Andy Hogan, Will Rogers Memorial Museum historical guide and Will Rogers interpreter, will be available each Friday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to share stories about Will Rogers and Museum history.
Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore and the Birthplace Ranch near Oologah are among more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer. The Blue Star Museum program is a collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense.
Free admission is available to the nation’s active duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve, and their families, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families has provided leadership support.
The program also provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after a military move.
It is also a chance to introduce families like those of Commissioned Corps at the Claremore Indian Hospital to the Will Rogers and the Museum and learn of Will’s recommendation in 1926 for building a hospital in Claremore. It was not built and opened until 1929 (it was razed in the 1970s and replaced with a larger facility).
The free admission program is available to up to five family members of any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAD), dependent ID or ID for active duty, Guard and Reserve, Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps.
Each Friday during the Blue Star Museum time frame is “Food Truck Friday” at the Museum. Food trucks are on the grounds from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Andy Hogan, the Museum’s historical guide and Will Rogers interpreter, will entertain and teach about Will Rogers in the Museum theatre at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the Blue Star Museum time period. The Birthplace Ranch, where recreational vehicle sites are available for rent, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
For a full list of museums nationwide, visit arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
