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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

369 replies

Ironfistfunkymum · 30/08/2015 07:06

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".

OP posts:
Mrsjayy · 30/08/2015 09:36

Ticketed places are always going to be rammed at peak season imo especially in bigger cities London is a massive tourist attraction people will pay

Robotdwellers · 30/08/2015 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 30/08/2015 09:37

I don't think anyone for a second thinks they could be

But they do think that they should be kept open and free but do not offer any kind of suggestion as to how this might be achieved or even acknowledge that it is impossible.

Lurkedforever1 · 30/08/2015 09:37

I didn't say it was maybe. Still a hell of a lot more than someone who just misses the threshold for entitlement due to benefits. I used it precisely because many on here, especially those living in or near London wouldn't consider it an income they could afford high entrance fees on.

SoupDragon · 30/08/2015 09:37

All they have done is jump on the OP and called her a snob.

Mrsjayy · 30/08/2015 09:38

Would pay*

alicemalice · 30/08/2015 09:38

It's amazing these museums are free. I'm sure that was the original purpose of them when they were built - that anyone could get access.

Would be a real shame to change that.

HildaFlorence · 30/08/2015 09:39

Difficult question , I love the fact that it's free but we went to the BM last week , it was a wet day and it was clear that many people were in there only to keep out of the rain , the crush was appalling , you couldn't hear over the din of chatter and it was stifling . at least ticketing at busy times would help them to manage the crowds because the staff seemed unable to cope .

To the person who said get their early m the earliest off peak trains don't get into London until about 11 for us , prices before that are prohibitive , think £100 for a single as opposed to £20.

Sirzy · 30/08/2015 09:39

But the ops argument is nothing to do with funding and everything to do with her wanting places to be quiet when she goes!

alicemalice · 30/08/2015 09:40

Also I was told at the Science Museum that it's partly funded by big business - pharmaceutical companies etc to keep it free for the general public.

LyndaNotLinda · 30/08/2015 09:42

Soupy - if the funding is cut and they have to charge, then they have to charge. But that isn't what the OP said.

YeOldeTrout · 30/08/2015 09:44

these are the 'National' museums supported by the DCMS so why should local residents (by which you mean those who live in the city) get a discount?

for me the local resident discount makes sense because it would be a shame to live within a few miles but have the place totally priced out of means. I suppose tweaking it to be a low income benefit would be better. To be fair, I'm not sure many poor people do live within 5 miles, but if they do, I'm personally fine if they have discounted entry.

As a non-local, I'll never go back to either of the OP's museums except in term time and only if I have pre-school grandchildren or as helper on a school trip. And then with much trepidation.

Mrsjayy · 30/08/2015 09:47

What sirzy said the op isnt bothered about funding just wants it a bit more civilised in her eyes civillised is paying

lavendersun · 30/08/2015 09:50

We go most months - Family membership, means that we skip the queues and support the museum.

There are very few other places you can go for the whole day, in London or otherwise for £6 ish a day for a family.

The Greenwich museum sells an annual pass that is a few £ more than a day ticket so buy once and go as much as you like for 12 months. Lots of places do that these days.

I could see that sort of model being introduced in the future - pay to get in once, entry valid for 12 months.

ihearttc · 30/08/2015 09:52

Thats what they do at the Transport Museum if I recall correctly...you pay once and your ticket is valid for a year.

Sirzy · 30/08/2015 09:54

We have been to quite a few places on holidays which do that. Beauleau car museum does the same.

If you are in a position to go more than once then annual passes do normally work out a much better way to do most places.

TheoriginalLEM · 30/08/2015 09:55

people spend £££ in the shops. This i presume goes towards funding. The new exhibitions are charged at a prohibitive rate - go in there op and you can avoid the hoy palloy.

The v&a museum is never packed. Does amazing stuff for kids. We spend hours in there. Then go over to the sci museum and dd does the interactive stuff.

We'd not come if it wasn't free. Dd would miss out.

TheoriginalLEM · 30/08/2015 09:57

that yearly membership is a rip off for tourists. why would i pay for all year when I'll only go once. Fine for locsls but there only so many times you can look at a wild boar and be filled with wonder!

Original poster
Ironfistfunkymum · 30/08/2015 09:58

Difficult question , I love the fact that it's free but we went to the BM last week , it was a wet day and it was clear that many people were in there only to keep out of the rain , the crush was appalling , you couldn't hear over the din of chatter and it was stifling . at least ticketing at busy times would help them to manage the crowds because the staff seemed unable to cope .

Thanks for taking a clear rational view on this. That is exactly my point.

No one is wanting the bm to go back to how it used to be where only noble people can book to view it in advance, but the crowd levels make it impossible to enjoy the bm.

OP posts:
TheoriginalLEM · 30/08/2015 09:59

maybe a one price membership for all london museums? but i actually think it would add to the crowds as people would feel compelled to visit more often to get their money's worth

lavendersun · 30/08/2015 10:01

But as a tourist I pay wherever else I go LEM, I don't live in London anymore.

Why should tourists visiting London be any different from those visiting Venice or Rome where we paid £££ for passes earlier this year.

WorriedMutha · 30/08/2015 10:03

I would be happy to pay for these venues. The play and learn zone at the Science Museum is like an ants nest at peak times. When we go abroad, we accept entrance fees as the norm so I don't see why the controversy here. Especially as so many of our biggest galleries and museums are in prime tourist spots.
If we can't preserve the experience as a quality experience without introducing an entrance fee, I would rather entrance fees.

MargaretCabbage · 30/08/2015 10:04

Totally disagree with charging fees for museums. My family were broke when I was growing up and we used to visit the old science museum in Birmingham a lot. Then it closed, most of the stuff moved to the ThinkTank and we could never afford to go. Should only better off children be allowed to learn about science?

ipswichwitch · 30/08/2015 10:07

Other countries do have free museums - when I went to Barcelona I found that all museums were free on a Sunday in Spain so that nobody was priced out of going (however this was a few years ago so may have changed)

Artandco · 30/08/2015 10:11

I agree. We pay for annual passes for the history museum so can avoid queues but once inside it's still a nightmare as jammed packed In the holidays so they can't see half the stuff. So defeats the point.

I think they should charge a small amount, enough to help reduce the queues as people won't go twice a week as free holiday entertainment, but not too much that most can't go at some point. Maybe £5 per person, or £10 for a family ticket.

We live locally, and know many who just use the museums almost daily when wet just as an indoor playground for an hour rather than to actually look at the stuff. A £10 family fee would stop them doing that