Military can visit Relic Room free again this summer, thanks to Blue Star
May 13, 2026
Once again, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is proud to participate in the Blue Star Museums initiative, which provides free admission to current military personnel and their families during the summer months.
The Blue Star program for 2026 starts on Armed Forces Day – Saturday, May 16 – and ends on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military – Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, including members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps – and up to five family members.
Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
The Relic Room provides free admission to veterans and active-duty personnel a number of times each year, and the Blue Star program is a big part of that in the summer.
“We always appreciate the help of Blue Star Museums in doing something that speaks to the heart of our purpose,” said Allen Roberson, the director of the Relic Room. “We exist to serve all South Carolinians and visitors who come here, but we especially like to show our appreciation to those who have stepped forward to serve our nation in times of war.”
Blue Star Museums is a national appreciation program to thank military families for their service and share with them America’s cultural treasures. Many museums across the country are participating. To find other participating museums – either in your community or other place you may visit during your summer travels – visit arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.
Follow Blue Star Museums: @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily, #bluestarmuseums.
About the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum
Founded in 1896, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is an accredited museum focusing on South Carolina’s distinguished martial tradition through the Revolutionary War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, the War on Terror, and other American conflicts. It serves as the state’s military history museum by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting South Carolina’s military heritage from the colonial era to the present, and by providing superior educational experiences and programming. It recently opened a major new exhibit, “A War With No Front Lines: South Carolina and the Vietnam War, 1965-1973.” The museum is located at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia, sharing the Columbia Mills building with the State Museum. For more information, go to https://crr.sc.gov/.
