How to Save Money on Museum Entrance Fees (2024)

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by Alea Milham 9 Comments

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Alternate Title:How to Get Bounced from a Museum in Under 5 Minutes

How to Save Money on Museum Entrance Fees (1)

Going to a museum with my children is never a boring experience.Occasionally an exhibit may beuninteresting, but my children rarely are. Unfortunately the docents usually do not appreciate my kids’ attempt to liven things up.

Just a few of the things my children have done on museum visits over the years:

While I was distracted paying the entrance fee, my children imitated Curious George andtriedto climb on the dinosaur exhibit at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. In case you are wondering:yes,there are alarms. And Curious George and the DinosaurHow to Save Money on Museum Entrance Fees (2)was immediately added tothe list of banned books at our house.

How to Save Money on Museum Entrance Fees (3)No dinosaur was injured on this day. The Los Angeles Museum of Natural History has wisely added an interactive room where you can build a dinosaur. I’d like to think they learned something from their experience with my older children. 🙂

When my oldest son saw his first Rembrandt at the Norton Simon Museum, he shouted excitedly from across the room, “Look Mom, a frilled human”.

At the Point Vicente Interpretive Center’s exhibit on Grey Whales my kids started quoting Moby Dick: “What do you do when you see a Whale?”…”You sing out for it”…”What is it you do next?”…”Lower away and after him”…”What tune do ye sing when ye pulling?” …”A dead whale or a stove boat”.

Yeah, we know how to make friends.

And just as my kids could not resist imitating the Degas Sculptures at the Norton Simon, they were not able to resist reenacting the saber-tooth cat attacking the ground sloth at the Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits:

How to Save Money on Museum Entrance Fees (4)

Since I never know what my children will think of next or how forgiving the museum staff will be, I never know how long our museum visit will last. So it is imperative that I save money on museum entrance fees.

How to Save Money on Museum Entrance Fees:

Go on a Free to the Public Day. Most museums offer one day of the month or a couple days throughout the year when they are free to the public. Visit the museum’s website or give them a call and ask when they are offering free admittance.

Buy a membership We buy a family membership to all of our favorite museums. Usually a family membership is equal to the the price of 2 or 3 visits, so if it is a museum we visit frequently it is much more cost effective. It also provides you with an opportunity to do your Schwarzenegger impression and say, “I’ll be back” as you are being bounced from a museum.

Purchase a bundle. In some cities, you can buy a bundle that will provide admittanceto several different museums for a discounted price over a 1 – 2 week period.

Use Groupon. Occasionally Groupon offersdeals on museum entrance fees or memberships. I bought a family membership that was good for several local museums for half price, which was the equivalent of the entrance fees to one of the museums. You can ask forGroupon to send you deals on cities that you are planning on visiting in the future as well as local deals. And you can change your preferences for notifications whenever you wish.

Book a group tour. Usually museums offer a discount if you book a group tour. Visit the museum’s web site to see their minimum requirements for a group discount. This has the added the advantage thatthere is the possibility that your friend’s kids will behave worse than yours.

How do you save on museum visits?

More Tips for Visiting Museums withKids

Tips for Visiting an Art Museum with Kids

Tips for Visiting a History Museum with Kids

Tips for Visiting a Natural History Museum with Kids

About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Tasha says

    Also try your bank. I know bank of America has free museum days for certain museums

    Reply

  2. April @ The 21st Century Housewife says

    This post really made me smile. Your kids do get up to some great adventures! You’ve got some great tips here too.

    Reply

  3. Danielle Hull says

    I can relate! My oldest son pulled the fire alarm at the college where I worked, then years later, my second son pulled the fire alarm at the Botanical Gardens. During the holidays. While there was a wedding and reception. Of course, your stories were funny 😉

    Reply

    • Alea says

      None of my kids have tried that one yet (knocking on wood!). Thanks for the laugh!

      Reply

  4. Swathi says

    Nice tips Alea, going to museum is really big task for me with two little one.

    Reply

  5. Shirley @ gfe says

    What a great post! It made me laugh out loud, Alea. 😉 But my sympathies on previous drama and stress at museums! Yes, museums are finally getting smarter on the need for kids to touch and be active, and that really is how they learn best after all. Great tips. One I’d add is if you happen to go at the end of the day, you might ask for a price break on the ticket. I would never have thought of this until I went to the Field Museum with some friends. They just casually asked if they could have a discount since there was only an hour left to see everything. We hadn’t planned to only have that much time, it just happened, but the discount we received was a big one. And another tip is to view your hometown from the tourist perspecive and check out the coupon booklets for tourists. There are some great discounts there. You might even find a combination deal that will allow you to experience something in your area that you haven’t before. 🙂

    Shirley

    Reply

    • Alea says

      Great tips! Our local ski resorts offer discounts if you arrive in the late afternoon, but I never thought to ask museums if they do as well.

      Good point on looking at your hometown as a tourist and looking for coupon booklets. I am actually going to write about staycations later in the week. Sometimes museums will offer really good deals to locals in the off season.

      Reply

  6. Caro says

    Another trick is to check with your public library for discount or free vouchers. Have to reserve them ahead here, but certainly a great deal

    Reply

    • Alea says

      I am so glad you shared that Caro because that is the first time I have heard of that idea. I will definitely be looking into it. Thanks!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

How to Save Money on Museum Entrance Fees (2024)

FAQs

Why should entry to museums be free? ›

In conclusion, museums should offer free admission to all. By providing everyone with access to the benefits of art, we create a more engaged society that values creativity and inclusivity. Art is for everybody, and it is important to remember that it is not just for the elite.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of charging people for admission to a museum? ›

Entry fees may decrease attendance, but they raise much-needed revenue for upkeep and boost museum worth. Therefore, I believe the benefits are more than the drawbacks. To begin, one of the benefits of paying to enter a gallery is that the proceeds go toward maintaining the facilities and operating costs of the arts.

Should museums charge money for admission? ›

For many visitors, increasing the admission charge can actually leave them better off. Not all museums are crowded, and so this doesn't apply everywhere. But it certainly does apply to large, metropolitan “superstar” museums, and ought to be an additional consideration.

Why should zoos and museums be free? ›

All museums should be free because — regardless of institutional intentions — when they are free we can use them in ways that better fit our lives, and thus they become more accessible practically and intellectually as well as financially. When museums are free we can see one painting everyday on our lunch breaks.

What is at least one reason why museums should not allow free admission to visitors? ›

Crowd control - having a fee keeps the crowds more manageable. People have to think before stepping into a museum. Many museums have free days or nights so they are already accessible for those who can't pay the admissions fee.

What are the disadvantages of museum? ›

Here are 10 disadvantages to museums: Cost: Museum admission fees can be expensive, making them inaccessible to some people. Crowds: Museums can become very crowded, especially during peak times, making it difficult to enjoy the exhibits.

When museums charge a lower admission fee to students and senior citizens? ›

The correct answer is c) customer-segment pricing. Customer-segment pricing is a strategy where a b...

Who benefits from museums? ›

According to the Cultural Learning Alliance's report, The Case for Cultural Learning, children who engage with arts at a young age are more likely to vote, volunteer or go on to further study later in life. It helps to improve cognitive abilities, develop skills and behaviours, and benefits their health.

Why do museums charge? ›

Admission fees provide a substantial source of income that museums can use to pay their staff, purchase new exhibits, and maintain their facilities. 2. Value: Admission fees can also create a sense of value for museum visitors. When people pay to enter a museum, they may be more likely to appreciate what they see.

Why are US museums so expensive? ›

What has increased is the cost of running the institution. A newly unionized work force has bumped up salary expenses, while inflation is driving up the cost of everything from heating to shipping artworks, according to senior museum officials.

Are museums normally free? ›

In the post-pandemic era and straitened financial times, regional galleries and museums in the UK that have been free to enter are now asking visitors to pay admission charges, a move that is polarising cultural commentators.

Why zoos should still exist? ›

Zoos are necessary because they unite and educate the community, providing an understanding of the interdependence of animals and their habitats, and conduct conservation programs of animals in the wild, including breeding programs to reintroduce extinct and endangered species back into their natural environment.

Why zoos are expensive? ›

Zoos are incredibly unique businesses, as they typically feature unique animals that have very distinct rules and regulations surrounding their captivity. For this reason, the economics of zoos is heavily muddied, as they involve major costs like park upkeep, national fees and more.

What do zoos do with the money? ›

Budgeting for Animal Care

One of the distinctive aspects of zoo financial management is the need to budget for the diverse needs of the animal inhabitants. Animal care budgets encompass various elements, including healthcare, nutrition, habitat maintenance, and enrichment programs.

Why do museums charge money? ›

they charge admission, and those fees help to make up a portion of the cost of operating the museum. They are public museums and taxes (federal, state and/or local) pay for some of their costs. This money still comes from “people”.

Why are museums good for society? ›

From big to small, famous to local, museums give us places to think, grow, learn, wonder, and feel. Few cultural institutions have remained as important as museums over the decades. They preserve and promote social interests as diverse and unique as the people who visit them.

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