I wouldn’t compare children’s museum admissions to Disney tickets as Disney is a once in a childhood/special/annual vacation destination that many kids never visit. The only reason I saw Disney World as a child was because we lived in Florida when it opened and they were practically giving away resident season passes. My younger brothers never had this opportunity (or were too young to remember) and did not visit the Disneys until adulthood. (I will actually have another discussion post on Disney as well as I think this is an interesting topic)

This discussion has definitely pointed out that Membership works for larger families or families who use the local children’s museum like a playground (frequent visits). With fewer kids or visits, the economics may not work. We only have one membership now with the Carle museum and we did not expect it to ‘break even,’ we were just very passionate about supporting it.

It does bother me though to think that there are families left out in the cold because of high admission costs. We do tend to purchase memberships because it is often close to being cheaper and we figure that we’re supporting the institution . I wish there was an option at the places of more directly making admission possible for lower income children.

And on another note, I’m finding as my kids get older that my need for these type of museums is waning a big – I think that may be why my reaction to The Magic House wasn’t completely positive.

I’m sad I missed you while you were in Philly! We’re actually members a the Please Touch Museum – I’m not sure, but I may have been able to get you a discount! (Oh, and one thing to point out about that museum is that if you become a member, you also get free parking and free rides on the carousel – if you’re there with two kids you might as well just buy the membership.)
.-= Mara´s last blog ..A trip back in time with Thomas and the Strasburg Railroad =-.

I’d venture to guess there are no museums in the U.S. that cost as much as a day at Disney, yet many families make that journey.

I do think we need to remember to thank corporate sponsors who help the museums become accessible to those with lower incomes. They are really doing a service to their communities.
.-= Linda´s last blog ..Photo Friday: Not Your Typical Farm =-.

Second, a “pay what you can” with a recommended admission like some museums in NYC would be a great option.

And of course the “check out” admission passes programs like out library has I think is a great, low cost contribution.

That said, none of the Children’s museums I have visited is a profit making enterprise. I suspect that art museums and science museums are able to maintain cheaper admissions because they often have endowments and more well established fundraising. They also tend to be older, which means that they are not paying off a new building or many new exhibits.
.-= Debbie Dubrow´s last blog ..What Would You Do in Paris? =-.

As far as pricing out the groups these museums are intended to serve, I agree. And I disagree. The free days are intended to make museums accessible to everyone, but I personally avoid them because of the crowds. Field trips, however, are usually quite reasonable, and some museums offer reduced field-trip rates for groups that have certain percentage of free/reduced lunch children in them.

Perhaps not well-known, some museums offer free memberships for families in certain income categories. The Minnesota Children’s Museum’s “Access Membership” is free for low-income families, and the Science Museum of Minnesota offers $1-$3 admission for families on free-reduced lunch, WIC, or other asssistance programs.

Entertainment isn’t cheap these days. A ticket to a sporting event, or even a movie, will cost as much as a museum ticket. Which is the better value?

I also want to mention that while the big, expensive museums are often amazing, some small museums are more affordable and often just as much fun for kids.

Interesting post. I’ll be interested to see what others think.
.-= Linda´s last blog ..Iowa’s Barn Quilts =-.