>I too would bet that the entertainment and amusement park industries have
>done studies about raising and lowering prices-in order to arrive at the
>optimum fee for the most profit.  But do you really think such studies would
>be useful in helping a non-profit museum decide on "free vs. fee"?  If I
>recall correctly, that was the original issue.

The results of the studies would not likely be useful.  The process
used to find the most profitable determination might be very
interesting.

"Profit" in the museum world is much more difficult to assess.  Raw
visitation is not necessarily maximum impact.  And the perceived
value of "free" can be a negative incentive.

I do know there is academic research into the pricing of
"attractions"--a professor who specializes in such studies visited
Mystic Seaport several years ago.  She was particularly interesting
when discussing the role perception plays in people's decisions about
what makes an admission price a good value.

--

Guy Hermann
---------------------------------
Verner Johnson & Associates
Museum Architects & Planners
http://www.vernerjohnson.com
Boston, Massachusetts
voice: 617-437-6262
    fax: 617-437-1272

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