Mayor Rahm Emanuel Declares September 24, 2011 Museum Day

On Saturday, September 24, 2011, Smithsonian Magazine will host a celebration of education and culture, marking the Seventh Annual Museum Day in Chicago and cities across the United States. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is urging all Chicagoans to participate in a day of knowledge and tradition, proclaiming September 24th Museum Day in the windy city.

Museum Day invites museum partners to emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities by opening their doors free of charge to anyone who downloads a Museum Day Ticket at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday.

“Museum Day, inclusive by design, fulfills Smithsonian Media’s core goal of making cultural education accessible and approachable across America,” said Jennifer Hicks, Group Publisher, Smithsonian Media.

Participating Chicago museums include the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Smart Museum of Art. For a complete list of participating museums, visit www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday. 

Experiencing exponential growth since its inception in 2005, this year’s Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day is poised to outdo the 2010 event in museum participation and public attendance.  In 2010, museum goers downloaded 227,747 tickets resulting in more than 500,000 museum-goers visiting over 1,300 venues in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

This year Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is participating in Museum Day and museum visitors will be encouraged to donate to this leading global breast cancer organization.

The Museum Day Ticket is available to download at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday. Visitors who present the official pass will gain free admission for two people to participating museums and cultural venues. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address.