The Met Clears Up Price Confusion

Resolving the admission issue after a lawsuit, the Metropolitan Museum of Art enforces the message that its doors are open to everyone despite their financial situation.

The famous museum in New York has always had a “pay what you like” policy for its patrons but hasn’t exactly made that quite clear. Though it has this policy the Met also has signs that show the recommended prices as $25 for Adults, $17 for Seniors, and $12 for Students. Despite its 6 million visitors a year, many turn away from the doors of the Met believing that tickets to the museum cost the full “recommended” price. After being hit with a lawsuit in 2013 stating that the museum does not make its pricing policy clear, the museum has been in talks until finally reaching a settlement on Friday.

The settlement presents a change in wording, rather than stating the prices as “recommended” it will now be “suggested”. But it’s not just a word change, but a complete font change and establishment of signs blatantly telling patrons that the prices all depend on what patrons would like to pay. Implementing new signs and language throughout the main area of the museum will open up the doors to more people who may be financially strapped and unaware of the museum’s long standing policy. The changes also coincide with the Met’s new introduction of the Met Breuer, which hope to keep just as open doors for the public. However many of the museum’s officials remind the public that the suggested prices are quite a deal considering the many programs and shows the iconic museum offers to the public. But keeping to its historical foundation to educate and enlighten its patrons regardless of their economic standing, the “pay what you would like” policy stands. Despite the state’s contribution to the Met, much of its funding comes from the prices asked based on generosity and officials hope that by changing the signs understanding will clear up, but generosity will increase. This is all to prevent budget cuts to the museum’s programming, and also to allow more people in to see the wonder of art’s evolutions throughout time and place.