Between 2005 and 2023, Washington, D.C.’s Smithsonian Institution coordinated a Free Museum Day cross-country, on which all admission fees were waived at participating locations. The idea, of course, was to invite in those folks who might not normally go into an art, history or other museum in their town. Or maybe they just couldn’t afford it.
When the national program was discontinued, St. Petersburg was among the metropolitan areas that opted to keep the tradition alive, through the auspices of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.
“It’s an incredible way for families to spend the day together experiencing art,” said Arts Alliance executive director Helen French. “We have so many museums in the community, I don’t know how you’re going to hit them all in one day. So try a new one – why not go when it’s free and see what you love?”…