Ava Gardner Museum Joins Smithsonian Magazine's National Museum Day Live! Free Admission for All Participants.

Smithfield, NC, August 28, 2012 --(PR.com)-- On Saturday September 29, 2012, the Ava Gardner 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 Ava Gardner 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.

Inclusive by design, Museum Day Live! fulfills Smithsonian Media's mission to make cultural education accessible to everyone. For one day only, the Ava Gardner 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.

"We are happy to join our fellow practitioners in this monumental effort," said Museum Director, Todd Johnson. "People who have not yet seen our wonderful little museum now have no excuse not to come!"

The Ava Gardner Museum features impressive displays telling the story of one of Hollywood's most fascinating and glamorous stars of all time. Tours are self-guided and begin with an engaging biographical film that lasts 17 minutes. Visitors should allow at least an hour in the museum and an additional hour if they are interested in visiting Ava's birthplace, childhood home, and final resting place.

The Museum Day Live! Ticket will be available to download beginning in August 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, please visit Smithsonian.com/museumday.

About Smithsonian Media
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.