Quote:
Originally Posted by Ando
With all due respect, I have presented the reality of the way it is and why.
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You wrote: "The fact is that our communities wouldn't have these type of facilities without admission fees". That is simply not true. There are numerous free museum and galleries throughout the world. Most of the major museums in the U.K. such as the British Museum or the V&A, some of the best in the world, do not charge admission, nor does the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. . Closer to home, the very excellent Minneapolis Institute of Art and Como Park Conservatory in Saint Paul as well as the Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago are free.
There have been studies which have concluded that free admission does not appreciably increase visitor numbers. Yet on the flip side, admissions in most cases contribute only a small percentage to operating costs. In cases where foot traffic is low, charging admissions may result in the cost of collection and administration exceeding the admissions revenue. In smaller cities where the potential visitor pool is correspondingly small and where the attraction mostly relies on local visitors (ie. Winnipeg) free admissions do encourage much more frequent second and third visits and increase foot traffic in museum restaurants and shops. What the research also showed is that many people
prefer to pay an admission as it makes the visiting experience more enjoyable (less crowded). There are other options too, such as a suggested but non-mandatory admission fee (such as the Met in New York used to do for all, though they mislead many patrons by making the suggested fee seem like it was mandatory) or charging extra for special exhibitions. It is not true to suggest that you either pay admissions or you will not have cultural attractions at all.
I do not think it is outrageous for the new Diversity Gardens to charge an admission fee as long as it is not excessive, such as the admission fees for the Zoo are for instance. For two adults with a teenager child and an under 13 to visit the Zoo it's a $73.50 admission. There is no family rate. Add a drink for eachand it becomes a $90 afternoon. Far too expensive for many families. To ensure that everybody has at least some opportunity to visit, the Gardens should have one free day every month and during the summer months the hours on the free day should be extended into the evening. Also the concession fees have to be considerably reduced compared with the adult fee. They should be no more than half the full admission. At the Zoo adults pay $20.50 while a 13 year old pays $17.75 (both plus GST) as do students. Too much for people who have no to very low income. I do not agree with any type of low income pass as it is absurd to expect someone to declare their income to get a reduced admission at a public facility and then there is the question of what income level should be considered "low" in the first place.
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