One dollar doesn’t go a long way these days, but the Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News is looking to change that by offering admission for just a buck.
Beginning on November 17, guests will be admitted to the park for $1. This fee will remain for all time.
In an effort to make its extensive maritime history collections and experiences more accessible, the Museum offered $1 admission for the past three summers and saw a 200% increase in visitation throughout the season. Now, it wants to do the same year-round.
Mariners’ Museum and Park President and CEO Howard Hoege says that the new “forever” entry fee will make it much easier for all visitors to share in the maritime heritage celebrated at the Museum. “We take our mission very seriously, and I am incredibly proud to be at an institution whose board, staff, volunteers, and supporters have so completely embraced eliminating the barrier to entry to our Museum,” he says.
Hoege says the $1 admission has brought a more diverse group of visitors, and tripled the number of children to the museum.
In addition to a number of free programs and activities included with admission, the Museum will hold scheduled “Maritime Mondays,” during which kids can enjoy stories and crafts. From 9 to 11 a.m. on the second Sunday of each month (beginning December 9), “Friendly Hours” will offer an opportunity for “guests with mobility, cognitive, or physical challenges” to “experience the Museum in a less crowded environment with reduced sound and lighting,” the Museum explains.
For more information about the Mariner’s Museum, click here.
–Laura Adams Boycourt
