The Barnes Foundation to Increase Admission Fees
Increase will help Foundation to meet increasing operations and maintenance cost
MERION, PA. (April 21, 2005) - The Barnes Foundation announced today that it will increase general admission ticket prices from $5.00 to $10.00. The admission increase, effective immediately for admission dates after June 1, 2005, is necessary to help The Foundation cover escalating operating and maintenance costs. The admission price for students participating in The Foundation's K-12 educational programs will remain at $5.00
"The decision to increase ticket prices was not an easy one for our Board of Trustees," said Kimberly Camp, President and CEO of The Barnes Foundation. "But The Barnes' precarious financial situation, inflation and the rising costs associated with operating our facilities and maintaining the collection made this a necessity. While we are in the process of raising money to help finance the relocation of the main collection to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and replenish the endowment, those funds will not address the short term budgetary needs of The Barnes. While we are seeking to expedite the legal process, these funds are urgently needed to help The Foundation meet its daily operating costs at its current location in Merion."
The Barnes has charged $5.00 in general admission fees to all patrons since 1995, when The Foundation reopened to the general public after a three-year closure for building repairs and other renovations. The admission price adjustment will help The Foundation to compensate for the rise in inflation and higher operating costs.
The ticket price increase is effective only for admission dates after June 1, 2005. Tickets already purchased by visitors will not be affected. The next available date for visitors to purchase tickets to The Foundation -- which is limited to 400 visitors per day, three days a week -- is booked through July 1, 2005. Restrictions by Lower Merion Township dictate that individuals visiting the Foundation must purchase tickets in advance, by phone, internet or fax only.
The price increase also brings admission fees more in line with what visitors indicated they would expect to pay to see the collection. In a survey of visitors conducted by The Barnes Foundation in 2000, 57 percent of respondents indicated that they would expect to pay $10.00 or more in general admission fees to see the art collection.
Even with the ticket price increase, The Barnes Foundation remains less expensive or comparably priced to other art collections, as well as cultural attractions in the Philadelphia region. Other cultural institutions, such as the Frick Collection and the Philadelphia Museum of Art charge $12.00 and $10.00 respectively for general admission tickets, a price that will typically increase for special exhibits. Admission to the Museum of Modern Art in New York is $20.00 for adults. In Philadelphia, admission to The Franklin Institute is $13.75 for adults and $11 for children and The Please Touch Museum is $9.95 per person. In-season, the Philadelphia Zoo charges $16.95 for adults and $13.95 for children.
- Advanced reservations are required for all Barnes Foundation visits and are accepted by phone, fax or email Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. The Gallery hours of operation are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am to 5:00pm. In July and August, the Gallery hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:30am to 5:00pm.
About the Barnes Foundation
The Barnes Foundation was established in 1922 by Dr. Albert C. Barnes to "promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts." The Barnes Foundation use of its premier art collection to enhance discussion and critical problem solving skills is truly innovative. For eighty years artists, teachers, historians and lay people have enjoyed the benefits of this quality education program and its work toward democracy and education. The Barnes Foundation continues to offer unique courses to the general public and those interested in art.
The Foundation's collection of French paintings of the Impressionists, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern eras are among the finest in the world. The Barnes is noted for its extraordinary number of masterpieces by Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse that provide a depth of work by these artists unavailable elsewhere. Works by Picasso, Seurat, Rousseau, Modigliani, Soutine, Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh and others are only part of The Foundation's incredible collection.
The Barnes Foundation's arboretum is as vital an asset to The Foundation as its art collection. It contains a world-class collection of ferns, stewartia, magnolias and lilacs. It is used for the horticulture program and has provided an unparalleled resource for horticultural education for over five decades.
###
|
300 North Latch's Lane
![](images/"shim.gif"){kind=spacer}
