(CLARKSDALE, MS) – Delta Blues Museum will open its doors free of charge to all Museum Day ticket holders on Saturday September 21, 2019 as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 15th annual Museum Day, a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington D.C.-based museums. Museum Day represents a nationwide commitment to access, equity and inclusion. Over 450,000 tickets were downloaded for last year’s event, and Museum Day 2019 is expected to attract more museumgoers than ever before.

This year, Museum Day will celebrate the Smithsonian Year of Music, an institution-wide initiative celebrating the Smithsonian’s vast musical collections and resources through 365 days of music-related programming. Music is not only a reflection of human creativity and innovation, but also a key method of communication and cross-cultural exchange and understanding. The Smithsonian Year of Music crosses disciplines, bringing together music-related resources in art, history, culture, science and education.

“As Delta Blues Museum continues to celebrate our 40th anniversary this year, we are thrilled the Smithsonian is highlighting their impressive musical collection in their Year of Music,” says Museum Director Shelley Ritter. “We have installed a portion of our new permanent exhibits, so visitors taking advantage of Museum Day will be among the first to see them. We are honored to participate in Museum Day for the 15th consecutive year.”

Museum Day tickets for Delta Blues Museum are available for download at Smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present a Museum Day ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues on September 21, 2019. One ticket is permitted per email address.