Staff Report

On Sept. 29, the Kentucky Coal Mine Museum will open its doors free of charge along with over 1,400 other participating venues for the eighth annual Museum Day Live! This immensely successful program, in which the Kentucky Coal Mine Museum will emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C. – based facilities, encourages learning and the spread of knowledge nationwide.

Museum Live Day, fulfills the Smithsonian Media’s mission to make cultural education accessible to everyone. For one day only, the Kentucky Coal Mine Museum will grant free access to visitors who download a Museum Day Live! ticket at Smithsonian.com. Last year’s event drew over 350,000 museum-goers, and this year’s Museum Day Live! is expected to attract close to 400,000 participants.

“How wonderful this will be as it will allow free access to our museum and provide, hopefully, many people with the chance to tour the museum at Benham and learn of the impact of coal mining in Harlan County,” said Phyllis Sizemore, museum curator.

The Museum Day Live! tickets are available to download at Smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! Ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues for one day only. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2012 and a list of participating museums and cultural institutions, visit Smithsonian.com/museumday.

Smithsonian Media comprises of its flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, as well as Air & Space, goSmithsonian, Smithsonian Media Digital Network, and the Smithsonian Channel. Smithsonian Media is a division of Smithsonian Enterprises, the revenue-generating business unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. Approximately 30 million people from around the world visit the museums annually.

The Kentucky Coal Mine Museum is located on Main Street in Benham. For additional information, call 606-848-1530.