Historical societies across the country are paying their respects to military personnel.

The Mower County Historical Society announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 1,500 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2012.

“The historical society is very proud to be one of the partners for the Blue Star Museums program,” said Dustin Heckman, Mower County Historical Society executive director. “This is one way for us to give back to military personnel and their families and show our appreciation for their service.”

The Mower County Historical Society is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.