tools from over 100 crafts in the Sellars Gallery. Wonder around the Appalachian Settlement in a woodland setting that includes historic log cabins and a blacksmith shop.
Regular admission for adults is $7.00 and discounts are available for seniors (65+) and children (under 18). Active duty military receives free admission with an ID card.
Funk Heritage Center Regular Hours
The Funk Heritage Center is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and for Reinhardt University’s holiday break from December 20th – January 4th.
- Tuesday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Wednesday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Thursday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Funk Heritage Center Museum Day Hours 2021
The open hours on Museum Day are from 10:00 am through 4:00 pm (EST).
Funk Heritage Center Contact Info
The Funk Heritage Center is located on the campus of Reinhardt University in Waleska.
- Phone: +1 (770) 720-5970
- Address: 7300 Reinhardt Circle, Waleska, GA
- Email: heritagecenter@reinhardt.edu
- Website: reinhardt.edu/funkheritage
Ty Cobb Museum
The Ty Cobb Museum is dedicated to preserving the memory of the greatest baseball hitter of all time, Tyrus Raymond Cobb. The collection explores Cobb’s life and career that earned more significant baseball records than anyone in baseball’s history. To this day, Ty Cobb still holds baseball’s highest career batting average (.367), plus a record of 12 batting titles in 13 seasons.
Regular admission for adults is $7.00 and discounts are available for seniors (62+) and students. Children under 5 are free. All active-duty military receives free admission with an ID card.
Ty Cobb Museum Regular Hours
The Ty Cobb Museum is closed on Sundays.
- Monday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Tuesday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Wednesday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Ty Cobb Museum Hours for Museum Day 2021
The open hours on Museum Day are from 10:00 am ‐ 2:00 pm (EST).
Ty Cobb Museum Contact Info
- Phone: +1 (706) 245-1825
- Address: 461 Cook Street, Royston, GA
- Email: infotycobbmuseum@gmail.com
- Website: tycobbmuseum.org
Tips for enjoying the annual Museum Day
Click here to choose a museum and register for the event — then make sure 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?
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 the hashtags #MuseumDay #SmithsonianMag #ExperienceAmerica and #BoundlessCuriosity
Which museum are you planning to visit for Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day this year?
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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!
Thank you for taking the time to write this blog. The Funk Heritage Center is the one I think I’ll go to since I’d like to learn more about Southeastern Indian history and see the 15-minute film, artifacts, and Rogers Contemporary Native American Art Gallery. Days and hours of visits are also convenient for me, and the fee is reasonable.
Great article.
Thanks Lionel! I think you will get a lot out of the Funk Heritage Center on your Museum Day visit. Enjoy!
Superb site. Well done and easy to navigate.
I am a nature and art lover persons. I like visiting places as mentioned in your site and especially FREE.
I wish could avail your free pass offer but unfortunately I am from the other side of your place and its 100% not possible for me to avail it.
Very detailed presentations and schedule clearly indicated.
Regards,
Al
Hi Al, Thanks for sharing. I’m not sure where you are located, but if you are in the USA, this offer can be redeemed in over 100 locations across the country. This time you don’t have to be local to get in on the great offer for free museum admission!
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