Posted Friday, January 13, 2012 --- 5:30 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is going to close on Mondays.

The state Department of Veterans Affairs, which operates the free museum in Madison, says workers need a day every week to safely perform maintenance on the exhibits. The agency says Monday closures are common for museums, noting the Wisconsin Historical Museum also is closed on Mondays.

A DVA spokeswoman says the closure will save a few thousand dollars but stressed the decision was driven by the need to maintain the exhibits more than cost savings.

The museum will close on Mondays beginning Jan. 30. It will remain open Tuesday through Saturday and Tuesday through Sunday in the summer.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.