Media Alert
September 6, 2022
Taylor Fuqua, Manager of PR & Marketing; tfuqua@VirginiaHistory.org; 804.342.9661

RICHMOND, Va. – Museums in the Richmond metropolitan area have joined forces to make their museums more accessible to the community through a signature access program called Museums for All.

An initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Museums for All encourages people of all backgrounds to visit museums frequently and build lifelong museum-going habits. Understanding that admission fees may be a barrier for many families, the program ensures that individuals receiving food assistance can access reduced or free admission to participating museums by showing their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.

Museums are critical to the well-being of the community. Covering a wide variety of subjects including art, history, science, and nature, these institutions drive curiosity, promote learning, and connect people. “As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services, and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore, and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. It is imperative that financial barriers do not prohibit anyone from visiting and enjoying museums and other cultural attractions on a regular basis.

Since the launch of the initiative in 2014, Museums for All has served more than 4 million visitors nationwide at more than 900 museums, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With the recent addition of Maymont, ten museums and cultural attractions in the Richmond region now participate: Agecroft Hall & Garden; The American Civil War Museum; the Children’s Museum of Richmond; Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden; Maymont; The Poe Museum; Science Museum of Virginia; The Valentine; Virginia Museum of History & Culture; and Wilton House Museum.

For information about Museums for All admission rates, please contact each organization directly.

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The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia, and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation. For use in its state history museum and its renowned research library, the historical society cares for a collection of nearly nine million items representing the ever-evolving story of Virginia.

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