MoMA Raises Admission Prices to $30, Citing Increasing Costs

New York’s Museum of Modern Art is raising its admission prices for adults to $30, joining other museums such as the Guggenheim, the Whitney, SFMOMA, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art as one of the priciest in the United States.

The change is slated to take effect on October 16. The new prices will be $30 for adults, $22 for senior citizens 65 and older, $22 for visitors with disabilities, and $17 for students, with children 16 and under remaining free. Visitors who purchase tickets in advance on the museum’s website will see a $2 decrease on those fees. Film tickets will now be $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, $12 for visitors with disabilities, and $10 for students.

This is the first time the MoMA has raised admission prices since 2011, citing a continued increase in “the cost of operating the Museum,” according to a release. This increase makes MoMA the latest among a larger wave of institutions hiking up admission costs due to financial strain.

“As we carefully prioritize every possible measure to deliver innovative exhibitions, public programs
and strengthen our attendance, revenue, and staffing, these changes in admission prices will help
the Museum maintain financial stability,” said MoMA’s director Glenn D. Lowry in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure that MoMA continues to offer an extraordinary experience to the nearly three million visitors we welcome each year to connect with the art of our time.”

This news comes after a major expansion in fall 2019, followed shortly by pandemic-related closures in spring 2020 from which many institutions have still not recovered.