Free Admission on Museum Day

This Saturday, Sept. 26, brings Museum Day 2009, and several Hawaii museums are among the over 1,200 museums participating nationwide. The event, which is expected to draw over 200,000 people, is now in its fourth year and sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine.

To take advantage of the free admission offer, visit the Museum Day website to print out an admission card. Each card provides museum entry for two people and there is a limit of one card per household.

Participating museums in Honolulu include:

• The Contemporary Museum (2411 Makiki Heights Dr.)

• Hawaii State Art Museum (250 S. Hotel St.)

• Hawaii Theatre Center (1130 Bethel St.)

• Honolulu Academy of Arts (900 S. Beretania St.)

• Mission Houses Museum (553 South King St.)

• Pacific Aviation Museum (Ford Island)

• Queen Emma Summer Palace (2913 Pali Hwy.)

• Tropic Lightning Museum (Schofield Barracks)

• University of Hawaii Art Gallery (UH Manoa Campus)

With the lagging economy, museum visits and donations are down as people cut back. Museum Day hopes to reintroduce people to museums, and hopefully spark a boost in traffic and fundraising.

Notably absent from the list of participating museums is Bishop Museum, which had to cut back on staffing and hours earlier this year. On Saturday, they'll be unveiling their latest visiting exhibit, "Dinosaurs Unearthed."