May 15, 2026 – Tulsa, OK’s Bob Dylan Center and Woody Guthrie Center are pleased to participate in Blue Star Museums, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families during the summer. The 2026 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, 2026, and end on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. Learn more and find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.
“Museums help military families stay connected—to each other, to their communities, and to the nation they serve,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “As our country approaches 250 years of independence, Blue Star Museums provides service members and their loved ones with meaningful opportunities to explore history and spark curiosity. For military families—who often face frequent moves and time apart—these shared museum experiences offer a sense of stability, belonging, and connection. By opening doors nationwide, this program ensures they can engage with the arts and history that reflect their sacrifices and strengthen the bonds that hold them together.”
“Blue Star Museums has opened doors for military families to explore, connect, and feel at home,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we’re proud to continue this partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and museums nationwide—welcoming military families into the heart of our nation’s story and celebrating them every step of the way.”
Catch the Bob Dylan Center’s “Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65,” (closing July 5), a groundbreaking exhibition offering an immersive, multimedia exploration of the lead-up to Dylan’s infamous “going electric” set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival — one of the most controversial and influential moments in the history of popular music. Through never-before-seen original manuscripts, film footage and rare artifacts from the Bob Dylan Archive as well as numerous loans from private collectors, “Going Electric” places visitors at the heart of Dylan’s evolution from acoustic folk hero to trailblazing rock ’n’ roll icon.
The center’s upcoming exhibition, “Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966,” opens Saturday, July 18 in the center’s Parker Brothers Gallery and running through Jan. 31, 2027. The immersive multimedia exhibition captures the spectacle, power and fury of Dylan’s landmark year following the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
At the Woody Guthrie Center, “A Dozen Loops: The Radical Voice of Woody Guthrie,” is currently on display: a new exhibition exploring Guthrie’s enduring fight for justice through 12 songs that confronted some of the most pressing social issues of his time. The exhibit highlights Woody Guthrie’s engagement with topics such as racism, labor unions, environmental rights, U.S. politics, voting rights, anti-fascism and immigration.
In addition to the Bob Dylan Center and Woody Guthrie Center, participating museums can be found in all 50 states, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and include history, art, and children’s museums; historical sites; botanical gardens; zoos; aquariums; and more. A map of all participating museums is available on arts.gov. Museums can join the Blue Star Museums program all summer long and the map will be updated regularly.
This free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States military—Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps—and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
About The Bob Dylan Center
Anchored by a permanent exhibit on the life and work of Bob Dylan, the Bob Dylan Center (located at 116 Reconciliation Way in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is committed to exploring the myriad forms of creativity that enrich the world around us. Located in the Tulsa Arts District, the center serves to educate, motivate and inspire visitors to engage their own capacity as creators. Through exhibits, public programs, performances, lectures and publications, the center fosters lively conversations about the role of creativity in our lives.
As the primary public venue for the Bob Dylan Archive® collection, the center curates and exhibits a priceless collection of more than 100,000 items spanning Dylan’s career, including handwritten manuscripts, notebooks and correspondence; films, videos, photographs and artwork; memorabilia and ephemera; personal documents and effects; unreleased studio and concert recordings; musical instruments and many other elements. More information at bobdylancenter.com.
About The Woody Guthrie Center
The Woody Guthrie Center, located at 102 Reconciliation Way in Tulsa, OK, celebrates the life, music and artistry of the influential folk musician while seeking to ignite a passion for social change and foster a world in which the values of justice, equality and compassion prevail. The center honors Guthrie’s life and legacy by educating visitors, teachers, students and scholars about his relevance today and his important role in American history through on-site programming, classroom materials, youth music programs, artist-in-residence programs, school outreach, internships, fellowship opportunities and the Woody Guthrie Center Archives.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. A “blue star family” is the family of a currently serving military member, including active duty, National Guard, reserve forces, and those transitioning out of service. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually through an expansive network of chapters and outposts. For more information, click here.