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The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, commonly referred to as the Met, will impose a standard admission fee beginning March 1.
The new fee will be mandatory for all visitors residing outside New York. However, visitors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut / kəˈnɛt ɪ kət / are exempt from the policy, given that they provide proof of residence. The fee ranges from $12 to $25 depending on the visitor’s age, while children under 12 can still enter for free.
The Met’s decision comes from recent changes in how its visitors pay the museum’s suggested fee. For almost 50 years, the museum has opted to forgo its admission fee and let visitors pay any amount they wish, with the museum suggesting certain amounts.
However, the number of visitors who paid the suggested fee dropped to 17% in 2017, prompting the museum to find new ways to earn profit. Nevertheless, the Met assured the public that the management made the necessary considerations before arriving at a decision.
Despite this assurance, the announcement still received mixed reactions. Some said that a fixed fee may hinder people from appreciating art freely, while others thought that it was only fair, considering the museum’s current financial status. Others who weighed in on the issue considered $25 too expensive and suggested that the museum charge fees only for special exhibits.
Despite being the largest museum in America and the second most visited one in the world, the Met is the only major art museum that operates on a pay-as-you-wish policy. It was established in 1870 to educate people and bring art closer to the public. In 1893, a law was passed to ensure funding for the museum, given that it remains open and free for everyone.