MOBILE, Ala. — This Saturday, Sept. 27, the Museum of Mobile and USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park will participate in the fourth annual Museum Day, presented by Smithsonian magazine.

Museum Day is a day when museums and cultural institutions nationwide open their doors free of charge to Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors.

A celebration of culture, learning and dissemination of knowledge, Smithsonian’s Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based properties.

“Here at the Museum of Mobile, we feel that it’s very important for us to participate in Smithsonian magazine’s fourth annual Museum Day.  As the city of Mobile’s history museum, like the Smithsonian and museums across our nation, we are dedicated to the preservation of our diverse historical and cultural legacies.  Moreover, like Battleship Memorial Park and other museums that are partnering with Smithsonian magazine, a free admissions day complements our commitment to public and educational outreach here in one of the oldest communities along the Gulf Coast,” said David Alsobrook, director, Museum of Mobile.

Last year, more than 100,000 people attended Museum Day.  All 50 states plus Puerto Rico were represented by 651 participating museums.

“I was born in Washington, D.C. and have believed all my life that the Smithsonian was the world’s greatest museum,” Bill Tunnell, executive director of USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, stated. “For us as America’s most unique military attraction to partner with the Smithsonian for any purpose is quite an honor, but especially so for such an event as this. History shapes all that we do, and this day is a wonderful opportunity for the American public to reach back and grasp a bit of American history.”

Attendees must present Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day Admission Card to gain free entry to participating institutions.

The card is available in the September 2008 issue of Smithsonian magazine. The general public is welcome to participate by going to the Smithsonian.com Web site and downloading the Museum Day Admission Card.