Field Museum Proposes Admission Hike

The proposal reportedly aims to raise ticket prices in January from $1 to $4

Chicago’s Field Museum could soon raise its general admission fees if a new proposal is approved by the Chicago Park District.

The proposal aims to raise ticket prices in January from $1 to $4, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Fees for Chicago adults would reportedly jump from $13 to $17, fees for seniors and students would increase from $10 to $11 and fees for children ages 3 to 11 would increase from $8 to $9.
Nonresidents would also have to pay $2 more, the Tribune reported.

The museum is known for displays such as Sue, the Tyrannosaurus rex. It's also one of the world's pre-eminent research centers, with a 25 million-piece collection of plants and animals used to examine everything from genetics to climate change.

But the museum has also faced budget woes in recent years.

In 2013, the museum was forced to cut its research staff and eventually its budget by $5 million. More cuts were also reportedly made this year, with four exhibitions department employees laid off last month and 17 other employees not having contracts renewed after early 2016.

According to the Tribune, the museum wrote in a letter to Park District officials that the increased admission feed “will help allow the museum to continue to provide world-class experience for guests of all ages.”

The Park District board will need to approve the admission changes because the museum sits on park-owned land.  

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