Utah museums to open doors for free on Sept. 29

SALT LAKE CITY — Museums throughout Utah will open their doors free of charge on Sept. 29 for the eighth annual Museum Day Live!

The annual event, hosted by Smithsonian magazine, encourages learning and the spread of culture nationwide. Extended hours, tours, demonstrations and special events are being offered at many Utah venues.

For one day only, participating museums will grant free access to visitors who download a Museum Day Live! ticket. Many free museums also participate.

“Utah’s museums are caretakers of the state’s natural and cultural heritage,” said Margaret Hunt, director of Utah Arts & Museums. “There are more than 150 certified museums in Utah with collections that run the gamut from ancient fossils to avant-garde artwork. … We encourage everyone in the state to visit a museum and enjoy Utah’s wealth of cultural treasures.”

The Museum Day Live! ticket is available to download at Smithsonian.com/museumday. The website also has a list of participating Utah museums. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues for one day only. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address.

Participating Utah museums include: Benson Grist Mill, Stansbury Park; Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, Cedar City; BYU Museum of Art, Provo; Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Art; Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, Salt Lake City; Eccles Community Art Center, Ogden; Fort Douglas Museum, Salt Lake City; Kearns Museum, Kearns; Little Hollywood Movie Museum, Kanab; Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Relic Home and Blacksmith Shop, Mt. Pleasant; Murray City Museum, Murray; Natural History Museum of Utah, Salt Lake City; Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Logan; Ogden Union Station Museums, Ogden; Prehistoric Museum, Price; St. George Art Museum, St. George; Taylorsville Bennion Heritage Center, Taylorsville; Western Heritage Museum, Vernal; and Woodbury Art Museum, Orem.