Desbrisay Museum moving to free admission beginning Dec. 1
The Desbrisay Museum, the Bridgewater Museum Commission and the Town of Bridgewater are excited to announce that beginning on Saturday, Dec. 1, the Desbrisay Museum will be eliminating regular admission charges for all age categories, meaning that the museum will be free to the public to access yearround.
“The Museum Commission worked with staff and did the research and found that this is a model that has worked to boost the profile of museums elsewhere in Atlantic Canada and across the country,” explained Lynette de Montreuil, the culture, heritage and events co-ordinator for the Town of Bridgewater.
“We’ll still be encouraging visitors to make donations to the museum, to shop in our gift shop and to support paid programming, private rentals and special events,” she added.
“But we wanted to make general access to the museum and the story of Bridgewater and Lunenburg County free to all to enjoy.”
The adoption of free admission is part of the vision stemming from the recently approved Museum 2.0 concept that was endorsed by Bridgewater Town Council and the Bridgewater Museum Commission.
The Museum 2.0 concept calls for the museum to expand its role in the community and seek out new and dynamic ways to engage the local and travelling public, while continuing to share the stories of heritage, art and culture that define the community.
“We’re really excited with the way the Museum 2.0 vision has been articulated and the way the museum has already taken steps to revamp its programming and its approach to telling Lunenburg County’s story,” said Museum Commission chairman Peter Oickle.
“By going to free admission, we’re opening up the museum to all people in the community all year long,” he added.
“We’re giving everyone the chance to come through our doors and learn about what makes Bridgewater and Lunenburg County special — from the millennia old Mi’kmaq presence in the Lahave River Valley, to the period of European colonization, to the industrial revolution through today.”