Governor Proposes Program Of Free Summer Museums For Children

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont has announced he is seeking the legislature's approval to launch an initiative that would allow all children in Connecticut to visit museums throughout the state free of charge during the summer. Compensation for participating museums would come from $15 million of the funds the state will receive from the American Rescue Plan Act. .

The initiative was included as part of the proposal Lamont presented earlier this week to the Connecticut General Assembly.

Under the initiative, all Connecticut children 18 and under plus one accompanying adult would be able to visit any of the state’s participating museums free of charge from July 1 to Sept. 6.

So far, Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport Museum, Beardsley Zoo, Connecticut Science Center, and the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk have expressed interest in participating, according to a news release from the Governor's Office. If approved by the legislature, the program would be available to all museums in the state, and applications would be made available online by May 15.

"Investing these recovery dollars into our museums just makes sense," Lamont said. "Not only will it help support the continued operation of these museums, but it also provides an opportunity for children who’ve lost out on classroom experience to spend some time this summer exploring new educational experiences."