Beltrami County Historical Society offers free admission to military families
Military families can visit the Beltrami County History Center free through Labor Day, a break from the museum’s usual admission fees in downtown Bemidji.
Military families will not pay admission at the Beltrami County History Center this summer. Through Labor Day, active-duty service members and their families, including National Guard and Reserve households, can walk into the downtown Bemidji museum free of charge, with the Blue Star Museums program also allowing up to five family members to come in under the offer.
The timing matters. Summer is the busiest travel season for Beltrami County, and the free entry turns a museum stop into a lower-cost outing for households already balancing deployments, travel expenses and childcare. For families passing through Bemidji or spending time in the lakes area, the offer removes one more admission fee from a day that can quickly get expensive.
Beltrami County Historical Society is taking part in Blue Star Museums again, continuing a recurring effort the organization promoted in 2025 as well. The national program runs from Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, 2026, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, as a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of War and museums across the country. For the historical society, that partnership ties local history to a broader effort to recognize military service while keeping the museum visible in the community.
The society has been sharing the history of Beltrami County since 1952 from its History Center and Museum in the restored 1912 Great Northern Depot in downtown Bemidji. The building houses multiple exhibit galleries, a research room and archives, a gift shop and historical publications, giving visiting families more than a quick walk-through. Free admission applies to the museum’s regular entry fee, which is normally $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $4 for students, $1 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under.
The Blue Star offer also opens the door to the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibits on the people and places of Beltrami County. For military households moving through the region or staying nearby, that can make the historical society a practical stop, one that connects service to a local institution built around preserving and interpreting county history.
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