To be surprised at adults not knowing most museums are free?

[FelineFatale]

I've met recently at least four people who didn't know this. One said they didn't take their children to museums because they can't afford it and the other three just thought you had to pay.

I'm close to two of these people and when I said I was amazed they didn't know this they stated most people think you have to pay for museums.

They don't, surely?!

Whilst a lot are “free” they do have a suggested donation that people perhaps feel pressurised into paying.

I guess it depends how much exposure you’ve had to museums, if you didn’t really go to them growing up, or lived far away from them, then how would you know?

Is it really most museums? Or some museums?
Even in free museums exhibitions are not free.

We go to museums quite often so I know they are free. But I expect most people assume you do have to pay. If you don't go, you won't know.

Most of the museums near me charge for admission.

Yeah, they’re ‘free’ but usually there’s a suggested donation. That said it’s usually just £5/10 so that’s still a cheap day out.

In London the main ones are free aren't they? But not nationally surely?

Are you talking about museums in London? Cos they're not free round these parts!

Round here they're expensive to get into.

£15 a head ish.

I love the Museum Of Costume in Bath but on minimum wage I can't afford to visit.

It’s not that they don’t know, it’s just that it sounds like a plausible excuse.

To be fair, lots of museums did charge entry fees until the Labour government made them free, so perhaps some people never realised that this had changed? Or, depending on the age of their children, perhaps many weren't free when their dc were little?

I suppose it's the lack of exposure to museums I find shocking more than anything else. I grew up visiting museums regularly so it's so alien to imagine otherwise.

You have to pay admission for the museams near me too, the ones in London are but you have to pay to get there so not a cheap day out if you live far away

If you don't happen to hear when they get their lottery funding (which is why many of them are free) then how would you know?

t’s not that they don’t know, it’s just that it sounds like a plausible excuse.
I wondered this...

It depends where you are, the main national museums in London are subsidised by central govt but lots of local museums without this source of income can charge if they choose to, some do, some rely on other sources of income. It's quite a frustration within the sector that so much government money is used to subside museums in London.

I suppose it's the lack of exposure to museums I find shocking more than anything else.

That's very different from your original OP.

It's not all museums by any stretch.

Most museums I have been to aren't free. And they're quite expensive too, not just a few pounds.

I only know of one free museum where I live, and I visited the Railway museum in York about ten years ago and it was free.

Other than that, all the museums I have visited in my life have had an entrance fee.

Thinking of the museums in my area, while there is quite a high proportion of free museums, there’s also a fair number that do charge for entry.
And even the free ones have “suggested donation” boxes prominently displayed at the entrance. Some people may think that’s compulsory or feel pressured into donating.

So I think it’s understandable that some people, especially if their main experience has been with museums that charge, may not realise that some museums are completely free to enter.

I have been to pay on entry museums but I was thinking more of large London and other city museums.

are they from abroad? I grew up in a place where myseums and art galleries were free and was rather surprised when I went to Europe and they charged entry. On reflection it seemed reasonable and sensible to charge entry but it was so far removed from my experience that I was initially very surprised.

A) lots of museums aren't free, b) they actually haven't always been free - it's a relatively recent thing (free admission was not introduced to national museums until 2001) so for those who are older they may remember the days of admissions fees, c) even with free entry, exhibitions are often paid tickets only, and d) you're not factoring in the costs of transport, lunch etc.

The British model of free entry to national museums is also quite unusual on the world stage. Go to Europe or America and most big museums are paid entry only (albeit with free or discount entry for lots of groups and free entry for all on certain days).

My SIL and her family wouldn't know this. They would no sooner go to a museum than fly to the moon - they have this idea that they "aren't for people like them". They think we are very weird for taking our children to museums. So they would have no idea whether it was free, £10 or £100.

I think part of the confusion is that some museums put on special exhibitions that are charged for, although entrance to the permanent collections is free.

My local museum charges for entry. Something I helped restore is part of their permanent collection and I have paid to take family to see it. We're lucky to have so many museums, National Trust, etc, but it's often not a cheap day out.