Museums play an important role in society, providing enjoyment and education while preserving our cultures and ideals. To carry out this function, these institutions rely, in part, on the support of their visitors. While some museums charge fees for entrance, you will also find those that only request a suggested donation. Requests for suggested donations may seem like an opportunity for a free visit, but we’d like to help you understand why that's not actually the case.

For starters, most people aren’t doing their part. In fact, recent studies show that only about 30% of people pay the suggested amount or donation.  Even the Metropolitan Museum of New York (The MET), once famous for its “pay-what-you-want” policy, began charging an admission fee in 2018 after discovering that only 17% of visitors were actually willing to pay the suggested donation.  We do want to stress that suggested many museums institute donations to allow economically challenged visitors to contribute what they can, but many who can do more simply do not.

Donations are vital to the ongoing operation of museums. As you can imagine, museums have many expenses, such as the cost of acquiring and preserving collections, hiring and training staff, running educational programs, providing spaces to feature up-and-coming artists and culturally relevant exhibits, and maintaining the museum building itself.  For perspective, the average art museum in North America sees 279,351 visitors pass through its doors in a year, with total attendance coming to more than 67 million.  That’s a lot of wear and tear for these valuable sites that often have limited staff and resources.  Suggested donations help offset costs and ensure that the museum can continue to provide high-quality exhibits and educational programming, all while ensuring the facilities are clean for you and your family.

Furthermore, visitors that contribute at entry also help support the local community.  Museums are often a major source of tourism, and the revenue generated from suggested donations can have a major impact on the local economy.  A 2016 American Alliance of Museums study reported that museums brought in more than $50 billion in GDP, provided 726,200 jobs, and $12 billion in local, state, and federal taxes. In addition to the 372,100 workers directly employed by the museum sector, a further 354,100 jobs are supported in the wider economy.  

New York City Borough Pass intentionally sought out several museums with suggested donations, and we encourage you to redeem your Pass at these locations. And if you feel like chipping in a bit more, please do.  Your contribution will help preserve the past, protect the future, and support the community.

1 Simon. “Why You Should Donate to Your Local Museum.” Arna Bontemps Museum. 13 December 2022.
2 Boehm, Mike. “Report shows Museums Mainly Rely on Kindness, not Commerce.” 9 January 2015.
3 Museums as Economic Engines. American Alliance of Museums.   December 2017.