Dubuque County Historical Society receives grant support for Museums for All program
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Dubuque County Historical Society (DCHS) has been awarded local grant funding to support its FY27 Museums for All low-cost-admission program. Funding from Dubuque County, McDonough Foundation, and Cafaro Family Foundation will support DCHS in offering low-cost admission ($5) to The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and Mathias Ham Historic Site for individuals living below the federal poverty threshold. The Historical Society’s Museums for All program serves approximately 8,600 individuals each year, providing visitors of all ages with access to key informal learning opportunities.
Museums for All is a national program created by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and includes more than 1,500 participating museums, zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens throughout the United States. Through Museums for All, those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can receive a reduced admission rate of $5 by presenting their EBT card and a photo ID. There are 14 participating cultural institutions in Iowa including The National Mississippi River Museum, Mathias Ham Historic Site and Dubuque Museum of Art. Cultural institutions who participate in the program rely upon the philanthropic support of their communities including grants, corporations, foundations and individual donors who provide support to underwrite the cost of offering reduced admission.
The Museums for All program endeavors to provide affordable access to cultural institutions and encourage diverse populations to build routine engagement in cultural experiences in an effort to nurture the prioritization of lifelong learning. Find more about Museums for All at museums4all.org and at rivermuseum.org.