GASTONIA, N.C. — Natural history buffs and curious kids will be able to enjoy a special offer from a Gastonia museum throughout 2023.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History announced Wednesday that one Tuesday each month this coming year will feature free admission as part of the Free Tuesdays program. The museum said this is possible thanks to a $40,000 grant from Duke Energy, which the utility is doing so for another year.
“Duke Energy is proud to continue to support Free Tuesdays at The Schiele for another year. Education has the power to change lives. We want to make it easy for families in our community to learn together without worrying about the cost of admission,” said Martha Wegner, director of government and community relations at Duke Energy.
The Schiele Museum said Free Tuesdays start in January during the hours of 4-8 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. The shift to these hours is meant to ensure visitors can enjoy the museum's offerings after school or work. The museum notes about 97% of its guests on Free Tuesdays are from the Carolinas, and nearly half are from Gaston County.
Free Tuesdays also include tickets to the James H. Lynn Planetarium inside the museum. Tickets for scheduled shows at the planetarium will be available for reservations one week prior, and will be released on a first-come, first-serve basis.