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The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

nytimes.com

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Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#51

Post by smokey_the_bear »

kkylin wrote: post #35
balivandi wrote: post #25

Protips: Museum networks with reciprocal memberships and passes from local libraries There are a few networks of museums such that once you join one museum in one network you get member benefits (or discounts) to the other museums in that network. The networks break down into: Arts [0], Science [1], and Children's museums [2] [3]. Bonus network: Zoos! [4] These can be a great value - especially for families with kids…

Second this! Moreover, most muesum memberships pays for itself after a couple visits. We just took the family to NYC and went to the AMNH twice, and a membership was worthwhile.

The California academy of sciences membership was cheaper for one visit for a family of 5.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#52

Post by derefr »

brmgb wrote: post #49
derefr wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, the epiphany to have here, is that for many countries — but not the US! — historical cultural sites and artefacts (not just museums, but also things like monuments and land features) are a large draw for foreign tourists. People fly to Paris just to visit the Louvre ; people visit Egypt just to see the pyramids ; etc. These "historied" cities have built up powerful hospitality industries around foreign visitors t…

I see, now, it makes complete sense. I'm sure museums in France are free for French citizen under 25 and the unemployed in order to draw in more tourists which would come and pay anyway. That has absolutely nothing to do with these countries actually seeing access to culture as a public good and valuing education.

You don't seem to be seeing that those are two sides of the same coin. The article cites rising labor costs as the primary factor in needing to increase ticket prices. Well, why would labor costs in an industry rise? Because demand exceeds supply. And why would demand exceed supply? Because people only want to work there "as a job", rather than seeing working there as a cultural mission to educate others — to educate the world! — about their culture and history. (I.e. people working at the MoMA demand higher wages [relative to cost of living] than people working at the Louvre do, for essentially the same work, because the people at the MoMA value the "perks of the job" less.)

The same kind of people who work in the museums, work in the municipal governments of these cities. In Europe, both groups — regardless of political affiliation! — tend to believe in the "city as cultural institution." And so both groups tend to work together to craft a city whose economy is in symbiosis with "global cultural enrichment", rather than in conflict with it.

The US does not do this. Or at least, I have never seen a majority government in any American municipality be aligned in creating a "hospitality-driven city focused around cultural tourism" in the way that municipal governments in Europe are.

Also, re: "I'm sure museums in France are free for French citizen under 25 and the unemployed" — from the article:

> The Guggenheim charges students $19 (children under 12 receive free admission) and the museum maintains a pay-what-you-wish policy for everyone on Saturdays that is expanding by one hour, from 5-8 p.m.

This is not a debate about economic barriers to access. The US is equally considerate of these. This really is just a question of how much to charge the rich foreign tourists who need to get out of town the next day and so don't have time to wait for a lazy Saturday to visit the museum. American cultural sites charge these people more; European cultural sites less. I'm offering an explanation for that, specific phenomenon.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#53

Post by 1123581321 »

driscoll42 wrote: post #8
TylerE wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s insane. I can remember when you could get in a nice (non-Disney) theme park for $30/head.

To be a bit more fair to the Chicago Field Museum, the base ticket price is $30 for out-of-state adults, only more if you want access to one of the extra ticketed experiences, which are nice, but you can kill a full day on just the base ticket and have a great time. Ticket prices are also cheaper for Illinois and even cheaper for Chicago residents.

There are a couple dozen free days a year as well for IL residents. They aren’t at all convenient but we’ve still arranged time off work and taken groups there on school break days.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#54

Post by pbrb »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #30
TylerE wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s insane. I can remember when you could get in a nice (non-Disney) theme park for $30/head.

Museum of Science and Industry pricing is still reasonable (Adult – $25.95, Child ages 3-11 – $14.95).

MSI is one of the best museums - you can often find free or heavily discounted tickets as well. Most employers in Chicago have access to a benefit program where you can get free tickets by scheduling in advance online.

If you haven't been, highly recommend a visit. Especially if you're brining kids - hard not to have a good time when you can walk into a water vapor tornado.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#55

Post by brmgb »

derefr wrote: post #52
brmgb wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see, now, it makes complete sense. I'm sure museums in France are free for French citizen under 25 and the unemployed in order to draw in more tourists which would come and pay anyway. That has absolutely nothing to do with these countries actually seeing access to culture as a public good and valuing education.

You don't seem to be seeing that those are two sides of the same coin. The article cites rising labor costs as the primary factor in needing to increase ticket prices. Well, why would labor costs in an industry rise? Because demand exceeds supply. And why would demand exceed supply? Because people only want to work there "as a job", rather than seeing working there as a cultural mission to educate others — to educate…

No one in Europe wants to create "hospitality-driven" cities. Who do you take us for? It's not bloody Disneyland.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#56

Post by ceejayoz »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #46
ceejayoz wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lease it to whom? All the other museums are in the same scenario. There's more art of value than there is space to show it, so we rotate stuff in and out with special exhibitions and whatnot.

Offices or galleries. I imagine a fair number of businesses would be willing to pay for Guggenheim approved art, and though making it accessible to the public may be difficult they could allow scheduled viewings.

That sounds like an insurance and preservation nightmare leading to lost and damaged art.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#57

Post by mcphage »

noodlesUK wrote: post #15

I’m not sure what the difference is between something like the Guggenheim in NYC or the Tate Modern in London, but you can walk into the Tate without having to pay anything at all. Is there lots of government funding in the UK for the museum sector that doesn’t exist in the states?

> Is there lots of government funding in the UK for the museum sector that doesn’t exist in the states?

The Smithsonian museums in Washington DC are free to enter—they are great museums, and there's a lot of them.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#58

Post by mcphage »

wrp wrote: post #6

I remember the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry being an incredible place in the 1970s. I think it was in the 1990s I was there for some reason and it was pretty much gutted. Maybe the decline in American museums has been going on quite a while.

> Maybe the decline in American museums has been going on quite a while.

It may also be due to large improvements at museums being a very sporadic occurrence. I remember growing up, my local museum (the Buffalo Museum of Science) feeling very dated, and when we visited Toronto, the Ontario Science Centre felt very new and fresh. But now the Buffalo museum has had some recent upgrades and feels new, whereas the last time I was at the Ontario Science Centre, it felt like I was seeing the same exhibits I saw as a kid 30 years earlier. Perhaps when my kids are grown, it will have reversed again.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#59

Post by boomboomsubban »

ceejayoz wrote: post #56
boomboomsubban wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Offices or galleries. I imagine a fair number of businesses would be willing to pay for Guggenheim approved art, and though making it accessible to the public may be difficult they could allow scheduled viewings.

That sounds like an insurance and preservation nightmare leading to lost and damaged art.

IMO, better a somewhat higher risk of loss or damage actually being used than paying for them to slowly rot in a storehouse.

Re: The entrance fee to America’s museums keeps rising

#60

Post by glimshe »

yenwodyah wrote: post #36

They’re raising the entrance fee from $25 (which was apparently set in 2015) to $30 According to the BLS inflation calculator, $25 in 2015 had the same buying power as $32.64 now Apparently museums are getting cheaper in real terms! What’s the issue?

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