MET MUSEUM MULLS MANDATORY ADMISSION FEES

The Metropolitan Museum of New York and the city government are weighing charging admission for the first time in the museum’s nearly 125-year history.

The New York Times reports that Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed the idea of having the Met charge admission for visitors from outside of New York City. The museum, a taxpayer-supported institution established in 1893, currently has a “suggested” entrance fee of $25 for adult visitors.

The museum had been in discussion with de Blasio’s administration on how to close the museum’s current budget deficit of US$15 million.

Currently, 63 per cent of the Met’s 7 million annual visitors come from outside the state. The museum receives US$26 million a year from the city.