KarenR_R11

The price of admission to a museum is not determined solely by what other museums in the area are charging. Perhaps it is a consideration taken by the operator when figuring what price they must charge, but it is not a big one. The fact that museums in one community all have similar admission prices is the result of other things.

The price of admission must be determined by what the museum costs to operate. It is a business like any other and has many expenses. The owner has to pay to heat it, to clean it, to light it, and to otherwise maintain the property. They have to buy insurance on the building and the objects inside of it. They have to buy permits to operate, I’m sure, and signs, and advertising so people know it’s there. They have to pay employees to sell you a ticket, to stand there and take your ticket, to show you where to go, to guard you, and to guard the exhibit. And taxes, there’s always taxes.

The price of admission to museums all in one community would be similar because the cost of utilities, labor, and taxes would be the same, or very close, for each museum in that community.

There are several other factors that would determine price. A publicly owned museum would be less than a privately owned museum because they receive subsidies from the government. Museums that do not charge admission are most likely publicly owned. The square footage of the property would affect the cost. The smaller the property, the cheaper it is to maintain, the less you would need to charge. The price is also determined by how many and how badly people want to get inside. A museum that contains objects of little value or interest may be cheaper than a museum that houses a world famous masterpiece.

Museums full of things that people want to see, and are willing to pay full price for, do not have much incentive to provide discounts, especially to travelers from foreign countries. There is not much hope of gaining repeat business there, if any; no matter what price you pay, you are not likely to come back. They have one shot to make their money off of you, and they are not going to waste it.

I do not think that charging admission to a museum is anything like charging for access to a website. The cost of operating a website is not anywhere close to the cost of operating a museum. How would you justify the fee? I have never paid for access to a specific website, nor for a premium membership or “a la carte” option. I pay my cable bill for Internet access.

When you ask people for money, you must provide value in return. The museum provides you with the experience. You can get up close to things you might only otherwise see in a book. You can walk through a building you have never been in and take a picture to prove you were there. It may not be much, but it is something and people buy it. It is much harder to provide value with a website. Especially when there are so many fantastic websites that are free, as Carliner mentioned. Even with “a la carte” options, what are you paying for? It seems like access to information that you could likely find elsewhere. If I am going to pay for information, I would rather pay for admission to a museum than a website.