The Met to start charging non New Yorker visitors for the first time in 50 years

The world’s largest cultural institution, the Met, has announced that it will be changing its admissions policy for the first time in half a century by charging visitors who are not from New York City $25 entry. As of 1 March 2018, adults living outside of New York will be paying the full $25 admission fee, seniors $17, and students $12. New York residents will continue to pay as they wish, a policy the museum implemented in 1970. The Met has noted that it is assembling an official list of forms of identification that can be used to prove in-state residency. These policy changes come about as the museum seeks a reliable, annual income following rumours of mismanagement and a decline in revenue. Daniel Weiss, the Met’s president and chief executive officer, told The New York Times, “what we’re trying to do is find the right balance in generating revenue to support this enterprise and admissions income has fallen behind.”


The Met’s decision has been controversial. Some have called out the museum for implementing “elitist”, “classist” and “nativist” fees and have pointed out that the museum is situated on public land and supported by tax-payer money. The historic art space responded by releasing this statement on Twitter: “The Met is committed to welcoming all visitors, including undocumented NY residents. The museum has been working with NYC’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to develop policies and practices that ensure we sustain the great diversity of our seven million annual visitors.”