The Kentucky Museum will provide free admission for the public for the next three years starting in January after receiving a grant from Carpenter Co.

Previously, admission was a per-person charge with free admission for WKU students, faculty and staff.

The free admission pilot program will be built on the previous success of “Free Wednesdays in July” and “Pay As You Will Saturdays,” which were already implemented at the museum. Free admission will start on Jan. 1.

The museum will continue to charge a per-person fee for guided tours and select community workshops to help cover staffing and materials costs. Reservations for guided tours can be made on the museum’s website.

The grant will be given to the Kentucky Museum from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, which started in 1975 by E. Rhodes Carpenter. Carpenter’s company, Carpenter Co., is based in Richmond, Virginia, and has a location in Russellville, Kentucky.

“Free admission enables everyone in our community to enjoy the Kentucky Museum, providing them with space to make new friends, develop new skills and engage with arts and culture,” Tiffany Isselhardt, fundraising coordinator for the Kentucky Museum, said in a news release. “Twenty-eight percent of Bowling Green families are designated as low-income, and while our admission fees were modest, even $20 for family admission can be a huge barrier for struggling families.”

The Kentucky Museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nicole Ziege can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]. Follow Nicole Ziege on Twitter at @NicoleZiege.