We offer free admission for members, and offer free admission to the general public during August. We have found that free admission for a limited time gives people an impetus to come see the museum. They see it as a bargain they have to follow up on before it expires. When we started this program we were surprised to discover that although they aren't charged anything for their visit, many of them usually leave a donation, so that by the end of the month, we have made just about what we would have made if we had charged, and we've definitely had more visitors in a month that's typically slow. 

We adhere to the philosophy that if your museum is free, people won't see it as having worth. Don't be afraid to tweak, but make sure to give every experiment time to work.

We also include as member benefits a 10% discount in our shop, and free admission to various events.

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jessica Hougen
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2016 2:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Membership Programs at Free Museums

I am the new Director at a small county history museum. We do not charge admission to our Museum. We're beginning to look at revamping our Membership Program, as the numbers have gone down consistently over the last five years. I would love to hear from institutions that are free to all and have a successful membership program. What perks does your program offer? What do you entice people with without the 'free admission for a year' hook that is so standard for memberships?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

Jessica Hougen
Director/Curator
Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County

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