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Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, scraps “Pay-as-you-wish”

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, has announced that visitors from outside the state must now pay a mandatory entry fee. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art previously operated a “pay-as-you-wish” system, allowing visitors to pay any amount to access the museum. This scheme will continue for residents of New York state.

Students from Connecticut and New Jersey will also be eligible to pay as they wish.

Visitors from outside the state, however, will now be charged a mandatory entrance fee matching the suggested entry price: $25 for adults, $17 for seniors, $12 for students.

Tickets will now be valid for three days rather than just one – giving visitors more time to see the museum’s three locations.

“The Met and the City are partners, and we are grateful to Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Finkelpearl for their thoughtful review of this policy and for working with us to ensure that The Met will continue to serve all of New York and our visitors from around the nation and the world for generations to come,” said Daniel H. Weiss, President and CEO of The Met. “We are committed to achieving excellence in all that we do, and we are determined that the Museum will remain accessible to as many visitors as possible while it also thrives as a financially stable institution.”

“The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an essential part of the fabric of New York City, and its mission to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas is more important today than ever before,” said New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl. “This updated admissions policy will give the Museum a solid foundation to continue to grow its programming and engage New Yorkers from all corners of the city and visitors from around the world, while providing a unique opportunity to direct public resources to underserved communities throughout the five boroughs.”

The changes will affect an estimated 31% of museum visitors and will come into effect on March 1.

Last year, The Met attracted 7 million visitors across its three locations: The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Cloisters, and The Met Breuer.

Image courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Michael Mander

Michael Mander

I am a journalist from Essex, England. I enjoy travelling, and love exploring attractions around the world. I graduated from Lancaster University in 2018. Twitter @michael_mander.

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