Blue Star Museums in San Antonio - The McNay Museum

Blue Star Museums in San Antonio | Image Credit: The McNay Museum

The San Antonio area has a number of outstanding museums whether you are looking for art, history, interactive museums, or anything else! But visiting museums with your family can get expensive.

Blue Star Museums program provides free museum admission to active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve members.  It is the result of a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, working in partnership with the Department of Defense and museums across the country!

The 2022 Blue Star Museums program began on May 21, 2022, on Armed Forces Day, and will culminate on September 5, 2022, on Labor Day. Below is a list of 8 wonderful Blue Star Museums in the San Antonio area that military personnel can take advantage of! 

Don’t qualify for the Blue Star Museums program? Check out our article on Free Museum Days in San Antonio! 

Blue Star Museums Program 2022 – Free admission to museums in the San Antonio area

Blue Star Contemporary

Blue Star Contemporary continues to be a hub for contemporary art today, hosting more than 20 shows each year in its four main galleries as well as several offsite locations around the town. Their purpose is to nurture artists via innovative modern art in order to encourage the creative spirit in all of us.

Hours of Operation: Thurs – Sun: 10 am – 1 pm; 2 pm – 6 pm | Mon – Wed: Closed
Location: 116 Blue Star, San Antonio, TX 78204, United States


Briscoe Western Art Museum

Things to do in san antonio this weekend with kids Briscoe Museum

Image credit: The Briscoe Western Art Museum

Enter the Briscoe Western Art Museum to see art and artifacts that help to tell the stories that defined the West. Through drawings, sketches, paintings, and sculptures, Western art tells the story of the cowboy, the vaquero, Native Americans, and the enormous majesty of the Western region.

When: Thurs – Mon: 10 am – 5 pm | Tues & Wed: Closed
Where: 210 W Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205, United States


Blue Star Museums Program 2022 – Free admission to museums in the San Antonio area – Continued

Casa Navarro State Historic Site

José Antonio Navarro was a rancher, merchant, and one of only two native-born Texans to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. He was a staunch supporter of Tejano rights. At his original 1850s adobe, Casa Navarro State Historic Site commemorates his life.

Timings: Tues – Sat: 10 am – 5 pm | Sun: 12 pm – 5 pm | Mon: Closed
Located At: 228 S Laredo St, San Antonio, TX 78207, United States


McNay Art Museum

The McNay Print Fair 2022

Image Credit: McNay Art Museum

The McNay Art Museum brings a diverse community together to learn about and enjoy the visual arts. The McNay will be a place of belonging for San Antonio, where the Museum’s growing community will be reflected in transformative art experiences.

Hours of Operation: Wed & Fri: 10 am – 6 pm | Thurs: 10 am – 9 pm | Sat: 10 am – 5 pm | Sun: 12 pm – 5 pm | Mon & Tues: Closed
Location: 6000 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX 78209, United States


San Antonio Museum of Art

The San Antonio Museum of Art enriches people’s lives by providing great art experiences. Its aim is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret major works of art from various periods of history and civilizations around the world in order to improve our collective understanding of humanity.

When: Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun: 10 am – 5 pm | Tues & Fri: 10 am – 7 pm | Mon: Closed
Where: 200 W Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215, United States


Frontier Times Museum

 Frontier Times Museum

Image Credit: Frontier Times Museum Facebook Page

The museum’s aim is to conserve and promote Bandera County’s cultural legacy from the Texas frontier era. Bandera County and its effect on the Texas frontier are promoted via the museum’s eclectic collections, which convey tales through exhibitions and educational programs that promote Bandera County and its legacy on the Texas frontier.

Timings: Mon-Sat: 10 am – 4:30 pm | Sun: Closed
Located At: 510 13th St, Bandera, TX 78003, United States 


The Sophienburg Museum & Archives

Exhibits rich in local artifacts, photographs, maps, and documents guide visitors through New Braunfels’ and Comal County’s history and cultural heritage. The Sophienburg Museum promotes the area’s distinctive heritage through public lectures, school activities, and community events.

Hours of Operation: Tues – Sat: 10 am – 4 pm | Sun & Mon: Closed
Location: 401 W Coll St, New Braunfels, TX 78130, United States


So which San Antonio museum do you plan to visit as part of the Blue Star Museums program? Let us know in the comments section below.

Stay up to date on all fun things going on in San Antonio with our weekly updates to Things to do in San Antonio this WeekThings to do in San Antonio this Weekend, & Things to do in San Antonio with Kids this Weekend

And to have these updates delivered directly to your feed, give us a follow on Facebook by clicking on the … next to the search lens icon