Many museums charge for admission while others are free. Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?

Many museums charge for admission while others are free. Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?

Many museums require an admission fee despite controversies revolving around the such proposal. I argue that the drawbacks outweigh the potential benefits.

The advantages of charging people for admission are undeniable. The first benefit is that admission charges allow museums to protect their collections better. Due to climate change, natural disasters are happening more and more frequently. By charging for admission, museums can afford to use high-tech methods to minimize the impact of these disasters. Take, for example, with revenue from entrance charges, New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art was able to build an up-to-date flood wall, which protects its works from potential flooding of the river nearby. Secondly, admission charges always mean high quality, and visitors can see the more valuable pieces. The higher fee they afford, the more precious pieces they may see.

There are, however, some disadvantages. Admission charges, in my opinion, could bring about many unintended and negative consequences. Firstly, families with a limited budget may not be able to afford to go to museums. For example, we can imagine a poor mother’s sorrow when she struggles between the desire to take her little daughter to a museum to feel the beauty of masterpieces and the frustration from the prohibitive price. Secondly, once the museum’s admission fee becomes an influential factor, some organizers might deliberately make the fee higher so that extra profits can be guaranteed. Finally, visitors would feel uncomfortable when it is overcrowded, and hence they may not enjoy their visit nor learn from the expositions.

In conclusion, I believe it is a negative trend requiring an admission fee, albeit with some potential advantages.