Museums See Rise in Attendance

By CANDACE JACKSON



When times get tough, Americans apparently take respite in museums.

Museums saw a spike in attendance last year, despite struggling financially, according to the latest data from the American Association of Museums (AAM), an industry trade organization.

AAM estimates that 57% of museums saw a jump in attendance in 2009, compared with recent years. Science and technology museums saw the broadest gains, with 81% reporting an increase, while half of art museums said they saw visitor growth. More than a quarter of the museums that responded to the survey reported "significant" increases in attendance, between 5-20%.

AAM estimates that there were roughly 850 million museum visits in the United States last year.

But bigger crowds didn't necessarily mean a financial windfall for museums. About half reported a decline in total revenue in 2009, according to the survey. And 18% of museums described their financial condition as "very severe."

"In times of financial and emotional stress, Americans are looking for reassurance," said Ford W. Bell, AAM's president. Museums may have also benefited from Americans who decided to skip exotic vacations last year and stay closer to home, according to AAM. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when travel also saw a downturn, museums saw an increase in attendance, too.

Many museums' admissions fees remain free or are relatively inexpensive. Thirty-four percent of museums were free or asked only for a suggested entry fee, down from 41% in 2008, according to AAM. The average price of admission was $7, the same as in 2008.

The survey, conducted in January, was completed by 481 institutions, including art museums, children's museums, history sites, zoos and aquariums.