Why museums shouldn’t be free for everyone
Photo Caption: Met Museum's collection of Islamic art. Rafat Ali
Skift Take
Basic pricing economics can lead to a tiered-yet-simple solution if the Met and others want to do it, to benefit all.
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art was recently sued by visitors because its advertised admission prices use the word “recommended” in rather fine print, giving the impression there is no getting around the basic non-concession rate of $25. It’s an odd practice, rarely seen elsewhere, of posting a price but not actually making payment required, and so no wonder it causes confusion to those who rarely visit museums. If this is the policy to be followed, surely it’s best to be as transparent as possible to the visitors about their obligations. That said, much of the resulting debate was not about the voluntary nature of the price, but about the amount.
When it comes to museum prices, how high is too high, especially when, as is especially the case outside the US,
