Whether you’re an active military member, veteran, government contractor, or retiree, you deserve a much-needed getaway this summer. Staying at one of our IHG® Army Hotels is a must to make the most of on post activities ranging from golf, hiking, and karaoke to aquatic centers. You can also save a bundle when you go off base and visit one of the Blue Star Museums, which offer free museum admission to the nation's active-duty military personnel and their families. From Armed Forces Day to Labor Day, here’s where to go, stay, and see this summer.
Colorado
Get settled in Colorado Springs at Candlewood Suites Building 7306 on Fort Carson, with proximity to Blue Star Museums, hiking, day trips, and the city. The suites feature fully equipped kitchenettes with stove tops, dishwashers, and full-size refrigerators, as well as mountain views from the outdoor gazebo.
The Money Museum in Colorado Springs is the largest museum dedicated to numismatics, which is the study or collection of coins, paper currency, and medals. Guests get a rare look at unusual currency and the history of the U.S. through the eyes of our dollar.
If you or your family loves figure skating, plan a visit to the World Figure Skating Museum & Hall of Fame. The small museum is dedicated to all things ice skating, including the intricacies of ice skating, how athletes perform complicated jumps, a collection of memorabilia, costumes, and more.
Georgia
Stay in Savannah at Holiday Inn Express Building 6007 on Hunter Army Airfield for proximity to dining, entertainment, shopping, and historic trolley tours. Their recently renovated facility includes a fitness center, on-site laundry, a barbecue pavilion, picnic tables, and more.
SCAD Museum of Art features contemporary art and the work of international artists, and serves as a resource for Savannah School of Art and Design students. You’re also not far from Valdosta, where you can stop by more Blue Star Museums, including the Lowndes County Historical Society & Museum, with 10,000 square feet of local history displays and research material. The grounds also offer outdoor exhibits, including a train caboose and an old-fashioned log transport cart.
Hawaii
Say “Aloha” to all the natural beauty Hawaii has to offer from IHG® Army Hotels Tripler Medical Center on TAMC/Fort Shafter, located in the island of Oahu. Guests are near golf, the TAMC Physical Fitness Center, and performances at the Army Community Theatre. You're never far from historic sites like Pearl Harbor or Iolani Palace before surfing the North Shore.
Visit the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), a Blue Star Museum, where guests receive free admission along with up to five family members from mid-May through September 1st. The campus includes the galleries, the Honolulu Museum of Art School, the Doris Duke Theatre, and the HoMA Café, Coffee Bar, and Shop.
Maryland
Explore the best of what Maryland has to offer from the Candlewood Suites on Aberdeen Proving Ground, where suites offer kitchenettes with full-sized refrigerators, stovetops, and a weekly evening social. There are plenty of Blue Star Museums within a short drive, including the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park. This Blue Star Museum is on a mission to educate youth and adults alike about the area's rich maritime heritage and the ecology of Chesapeake Bay.
Over at the Museum of Historic Annapolis, to learn more about the hotbed of the Revolution, there are three floors and exhibitions. The museum is housed in a history building at 99 Main St., filled with exhibits, artifacts, films, and more. At Maryland Hall, you’ll see a commitment to presenting "art for all," including live performances, visual arts, arts education, and more. Paca House and Garden, an 18th-century Georgian mansion. It was home to Founding Father William Paca, who signed the Declaration of Independence and was a three-term governor of Maryland.
New Mexico
Make White Sands Missile Range, NM, your home base at IHG® Army Hotels Buildings 501 & 502, Organ Mountains Inn, on White Sands Missile Range. This newly renovated hotel is now part of our Historia Collection, and is located 53 miles north of El Paso, TX, and 46 miles East of Las Cruces, NM.
Brush up on your history at the New Mexico Fort Stanton Historic Site, which has more than 155 years of history. The museum was named after Captain Henry W. Stanton, who was killed during a skirmish with the Apaches. The stone fort was originally built as a base for the Mescalero Apaches and its durable buildings still stand today.
Pay a visit to the New Mexico Museum of Space History for an overview of space related exhibits, a moon rock brought back on Apollo 17 and an interactive space simulator. Art and culture lovers should visit the El Paso Museum of Art to see a permanent collection of 7,000 works of art exploring topics of border relations, consumerism, ethics, and the rich history of El Paso's community.
New York
Check into the IHG Army Hotels Five Star Inn on West Point, which offers convenient access to the United States Military Academy, the Ft. Montgomery Battlefield Site, Bear Mountain State Park, and more. For a Blue Star Museum visit off post, visit the West Point Museum, the largest diversified collection of military artifacts in the United States. You can see everything from ancient Egypt's artifacts to the War on Terror, ancient weaponry, and more.
You can also stop by the nearby Storm King Art Center, a 500-acre outdoor museum located in New York’s Hudson Valley. Visitors walk the grounds to see large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions situated in a natural landscape of hills, meadows, and forests.
Puerto Rico
Explore the heart of San Juan, Puerto Rico, from the Holiday Inn Express, El Caney Complex on Ft. Buchanan. There’s plenty to do on post, including a 9-hole golf course, a bowling center, a fitness center, and Waterspout Aqua Park. For a stop at a Blue Star Museum, try the Museo de Arte de Ponce. Luis A. Ferré, a Puerto Rican industrialist, philanthropist, and governor of Puerto Rico (1904–2003), was responsible for founding the museum. It currently houses 4,500 works of art, including Baroque, Pre-Raphaelite, Victorian paintings, and works from local Puerto Rican artists.
Texas
Enjoy the best of San Antonio from IHG® Army Hotels Building 1384 on Fort Sam Houston. Guests can enjoy the on post Aquatic Center, Hacienda Recreation Center, karaoke, and video game arcade. You're also not far from major attractions like San Antonio’s iconic RiverWalk and the Blue Star Museum at the Casa Navarro State Historic Site. The site is a unique adobe home that belonged to Jose Antonio Navarro, one of two Tejanos to sign the Texas Declaration of Indepence. Visitors learn more about architecture, the Navarro family, and the Texas Revolution.
History buffs can also see Villa Finale: Museum & Gardens, the last home of local preservationist Walter Nold Mathis. It was originally built as a one-story, four-room single-family home on what was once Alamo farmlands in 1876. The historic home has over 12,000 items in the unique setting of the restored 1876 Italianate home.
The San Antonio Museum of Art rounds out your stay in the Lone Star State. Visitors learn about five thousand years of art in a building that was once home to the Lone Star Brewery. The museum is renowned as one of the most comprehensive collections of ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art in the southeast.
Wherever you’re headed this summer, check to see if there’s a Blue Star Museum offering free admission to military members, veterans, government contractors, retirees, and their family members. While you’re at it, look for an IHG® Army Hotel in the area as your home away from home while you explore. Book your stay today and make the most of your Blue Star museum getaway with IHG® Army Hotels.