In what’s become an annual autumn tradition, Smithsonian magazine is sponsoring a day of free admission to more than 1,000 museums around the country. This Saturday, September 24, is the big day when normal entrance fees are waived.
While getting in free isn’t as simple as showing up, it’s not too difficult either. Tickets must be ordered in advance online for a specific museum. There’s a maximum of two free tickets per household. After an order is placed, an email is sent out with a voucher for free admission, which must be printed out and presented at the museum on Saturday. That’s it.
In exchange for that minimal amount of effort, you and a guest can get free admission to a choice of more than 1,000 museums around the U.S., including some 90 cultural institutions in California alone. The day of freebies includes many pricey big-city museums, like the Intrepid in New York City, which normally charges an entrance fee of $24 per adult, and the Art Institute of Chicago, where adult admission usually runs $18.
Brad Tuttle is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @bradrtuttle. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.
