The Playful Antiquarian

Suggested does not mean free

June 18th, 2003

This article from yesterday’s New York Daily News really troubled me. I have long been a children’s museum fan/advocate (and, in fact, for many years wanted to work in a children’s museum) so I hate to hear that the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the world’s oldest children’s museum, is facing budget troubles.

I am not surprised by this news as libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions nationwide (and worldwide) are being hard hit by the economic downturn. What bothered me was the fact that while the suggested donation for museum entrance is $4.00, few people, it seems, actually pay the full entrance fee. According to this article, the average donation per person was $1.25. Again, I am not surprised. Annoyed and frustrated but not surprised.

Suggested donations are set so that everyone has access to museums. Those who cannot afford to pay an admission fee are not kept out. Those who can pay the full entrance fee (or more) should do so, but they rarely do. This reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons, the one in which Lisa has a crush on her substitute teacher, Mr. Bergstrom. Homer and Lisa are at the museum and Homer, seeing the suggested donation sign, starts to mock the idea. “And you think that people are going to pay you $4.50 even though they don’t have to?” he says to the person at the ticket counter.

Growing up, when my family went to New York on holidays and vacations, we always visited the American Museum of Natural History, where they also have a suggested admission fee. My parents always paid the full fee. Once I asked why we had to pay if it was only suggested. My parents’ answer was because we could and we should.

Apparently, others do not think the same way. I guess outreach programs for children with special needs and internships for local high school students are not as important as getting something for nothing.

Related links (children’s museum superlatives):

• The history of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum
  • The world’s oldest children’s museum
• The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
  • The world’s largest children’s museum
• The Children’s Museum of Boston
• The museum with my favorite exhibit: the Japanese house. The website does not really represent it very well. This simple exhibit has a very fascinating story. I wrote a research paper about the history of this house once for a seminar on the art and architecture of Japanese houses.

Entry Filed under: Articles, Personal Miscellany