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".

BM membership is also good value if you live out of London figment as you don't have to book for exhibitions(myDD1lives there) and therefore plan too far ahead . But I would be horrified if they charged for the main collections

Saw bag carried by someone at museum in Amsterdam elquinto and just had to buy one when I got home . Everyone thinks its cool-has done my image no end of good .But I really really believe it .

Tip for Science Museum
Start on top floor and work down -some fascinating stuff up there and it's never as busy .Suspect lots of people never get that far.DHand I spent most of a recent visit up there ...yes we still go though the DCs are grown up

And I went there lots of times to both with the DCs once they became free (cheap trains from Mudlands) and don't recall ever queuing to get in ,or it being that bad inside .

This idea makes me sad. I am a lone parent raising two boys under very difficult circumstances. I work three jobs and we are poor, no getting away from it.

We often visit local museums because my boys are very interested in the displays there and because it is free. It is one of the few cultural things available to them.

Being poor means having very choices and opportunities, this would be me more taken away from them. It is hard enough over the years having to explain to my boys that opportunities available to their friends are not available to them. This would be one more. Very sad and deeply unfair

Terrible idea, so many children (and adults) will miss out.

Maybe they could raise funds through some kind of 'Adopt an exhibit' scheme? Fund a Fossil, Support a Skeleton or something of the kind, like the schemes run for rare animals in the wild. Maybe a little discreet white card could be displayed with the name of the sponsor, next to the sponsored items. Who wouldn't want to publicly announcement of their good deed, that they can go and look at.

The economic argument for museum subsidies - the additional tourists coming to London for the free museums spend far more in the local economy than the subsidy costs, it's very good value for money.

www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2011/mar/13/big-issue-free-museum-admission

The Grant Museum does an Adopt a Specimen scheme. Seems to work quite well for them because their list of orphans is relatively tiny. DS has a butterfly I think.

what a disaster. While I am someone who will benefit from this (we live in London, and have money) I think it's great that this city has world class museums for everyone.

No I don't think charging for museums etc is a good idea.
I really resent the fact that people are saying because it is free it is less appreciated.

We are a family on disability benefits and really really appreciate all the museums and galleries in London thanks!

This year we went into London for a day trip over the summer (we are only in Hertfordshire). We have to do a lot of planning routes and activities days before hand. We got the cheapest train, had DS' zip oyster all organised, had picnic lunch and water with us so wouldn't have to pay stupid food and drink prices. If it was a lovely day we would have done Trafalgar Square, National Art gallery and the royal parks. As it happened it was raining so we decided on the science museum instead.

Yes it was super busy but we had a great day which cost us around £20 , which is about what we could afford. If as suggested they start charging say £10 per head that would have been a £50 day which would have meant we just wouldn't have gone. For some of us £30 is a lot, it equates to almost a weeks grocery shopping for the three of us or 10 days on the electricity meter!

Are people saying just because we couldn't afford then we don't deserve it?

So many on this thread with short memories
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1331446/Natural-History-Museum-scraps-9-fee.html

and so many bloody spoilt Londoners who forget that Children's bus fares outside London are eye wateringly expensive

and so many bloody spoilt Londoners who forget that Children's bus fares outside London are eye wateringly expensive

whose fares are more subsidised?

Are people saying just because we couldn't afford then we don't deserve it?

Possibly. Presumably, however, you don't think this reasoning applies to everything, just some museums in London?

redstrawberry
whose fares are more subsidised?
A 15 minute, 4 mile bus ride on a busy bus from my house to the city centre is £3
it must be a profitable route because 4 companies run on it, none of whom accept each others tickets

Children's bus fares in London are free, if you live in London and go to school there. London transport subsidies per head of population are about £2,500, in many other areas its about £5.

Museums have always also been tax payer funded and recieve charitable donations too. They should be free.

"Are people saying just because we couldn't afford it then we don't derve it."

Yes thats exactly what they're saying. Tell you what, lets say we revaluate council tax so that people are actually paying based on values from say 2012 not 1992.. we can put the extra money into paying for free museums and schools. Fairer than charging at source for something that everyone has contributed to as a taxpayer.

Children's bus fares in London are free, if you live in London and go to school there
Nope. All children go free on the bus - even those of Russian Oligarchs.

Why all the sneery comments towards Londoners anyway?

It's fucking expensive to live and work here you know. We have the same issues everyone else in the country has.

Noooo! We should be so proud of the fact that as a nation we value our histories and cultures so much that we want to make museums accessible to everyone.

If they are overcrowded, create more museums, or make them bigger or stay open longer. Don't charge people to see what actually belongs to all of us! And as for making tourists pay, many of 'our' exhibits were 'acquired' from their countries in the first place.

The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street in Edinburgh is a fantastic resource (though I wish they still had the pond with the fishes). It's always full of families but big enough for those who want a quiet time to move away from the more crowded areas.

We have the same issues everyone else in the country has.
No, you do not.

You are the only part of the country with integrated public transport.

London gets Arts and Museum subsidies 100 times greater than any other part of the country.

London schools get more funding per pupil than other parts of the country.

Politicians who live in London think that everywhere is like Islington and make shite policy accordingly.

etc ad infinitum

So those are all good reasons to be sneery towards Londoners?

Many of us massively struggle to make ends meet. Some areas in London are among the most deprived in the country. I grew up in one.

This just reads as; it was busy at the museum today, they should charge so I don't have to wait in line.

I think its popular because its a world class museum

When the museums cost money to go to, I could not afford it after I'd already paid £90 on the train to get to London for myself and my kids.

It's ridiculous to state that people don't appreciate free things. I've been to the NHM a couple of times and appreciated every bit of it. My sister and I went down to London a few years back and did it as cheaply as we could (Megabus, budget hotel, ate at a super cheap little Hare Krishna place). If the museums had charged it would have put a huge dent in our budget.

London is expensive to visit, there's no getting round it. Charging for museums is going to mean that a hell of a lot of people can't afford to go.

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

That DID NOT warrant a biscuit. Have you ever been in this position OP? Do you have ANY IDEA how embarrassing it is? That the proof you have brought is often challenged by insufferable snobs like you

"What evidence do you have for "people not appreciating it if it's free" OP?"

"How do you judge whether we've "appreciated" it." What even gives you the right to?

"ALL children should have access to museums, even the poor.
Yabvu and an elitist snob to boot" SO Agree with this!

"This in an appalling attitude. You want to deliberately price out poorer people so that you have a nicer experience. Unbelievably selfish. These museums are an important part of our shared national heritage and should be free for all to visit."

"I'm not wealthy at all, but I prioritise my money. I drive a 17 year old CaR, my smart phone is 3 years old, Never had a new kitchen or bathroom. I just prioritse my money. I'm sure lots of the people saying they cant afford it could if they spend their money differently. Fed up of people saying they can't afford something when clearly they could, but choose to spend this money on other stuff. Obviously some are in real poverty but most are not." You REALLY don't have a clue do you?! There are many far worse off than you, people are using food banks even if working full time ffs!

I've always wanted to go to NHM but parents couldn't afford to take us as kids, couldn't afford school trips (we were the kids lumped in with other classes) and as an adult, I'm yet to be able to afford to go. I'd love to take my DC too. I really hope that they don't start to charge.

wooooo only read first page, speak for yourself op, how dare you make such assumptions, NO we would not be able to afford a trip to London with added costs, we drive in there is no way I can access the City with extortionate train fares, we take picnics and our only extra costs for our trips to London are petrol - Diesal Infact.

Totally agree its the poor who will be even more cut out from things, they are already cut off from holidays now.

We go on a regular basis and rarely Q or have trouble with space.

No to charging people OP, but feel free to not go and do your bit to stop the 'unbearable business'.