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Museum Day Live event offers free admission to area attractions Originally published: September 27, 2012 12:53 PM Updated: September 27, 2012 1:35 PM By KRISTIN TAVEIRA SPECIAL TO NEWSDAY

Photo credit: Jerry L. Thompson | Experience art in the outdoors at Storm King Art Center, a 500-acre sculpture park in Mountanville where visitors can walk or rent bicycles to traverse the rolling hills and woodlands where giant sculptures of steel, wood and stone are presented. Galleries

Want to see historic relics, massive sculptures and fine art for free? You’re in luck. This Saturday, nine local museums, including Dia:Beacon, Storm King Art Center and the Katonah Museum of Art, will participate in Smithsonian Magazine’s nationwide Museum Day Live! event.

Dia Beacon Interested parties can visit the Smithsonian Magazine website and fill out a form to receive a ticket for free admission to their participating museum of choice. The free ticket, only valid on Sept. 29, grants general admission to the ticketholder and a guest. Parking, special events and exhibition entry is not included. Maritime Museum

Before you decide which museum to visit, here’s information about each of the local options. Dia:Beacon in Beacon A 300,000-square-foot former Nabisco box factory now houses a permanent collection of major works from the 1960s through the present. And the building’s more than Square House Museum in Rye 34,000 square feet of skylights provide an abundance of natural light for viewing the contemporary art, including massive steel monuments by Richard Serra. Don’t miss: Circa 1971: Early Video & Film from the EAI Archive This exhibit of 20 moving-image artworks from the nonprofit Electronic Arts Intermix collection will be shown continuously on monitors and as projections throughout the day. Info: 3 Beekman St., Beacon; 845-440-0100; www.diacenter.org; open 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston Founded in 1980 by steamboat and tugboat men as well as local citizens, the Hudson River Maritime Museum works to preserve the shipping history of the Hudson River. The museum’s collection includes a 100-year-old shad boat, lighthouse tender and ice yachts, ship models, blueprints, photographs and more. Don’t miss: Esopus Meadows Lighthouse Tour Climb aboard the Lark on a cruise down the Hudson River to the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse for a guided tour (845-848-3669; www.esopusmeadowslighthouse.org). The tour departs the docks behind the museum building at 1 p.m. and returns at 3 p.m. Reservations are required. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children 8-15. Info: 50 Rondout Landing, Kingston; 845-338-0071; www.hrmm.org; open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 Hudson River Museum in Yonkers This multidisciplinary complex on the banks of the Hudson River includes six art galleries, the Andrus Planetarium and Glenview Mansion. The museum offers public programs such as tours, performances, hands-on workshops and festivals to encourage curiosity and conversation about the role of art, history, astronomy and ecology in everyday life. The free ticket includes all galleries and shows except for the planetarium, which costs $2 for adults and $1 for kids and seniors. Don’t miss: Holly Sears: Hudson River Explorers The Hudson River and the region’s history of exploration and discovery were the inspiration for these dreamlike depictions of both native and exotic plant and animal species in delightfully unlikely combinations. The works were created as designs for 11 panels on the North and South Overpass corridors at the Tarrytown Metro-North Station. Info: 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers; 914-963-4550; www.hrm.org; open noon-5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill The HVCCA studio contains 12,000 square feet of exhibition space. The center hosts exhibitions and interdisciplinary programs focused on contemporary art. Don’t miss: Peekskill Project V This weekend marks the opening of the fifth installment of the Peekskill Project, a citywide festival of contemporary art exhibitions, performances and screenings in multiple venues throughout the city and within the center’s galleries. This year's festival features a wide variety of painting, sculpture, photography, film, sound and performance art by artists working within the Hudson Valley and the Greater City region. Info: 1701 Main St. Peekskill; 914-788-0100; www.hvcca.org; open noon-6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah The Katonah Museum of Art doesn’t have a permanent collection, which allows it the flexibility to originate 10 to 12 exhibitions annually from all cultures and time periods. Don’t miss: “Ice Age” to the Digital Age See the process behind the creation of animated films, including rarely seen original concept drawings, sculptural models, props and digital stills from Blue Sky Studios. You can also try your hand at sketching a scene or manipulating computer-generated images at the exhibit’s interactive stations. Info: 134 Jay St., Katonah; 914-232-9555; www.katonahmuseum.org; open 10 a.m-5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 Square House Museum in Rye The Rye Historical Society was founded in 1964 to preserve, restore and protect the Square House, an 18th century inn on the Village Green in Rye. The house has five period rooms with furniture, decorative arts and everyday objects on display to illustrate tavern life during the late 1700s. One room, the tavern , is furnished with reproductions of common period objects, which visitors can touch and handle. Don’t miss: The History of Sports in Rye Local athletes who competed in sports ranging from Little League baseball to the Olympics are celebrated in this collection of photographs and memorabilia, including the 1996 Olympic bronze medal won in the sailing competition by Rye native Courtenay Becker-Day. Info: 1 Purchase St., Rye; 914-967-7588; ryehistory.org/square-house-museum; open 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 Storm King Art Center in Mountainville Experience art in the outdoors at this 500-acre sculpture park, where visitors can walk or rent bicycles to traverse the rolling hills and woodlands and observe giant sculptures of steel, wood and stone. Don’t miss: Light and Landscape See a lunar module powered by solar energy, a miniature cannon that fires confetti to match the colors of gamma-ray bursts and more in this collection of creative works interspersed among the museum’s permanent collection. Info: 1 Museum Rd., Mountainville; 845-534-3115; www.stormking.org; open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m, Saturday, Sept. 29 The Museum at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Travel back in time and experience the Woodstock festival and the tumultuous period of the 1960s through film, interactive displays, text panels and artifacts. The museum’s permanent collection chronicles and celebrates every step of the iconic music festival, from the planning stages through the journey to Bethel to the festival itself. Don’t miss: Celebrating Woodstock: Photographs by Lisa Law The Celebrating Woodstock exhibit features 47 color and black and white photographs taken at the 1969 Woodstock festival by photographer and activist Lisa Law. Law donated the entire collection to the museum in 2011. Info: 200 Hurd Road, Bethel; 866-781-2922; www.bethelwoodscenter.org/museum.aspx; open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden in North Salem At this nonprofit center for the humanities, East meets West through art exhibitions, concerts, special events and educational programs designed to promote global awareness and understanding. The Stroll Garden is meticulously designed in the Japanese tradition to encourage a contemplative journey and engage the senses of sight, sound, touch and smell. Don’t miss: Mid-Autumn Festival Dragon-themed exhibits, performances and activities will celebrate Chinese culture. There will be face-painting related to Chinese opera characters, lantern decorating and Chinese snacks. The festival is from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29. Admission is $25 for non-museum member families (up to four people), $20 for museum member families and $5 for each additional person over four Info: 28 Deveau Rd., North Salem; 914-669-5033; www.hammondmuseum.org