I agree with Deb. Actually I lived in Williamsburg for 25 years and know
for a fact that it's pricing structure is of great concern. Nowadays,
selected historic buildings are open for a day's ticket (around $20). The
next day, a different selection of buildings is offered. One could now
easily spend a week learning all there is to learn. CW's sources of income
are varied, as Deb writes -- but in addition to its original Rockefeller
endowments, the foundation is raising millions of dollars a year from the
private sector.
But Colonial Williamsburg also has its specific museums - not
restored/reconstructed historic buildings. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
Folk Art Museum is the oldest, the Dewitt Wallace Galleries (underground),
and an archaeological museum partly underground at the 17th century site of
Wolstenholme Towne near the edge of the James River. These are separate
experiences, typical of museums. Pricing them as "additional" features must
be tricky!
Ross Weeks Jr.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deb Fuller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 10:53 AM
Subject: Re: Studies from entertainment /amusement park industry
> In a message dated Fri, 3 Nov 2000 10:31:16 AM Eastern Standard Time, Ross
> Weeks <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
> << One would think places like Colonial Williamsburg, Winterthur,
Sturbridge,
> etc. are paying very careful attention to a pricing strategy that would
> maximize income without turning off the spigot.
>
> I can only speak for Williamsburg, as that's the only place I have visited
> but I think an institution like that is in a different category than
> traditional museums. Williamsburg is spread out and had a lot more
activities
> and "exhibits" than most traditional museums. And it also has loads of
shops
> and resturants that also contribute to its income. It's very easy to spend
a
> day wandering around Williamsburg because its size and variety.
>
> Your average museum goer would have a hard time spending a day in a
museum,
> unless it was very large like the British museum or the V&A or had a lot
of
> interactives like a large science centre. Thus I think a family will look
at
> the cost of an activity v. the time it takes to do it. They could spend
> $10/person for a few hours of a museum and then have to go do something
else
> or $30/person to spend an entire day at an amusement park, the kids will
be
> exhausted and sleep all night and they only thing the parents will have to
do
> is follow their kids around the amusement park. Having worked with kids,
I'd
> take the amusement park over the museum because it's better value and less
> work for me. (Not the right thing to do mind you but I understand that
some
> days, you just want someone else to entertain the kids. :)
>
> deb
>
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