ICYMI: The Met Considers An Entrance Fee For Tourists

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Metropolitan Museum of Art is considering charging tourists admission, and is talking with the city officials to change its current "suggested" entrance fee, according to reports.

Museum officials have talked with city officials to discuss the possibility of an entrance fee for non-residents of New York City. A Met spokeswoman confirmed the discussions with Patch but noted that an official plan has not been submitted. (For more New York City news delivered straight to your inbox sign up for Patch's free newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

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"Our admissions policy is one of many components of the Museum’s operating budget, all of which are continuously under review and refinement," the spokeswoman said in a statement. "The Met and the City are partners, and always in conversation on how the Met can continue to thrive and best serve all of New York City and beyond. While we have started preliminary discussions about our admissions policies, we have not submitted an official, detailed request."

An entrance fee for tourists visiting The Met could help the museum drag itself out of a financial hole, the New York Times reported. Currently, the museum brings in $39 million a year from "suggested" admission sales, but could be missing out on millions in revenue because many people — specifically those who don't fold to the guilt-tripping signs and ticket stand workers — chose not to pay for entrance, the Times reported.

On the other hand, implementing an entrance fee may damage The Met's relationship with city government. The Met's fifth avenue building is owned by the city and an 1893 law providing government support to the museum states that entrance should be free to the public, the Times reported.

The past year has been a tumultuous one for the country's largest art museum. In April, The Met's director and chief executive Thomas P. Campbell resigned, but some speculated that the museum's multimillion dollar deficit forced his exit. In 2016 The Met cut nearly 100 jobs through buyouts and layoffs of its curatorial, conservation and administrative staff and in February the museum announced it would be cutting programming and delaying a $600 million expansion project for several years.

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