July 13, 2006

Met Museum to raise suggested entry fee to $20

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will increase its suggested admission fee to $20 from $15 starting August 1, according to the New York Times.

At the end of 2004, the price was a mere $12, before the January 2005 price hike to $15.

The latest increase puts the Met on par with the Museum of Modern Art, which has an obligatory $20 entry fee for adults. Others in the high range include the Guggenheim at $18, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Frick Collection both at $15, and the American Museum of Natural History at $14.

The Met needs the extra dosh to shore up a $3 million deficit, a museum spokesman told the Times. The institution continues to balk at the prospect of adding fees for special exhibitions, a decision that was said to have caused King Tut to skip New York this year.

Although the price will climb to $20 at the Met (and at its Medieval sister institution, The Cloisters, according to the online ticketing company used by the museum,) the admission fee isn't mandatory. Unadvertised for obvious reasons, you can enter the museum for as little as a dime. Such is the case at many other museums in New York City. On top of that, most of the city's museums and gardens offer free entry or "pay-what-you-wish" hours or days. Earlier this week, NewYorkology rounded up a list of all the current offerings:

New York museums and gardens with free hours

Entry is always free to anyone who buys a museum membership, which also confers tax benefits and other priviledges. NewYorkology recently surveyed some of the best membership perks ranging from the $40 to $150:

NY's best (affordable) membership privileges

Image credit: At the Met you can see the aquamanile "Aristotle Ridden by Phillis," circa 1400, artist unknown, South Netherlands/ Eastern France (Lorraine.) From the museum's Robert Lehman Collection.

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Culture for free: Museum Mile Festival is tonight
Met Museum's restored facade best seen at night
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Met allowed to keep disputed bowl until January '08
Met Museum to hike price, others may follow

July 13, 2006 07:52 AM in Cheap Stuff, Museums, Upper East Side

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