To be happy the science museum and natural history museum might have an entrance fee soon

[Ironfistfunkymum]

It makes the place unbearably busy, often have to queue to get in and most people don't appreciate it. They are just going as its something "free".

I really think all children should have access to these amazing places, not just those that can afford it.

Agreed. The Science Museum push much more for a 'donation' these days and it makes it much easier to get in!

Really? Is this going to happen?

I'm fairly sure it would still be busy if you had to pay.

We always make a donation and I would hope that hose who can afford to but all children should be able to benefit.

The NHM in particular basically functions as a dinosaur attraction now. The main hall has become a queuing area. In the last few years it has become out of control. I used to take my kids there a lot as I live quite near and it was nowhere near as crowded. think the NHM are building a new bit on the side though, perhaps the charge is for that. I don't like the idea of charging for the museums but the present situation is out of control.

No they should be for everyone,not just those with money.

I think it's a dreadful idea.

The poorer children and even many in the middle will lose out. Many families only go up to London because there are free things to do.Travel to get there,to get around,accommodation and food make it far too expensive to pay for things to do on top.

it's bad enough that richer kids have an unfair advantage in education but things like museums and libraries on top. Sorry it's madness.

At a push I could except a small charge for adults and kids go free like say The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam but frankly it won't make a jot of difference. If you don't pay days in advance for the museums there you queue round the block for 2 hours minimum. Everywhere was just as packed as museums in London.

I very much disagree with people that say it must be free. People don't appreciate free stuff. Afford a trip to London but not afford a few pounds for a museum

I'm sure 99% of people could afford it and those that can't there should be a reduced fee.

I have heard nothing about an admission charge - could you point us to the source of this news, OP?

Both museums are classed as national museums, to which entry is free for everyone as a matter of national policy, so this would be quite a departure.

I do think tourists should be charged to visit our museums. No country that I've ever visited has had free museum entry.

Afford a trip to London but not afford a few pounds for a museum

I know plenty of London children who CAN'T afford to travel there by train or tube, and spend hours on a bus to get there as cheaply as possible.

For many people it is a regular summer holiday day out, looked forward to and enjoyed every year, but it would be out of reach if there was an entry fee.

What makes you think that the children of rich parents are more appreciative than the children of less well off parents.

So only the rich kids appreciate a museum?

How do you know "people don't appreciate it"? You sound very "let them eat cake"

People on benefits will get a reduced ticket, or even free, that's how it normally works.

Museums may have to charge if cuts bite

Richard Brooks, Arts Editor Published: 30 August 2015
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The Natural History Museum: a monstrous 5,388,000 visitors last year
THREE of Britain’s top museums may have to start charging for entry unless the government acts to protect them from funding cuts.

The Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Imperial War Museum, which draw more than 9m visitors a year to their London bases alone, believe their grants must be “ring-fenced” like funding for the NHS if free admission is to continue.

The demand for ring- fencing is contained in a letter to the chancellor, George Osborne, who plans spending cuts of 30% over four years in “unprotected” departments such as culture.

The letter, sent by the National Museum Directors’ Council (NMDC), chaired by Diane Lees of the Imperial War Museum, does not say explicitly that leading institutions want the freedom to reintroduce some charging, but the subtext is clear.

It's not a few pounds. You're talking £50 for a family of 5, double that if it was £20 a head. People don't have that kind of cash on top of travel.

So yes they won't be able to afford a trip so won't go thus bumping up the amount of richer families who will go under the misguided belief that it will be quieter. Children from poorer families will then miss out on the best science/ natural history exhibits in the country and all that brings.

What about those above the benefit threshold missing out yet again?

" I'm sure 99% of people could afford it "

What a lovely bubble you live in, OP.

I think it's fantastic that so many London museums are free, long may it continue.

Its phycology people just don't appreciate something if its free.

You could keep it free for school trips even if you did charge. Or you could charge tourists but not Brits, but that might have EU implications. The Science Museum seems to have a reasonable balance, the queues are always manageable and they push the donation hard but don't make it compulsory.

I think it would be awful. Museums should be free for all not just those with the money.

Someone doesn't have to have rich parents to be interested in these things!

We went to the museum of science and industry in Manchester last week which is free. If it hadn't been my friend wouldn't have been able
To afford to take her family so they would have missed out on a day out which they did very much appreciate.

As for the idea of making it cheaper for people on benefits - that relies on people carrying around proof and feeling comfy asking. Some places it's like the Spanish Inquisition to get disabled rates so I dread to think how hard places would make that!

I think YABU, but I do think that people who can afford to donate should. I know people who go without leaving a donation but then spend £80 in pizza express afterwards, maybe they could change their day out habits to include a cheaper meal/go home for their meal and put a decent donation in the tin instead.

YABVVVVU

Yes, put your own desires for not having heaving masses of people above those who wouldn't be able to afford it.

As for the idea of making it cheaper for people on benefits - that relies on people carrying around proof and feeling comfy asking.

You can get a magic bus or national express ticket to London for £1 from many places in the UK, however many of them require over night stays! it's a nice treat!

A donation is a couple of quid, an enterence fee would be more than that! Go to the london aquarium, the dungeons, places you do have to pay often extortionate enterence fees, you'll still see people not appricating the exhibits and messing around. It's not because it's free its because they have no manners and respect. Why charge and fill it with people who take these things for granted while making it inaccessible to those who would actually get some benifit out of seeing things for the first and maybe only time?!
You might actually find those with the worst behaviour are actually those that could afford to go if they were to charge an enterence fee. You've made a generelization a rather snobby one!

Rubbish Iron.

We appreciate it,hoards do which is why we all make the tortuous trip up to London.

I'll tell you what I didn't appreciate. Paying an extortionate amout for the Tower of London,having to queues for hours and only being able to see a few jewels tax payers money paid for in the first place due to the crush. We had to give all the rest a miss. If it was free we'd have gone back months down the line to do the rest.