Once a year the nation’s biggest museum sponsors a holiday that allows other institutions across the nation a chance to do what they do daily — let people in for free (or for reduced admission). This Saturday, Sept. 27, the Smithsonian Museum Day Live! blesses us with many locally participating museums, and many have scheduled additional programming to celebrate and add more bang to your un-spent buck.
In addition to providing gratis access to its famed My Generation: Young Chinese Artists exhibition — up for its final weekend at both the Tampa Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts, both participating in the event — the TMA will present its Free Family Day, offering samples from Sono Café, docent-led tours, activities for kids and live entertainment.
Across downtown a few blocks, the Tampa Bay History Center will take visitors back in time with Florida’s Civil War-era re-enactors, in addition to allowing free entry to its special nationally touring exhibition, Spirited: Prohibition in America.
Just across the river, the Tampa Ballet Theatre will perform an excerpt from its upcoming Dracula production at 11 a.m. at the Henry B. Plant Museum . (The full performance will be at Hillsborough Community College Mainstage Theatre in Ybor Oct. 18-19.)
Other local venues participating include the Florida Fairgrounds’ Cracker Country, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, MOSI, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Armed Forces History Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum and the Ringling Museum of Art.
You must register to receive free/discounted admission vouchers by clicking here.
Also, don't forget the great institution that always provides us a free museum day, the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum. USFCAM opens a new exhibition, Making Sense, Friday evening, with a free reception that offers food, beverages and musical entertainment, 7-9 p.m.
