I, like Adrienne, have been (irremediably?) spoiled by the access to free
museums in DC.  But I'd be interested to hear the experiences of those
museums that take the middle road - "suggested admission."  Do you
keep data on how many people pay the suggested admission versus
how many request a free or reduced button/badge/ticket?  What are the
ramifications (good and bad, financial or attendance-wise) of leaving the
choice to pay up to the consumer?  Do you advocate this policy to other
museums?  And do you plan to stick with it for the forseeable future?   It
always seemed to me to be a good compromise, considering that most
folks (unscientific sample - I'm talking about the people standing in line
around me!) opted to pay full admission regardless.

Nicole M. Bouvier
SITES
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