The Lyman Museum is one of more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense.
The Lyman Museum is one of more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense.
The nation’s active duty military personnel, including the National Guard and Reserve, and their families, can visit the Lyman Museum for free through Labor Day, Sept. 1.
The Blue Star Museums program provides military families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their communities.
“We’re really excited to be participating again in Blue Star Museums,” said Rachel Pierson, membership and development associate for the Lyman Museum. “It’s a privilege to offer free admission to members of the military and their families and it’s a great opportunity for them to learn more about the local community and the resources it holds. The Lyman Museum really has something for everyone. We’ve got science, culture, and history exhibits as well as guided tours of the historic Lyman Mission House.”
This year, more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative. The complete list of participating museums is available at arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums.
The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC); a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID) or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps; and up to five family members.
The Lyman Museum, located on Haili Street in Hilo, is the premier repository of historic and cultural information of East Hawaii and beyond. The Museum began in the Lyman Mission House, originally built for New England missionaries David and Sarah Lyman in 1839.
In 1931, the museum was established by their descendants. Today, the restored Mission House is on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The adjacent museum building houses artifacts, natural history exhibits, special exhibitions and an archives.
Through June 28, a special photography exhibit, “John Howard Pierce: Photographs of Hawaii Island 1958-1969,” will be on display, featuring the photographs of John Howard Pierce, a former Hawaii Tribune-Herald reporter, Lyman Museum curator and avid photographer who meticulously documented his beloved home of Hawaii Island in the mid-20th century, a pivotal period defined and galvanized by the admission of Hawaii into the United States in 1959.
You can find the Lyman Museum on facebook and Twitter @LymanMuseum.
Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including Guard and Reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families.
With its partners, Blue Star Families hosts a robust array of morale and empowerment programs, including Books on Bases, Blue Star Museums, Operation Honor Corps, Blue Star Careers and Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, state and federal governments to bring the most important military family issues to light.
Working in concert with fellow nonprofits, community advocates, and public officials, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable.
To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit www.bluestarfam.org.