Annual Museum Day is back after a year of COVID-19 cancellations

The event will be held Sept. 18 and offer free entry to visitors for a full day

A worker cleans near an exhibit by Danish conceptual artist Kristian von Hornsleth at the Ujazdowski Castle Center for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday Aug. 25, 2021. The exhibition which opens Friday at the Polish state museum features the works of provocative artists in what organizers describe as a celebration of free speech, and a challenge to political correctness and "cancel culture" on the political left. Some critics, however, accuse the organizers of the show titled "Political Art" of giving a platform to anti-Semitic, racist and Islamophobic messages. Words in the right artwork read: *German Mothers, German Fathers, Death Is A Master From Germany'. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) (Czarek Sokolowski, The Associated Press)

After a year of COVID-19 restrictions that led to the permanent closures of museums across the country, annual Museum Day is back for 2021.

On Saturday, Sept. 18, more than 1,000 museums, galleries and zoos will be participating in the nationwide event, where visitors can get free entry all day, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.

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“Museum Day is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity,” the Smithsonian Magazine, which hosts the event, said on their website.

Special Museum Day tickets must be presented at the door of participating institutions in order to get in for free. Tickets are available online to be downloaded once for every email address and allow two people per ticket.

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While some museums tried keeping public interest alive last year by offering alternatives like virtual exhibitions, cancellations and closures resulted in massive layoffs and loss of revenue for the industry.

Hoping to spark a love for the experience of live art and education, participating institutions range from historical and cultural centers, air and space museums, art galleries, and for people of all ages.

The Smithsonian Magazine advised on their website visitors should check individual museums’ COVID-19 protocols, as they may vary by location.


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