The Ruthmere Museum offering free admission to active military personnel and their families starting today

 ELKHART, Ind. --The Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart is honoring those who serve our country not only today but for the next three months.

The Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart will observe Memorial Day starting today with tours from 1 to 3 p.m. 

The museum will offer free admission to all active-duty service men and women, plus their families.

Each visitor will receive a free miniature American flag today and a tour around the historic museum that has a unique touch of history, art and architecture.

Tours will continue to be available on a weekly basis every other day except Mondays from 10-3 p.m. 

But, if you can’t make it out today, no worries.

You can claim your free admission all the way until September 5th. 

And, this is all possible due to the collaboration they have with the National Blue Star Museum Program. 

The local museum has been a part of the patriotic program series and the National Blue Star Museum Program for about ten years now. 

The Blue Star Museum Program is a nationwide collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and museums across america. 

All Blue Star Museums across the United States are offering free museum tours starting today to all active military personnel and their families 

The Beardsley family who owns the local museum has a long tradition of civic involvement and this is just another way the family is honoring the men and women who serve our country.

“There are some people that are really appreciative of being able to come to the museum free for those three months,” said Andrea Barbour, who is the Outreach Curator at the Ruthmere Museum. 

The Ruthmere Museum became a blue star museum back in 2011 and has been part of the program every year since. 

And, the meaning behind giving out flags goes back to the couple who started it all. 

“So the two people who lived here, Albert and Elizabeth Beardsley, were extremely patriotic people. Elizabeth was actually known as the flag lady because she used to give out flags to fire stations, schools so we honor her in that way by giving our flags on those patriotic holidays.” 

The museum is located at 302 E. Beardsley Avenue in Elkhart.