August 21, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Heather Egan hegan@jhu.edu 410-516-0341 ext. 17

Homewood House Museum, a National Historic Landmark on the Johns Hopkins University's Homewood Campus, will suspend all admission charges to the public during October and November, thanks to a grant from Free Fall Baltimore, a citywide program under the direction of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.

Free admission will be offered Sunday, Oct. 1, through Thursday, Nov. 30. Tours of the museum are offered every half-hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The last tour begins at 3:30 p.m. The public may call 410-516-5599 or visit www.jhu.edu/historichouses for additional information.

"I am delighted that Homewood will be able to open its doors so widely for our community to enjoy its historic interiors and collections," said Winston Tabb, dean of university libraries and director of historic houses. "Offering free admission for these months is a wonderful opportunity to make this impressive National Historic Landmark available to a more diverse audience."

The grant funds also will be used to support the Historic Homewood ArtWalk, a new collaboration between Homewood House Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art. This free walking tour connects the two significant collections of American decorative arts at Homewood and the BMA, located less than a quarter-mile away from each other.

Traversing the campus — the former 130-acre farm on which Homewood House was constructed — participants will learn the 200-year history of the physical and artistic landscape in which Homewood House and the BMA are located. Important stops on the 45-minute tour include Homewood's 200-year-old carriage house (now used as a theater) and 150-year-old gatehouse; the Mattin Center for the Arts; the BMA's Sculpture Garden, and the recently refurbished Spring House, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe for Oakland.

Guided ArtWalks will be offered twice a day each Friday in October, and Nov. 3, 10, and 17, with the first departure at noon from Homewood House Museum, and the second at 1 p.m. from the BMA. Reservations are recommended; call 410-516-5589. An interpretive brochure will allow visitors to the two museums to follow the art trail self-guided.

Free Fall Baltimore is made possible by a grant from Mayor Martin O'Malley and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts. The program is designed to make art and culture more accessible to area residents and visitors while introducing young adults and families to a wide variety of cultural experiences. Details of all Free Fall Baltimore events will be available on www.FreeFallBaltimore.com after Sept. 1.

HOMEWOOD MUSEUM | The Johns Hopkins University | 3400 North Charles Street | Baltimore, MD 21218 | Phone 410-516-5589 | Email homewoodmuseum@jhu.edu
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© 2007 The Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore, MD. Updated 05Jun07 by dgips@jhu.edu