Met Museum files proposal with city for mandatory admission fees

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has inched one step closer to materializing their idea to charge mandatory admission fees for non-New York residents. According to the New York Times, the Met filed a formal proposal with city and will now await approval from Mayor de Blasio’s administration.

If approved, the museum’s suggested fee would only be applicable to city and state residents, making it mandatory for everyone else to pay a $25 admission fee. However, the plan has already proven itself controversial. Many are arguing that the mandatory charge would violate a 1893 state law mandating that the museum “shall be kept open and accessible to the public free of all charge throughout the year.” But the Met is facing financial problems and is hoping that the mandatory fee will alleviate some of its money woes.

Regardless, opponents of the plan are urging the Met to find another way to close their deficit imposing mandatory fees for visitors. “The museum should be accessible to all people of every economic level. It is unfortunate that the museum’s leadership feels that it has to ration its availability,” attorney Andrew Celli, who represented one of the plaintiffs who sued over the unclear suggested admission policy, told the Times after the hearing.

The city will “review [the proposal] carefully” before making its decision.

• The Met Files a Formal Proposal to Charge Admission to Out-of-State Visitors [New York Times]
• Met Museum considers mandatory admission fees amid budget woes [Curbed]