THNOC participating in Smithsonian Magazine’s 7th annual Museum Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
The Historic New Orleans Collection
Lauren Noel, Marketing Assistant
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The Rosen Group
Adam Daley, Account Executive
(504) 556-7655׀ laurenn@hnoc.org

THNOC participating in Smithsonian Magazine’s 7th annual Museum Day
One of 12 Louisiana institutions offering free admission and tours

New Orleans | August 2011—On Saturday, September 24, The Historic New Orleans Collection will join 12 Louisiana museums participating in Smithsonian Magazine’s 7th annual Museum Day, offering free admission to anyone who downloads an online ticket.

A celebration of culture, learning and the dissemination of knowledge, Museum Day reflects the spirit of Smithsonian and emulates the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C., properties. Doors will be open free of charge at participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide for a day, encouraging support of these important educational centers.

Museum Day 2011 is poised to be the largest to date, outdoing last year’s record-breaking event. In 2010, museum goers downloaded 227,747 tickets resulting in more than 500,000 museum-goers visiting more than 1,300 venues in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. In addition to support from Citgo, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is participating in Museum Day 2011, and visitors are encouraged to donate to this leading global breast cancer organization.

As a Museum Day 2011 participant, The Historic New Orleans Collection will offer ticket holders free admission to its guided tours. Visitors will be able to choose from the Louisiana History Galleries Tour, the Williams Residence Tour or the Courtyards and Architecture Tour, each offered at 533 Royal Street at 10 and 11 a.m., and 2 and 3 p.m.

• The Louisiana History Gallery Tour has been described as one of the best introductions to the area. The tour traces the region’s development from settlement through the present, and highlights include original documents from the transfer of the Louisiana Purchase, items from the Battle of New Orleans and decorative arts from the area.
• The Williams Residence showcases the elegant French Quarter home of the institution’s founders, General and Mrs. L. Kemper Williams, who purchased the 1889 townhome in the late 1930s and furnished it with items from their world travels.
• The Courtyards and Architecture Tour uses the historical structures comprising The Collection’s Royal Street complex to illustrate the numerous architectural styles seen throughout the Vieux Carré, including a Creole Cottage, an American side-hall townhome and a Creole-Italianate townhome.

How to Get Your Museum Day Ticket

Fill out a simple online form to download your Museum Day ticket. Attendees must present the ticket to gain free entry to participating institutions. One ticket provides museum access for two people, and one admission card is permitted per household. Only one Museum Day ticket per household is permitted. One ticket gains entry to only one participating museum. Only an official Museum Day ticket is eligible for free entry. Official tickets can be found on the Museum Day website, www.smithsonian.com/museumday.

Participating Louisiana Museums

New Orleans

• The Historic New Orleans Collection

• American Italian Museum & Research Library
• Contemporary Arts Center
• Louisiana Children’s Museum
• National World War II Museum
• New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
• Ogden Museum of Southern Art
• Southern Food and Beverage Museum

Baton Rouge

• Louisiana State Museum Baton Rouge
• Louisiana State University Museum of Art

Lafayette

• Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum

Shreveport

• Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center

About The Historic New Orleans Collection
Founded in 1966, The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org or call (504) 523-4662.

About Smithsonian Media
Founded in 1970 with the launch of Smithsonian magazine, Smithsonian Media—comprising Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space, goSmithsonian, Smithsonian Publishing Digital Network, Smithsonian Books and advertising for Smithsonian Channel—allows the intellectually curious to indulge and engage their passions for history, the arts, science, the natural world, culture and travel. Smithsonian Media’s flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, has a circulation of more than two million. This multimedia network is also affiliated with the world’s most visited museum and research complexes at the Smithsonian Institution. For more information, visit www.smithsonian.com, www.airspacemag.com, and www.gosmithsonian.com.

The Historic New Orleans Collection – Preserving our Past for a Brighter Future

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