Open Forum

Hi there,

We would like to know if other organizations have utilized the Museums For All program and how it has worked for the organization. We are specifically interested if it brought a more diverse audience to your Museum.

Thank you,
Melanie

Melanie Garcia
Director of Museum Experience
The Preservation Society of Newport County

Hello! Intrepid Museum was the first NYC institution to implement the Museums for All initiative. We felt that lowering economic barriers to the Museum for individuals and their families, in addition to the work we do with schools or community groups, was extremely important. This was an easy way to do so.  We offer free entry for the EBT card holder plus three guests, but there are different ways you can model it. in 2019 just over 3000 people made use of it at Intrepid and we have continued to make sure we communicate the opportunity along with other avenues for free entry to the Museum. This year between our re-opening in March and the end of July 1,253 people have made use of it. 
Would definitely recommend!


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Lynda Kennedy PhD
VP Education & Evaluation
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-11-2021 03:08 PM
From: Melanie Garcia
Subject: Museums for All

Hi there,

We would like to know if other organizations have utilized the Museums For All program and how it has worked for the organization. We are specifically interested if it brought a more diverse audience to your Museum.

Thank you,
Melanie

Melanie Garcia
Director of Museum Experience
The Preservation Society of Newport County

Our organization (a historic house museum/garden in south Florida) joined Museums For All recently, for all of the same reasons mentioned below. We've had a few days with 50 or more people participating via the program, and we're in our slowest months of the year.

It's a little too early to tell what lasting effects it will have, but it's hard for me to identify a downside. The few concerns staff voiced before joining (i.e. we won't be able to handle the amount of visitors that will participate, other visitors may have negative reactions to the program) have certainly not materialized, and we've had the opportunity to welcome many visitors who have lived in our community for years, but never visited our site. MFA appears to be bringing in almost entirely local visitors, which represent a broader demographic than our average visitorship, who are often travelers.

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Mike Cosden
Vice President/COO
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
Ft Myers FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-11-2021 03:08 PM
From: Melanie Garcia
Subject: Museums for All

Hi there,

We would like to know if other organizations have utilized the Museums For All program and how it has worked for the organization. We are specifically interested if it brought a more diverse audience to your Museum.

Thank you,
Melanie

Melanie Garcia
Director of Museum Experience
The Preservation Society of Newport County