
The ticket price increase at the Whitney Museum in July of 2023 sparked an immediate backlash, as admission for adults jumped by 20 percent, from an already steep $25 to $30, while tickets for students and seniors rose from $18 to $24. The museum defended the decision in a press release, citing “inflation, rising costs and still-recovering attendance,” but emphasized that membership fees and free or discounted programming would remain unchanged as a way to maintain accessibility.
The Whitney’s price hike followed a similar move by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which raised admission for out-of-state visitors to $30 in 2022. The Guggenheim joined the ranks of $30 museums in August of 2023, and MoMA followed suit in October of that year. MoMA’s soon-to-step-down director, Glenn D. Lowry, defended the increase in the New York Times, saying, “These changes in admission price will help the museum maintain financial stability.”
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That may be, but as museums globally have increased ticket prices, driven by inflation, higher operational costs and expanding programs, art lovers and artists have pushed back. One of them is internationally renowned artist Julie Mehretu, who recently announced a $2.25 million donation that will make Whitney admission free for visitors aged 25 and under. “If you’re waiting tables in New York like I used to, you can’t afford to go to a museum all the time,” she told the Wall Street Journal, “but young artists need access to art.”


While price hikes are understandable, they often provoke debates about accessibility and equity, challenging institutions meant to serve the public. Mehretu’s donation could inspire other figures in the cultural sphere to make similar gifts. However, the International Council of Museums has emphasized that museums should do everything they can to ensure universal access to heritage, and its Universal Accessibility special interest group promotes best practices for balancing financial sustainability with inclusivity.
Some institutions have taken those recommendations to heart and taken steps to reduce or eliminate fees. All Smithsonian Institution museums other than the Cooper Hewitt in New York City offer free admission to the public, as do the National Gallery of Art in D.C., the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. LA MOCA eliminated admission fees following a $10 million donation from board president Carolyn Powers in 2019, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland dropped its fees in 2019. In London, the Tate offers free admission except for permanent collection exhibits.
It’s worth noting that many major art institutions that have raised admission fees still offer free entry for local residents, discounted rates for SNAP/EBT cardholders or veterans, and special days where admission is pay-what-you-wish or entirely free. Seniors and students also typically benefit from reduced rates. But the extent to which these discounts and free days help lower-income individuals and marginalized communities access museums is largely undocumented, leaving questions about whether they truly mitigate the impact of rising prices.