slug: hx-railroad date: 03/11/06 photog: Ricky Carioti TWP neg: 178263 B&O Railroad Museum in Ellicott City, Md. The B&O Railroad Museum is open after years of renovation. This is the first terminus in the US after the railroad laid track from Baltimore. Winston Chodnicki, 5, of Patapsco, Md. rings the rail bell at the B&O Railroad Museum in Ellicott City as guests were welcomed back after yetars of renovation. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The 17th annual Museum Day will be held on Saturday, Sept. 18, allowing people around the United States to visit more than a thousand museums and other sites for free.
On Museum Day, which was established by the Smithsonian magazine, visitors can visit more than 1,000 museums, zoos and, cultural centers.
If you're interested in participating in Museum Day 2021, download a ticket starting on Aug. 18. The ticket is valid for the owner of the pass and another companion.
More than two dozen museums in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are participating, including the DAR Museum (D.C.), Dumbarton House (D.C.), B&O Railroad Museum (Baltimore), Isle of Wight County Museum (Smithfield, Virginia), the Historic London Town and Gardens (Edgewater, Maryland), The Baltimore Museum of Art. Here's a full list.
“With many public spaces being shut down for a year or more, Museum Day 2021 celebrates the reopening of museums after long closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Smithsonian Magazine said in a press release on July 6.
The theme of this year’s event is Experience America because they want to celebrate being able to experience the country’s diverse culture, the Smithsonian Magazine said.
“In a year that has challenged us in unprecedented ways it is our hope that this year’s event serves as a reminder of the people, places and cultural experiences that have the power to unite us all,” Amy Wilkins, Chief Revenue Officer at Smithsonian Media, said.
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Quaker Oats will sponsor the event. The company will sponsor a giveaway between July 6 and Sept. 15 in which each day, a child can participate to win one of 100 Smithsonian Science kits per day.
Quakers will also sponsor a giveaway for adults. Five contestants can compete for a virtual tour of a Smithsonian museum and a Q&A for 35 people with a museum educator.
