Officials at the Southwest Florida Museum of History and the Imaginarium Hands-On Museum & Aquarium say they want to honor active duty military, retirees, and their families this Memorial Day weekend with free admission to both museums with military ID.

At the Southwest Florida Museum of History, guests will travel back in time to prehistoric Florida and see the giant creatures that lived with the first humans including a 12-foot giant sloth.

Proceed through time and explore into the 21st century via the people and events that shaped our area today. An expanded military exhibit area includes artifacts from both World Wars, Vietnam and Korea, a POW display, a display from the recently opened Museum of Military Memorabilia in Punta Gorda and an outdoor walkway and monument commemorating the Combat Infantrymen’s Association.

Step aboard a 1929 private Pullman railcar and peek inside a Cracker House. Explore the museum in depth with a new bilingual Audio Tour and see the special traveling exhibit, Forbidden History. Now thru June 20, discover over 35 world mysteries and enjoy museum-quality replicas of the Ark of the Covenant, the Aztec Sun Stone calendar, and more, officials said.

Just one-half mile from the SWFL Museum of History is its sister museum, the Imaginarium Hands-On Museum & Aquarium. There you can enjoy 60 interactive exhibits that include live animal encounters, hands-on shows and the new 3-D movie, SOS Planet, officials said.

You can get blown away in the Hurricane Experience, forecast the weather for WIMG-TV, enjoy live Hands-On Fun shows, explore energy and motion in the Hands-On Hall, touch a stingray and other sea creatures in the Sea-to-See Marine Touch Tanks, and feed the fish, turtles, ducks, and swans in the outdoor Lagoon. Toddlers also love the Tiny Town early childhood area and the Puppet Theatre. Special family fun events, education programs, and traveling exhibits are also offered. Be sure to stop by and visit the newest addition to the Imaginarium! The Animal Lab’s Coral Reef Tank is now home to a newly hatched Bamboo Shark.

The Southwest Florida Museum of History is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Regular admission is $9.50 for adults, $8.50 for seniors and $5 for students with ID. Call 239-321-7430 or visit them at: www.swflmuseumofhistory.com.