Hall of Fame offers free admission to military

Date: 8/1/2011

SPRINGFIELD — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has joined the Blue Star Museums partnership to give United States Military personnel and their families an opportunity to visit the hall in the birthplace of basketball at no cost.

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is honored to recognize the men and women who represent our country by offering them free admission throughout the summer,” John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, said. “Blue Star Museums is a tremendous program that promotes family values and recognizes the sacrifices of our armed forces — we are excited to help promote this initiative.”

Blue Star Museums is a partnership among the Blue Star Families, National Endowment for the Arts, and museums across the country. The program runs through Sept. 5.

The free admission program is available to active-duty military and their family members (military ID holder and up to five family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. To find out additional museums that are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site includes a list of participating museums and a map to help with visit planning.

The Basketball Hall of Fame free admission for Blue Star families includes current special exhibits such as “Michael Jordan: Becoming Legendary” and a tribute to United States Olympic Championship Basketball Teams titled “USA Basketball: Commitment to the Dream.”