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California Science Center Could Start Charging Visitors

Dan Watson |
February 14, 2011 | 12:04 a.m. PST

Senior Staff Reporter

The Science Center sits in Exposition Park just behind the Rose Garden. (Creative Commons)
The Science Center sits in Exposition Park just behind the Rose Garden. (Creative Commons)
Visitors may soon have to pay to get into Los Angeles’ renowned California Science Center.

Two proposals are on the table in Sacramento this budget season: one to cut $3.7 million from the Science Center's allowance, and another to let it charge admission to offset those cuts.

Currently, the Exposition Park museum, which neighbors the University of Southern California, does not charge for entrance, instead relying largely on state funds, donations and fees for special exhibits. But all that could change soon, leaving some families and school groups wondering whether they could afford the new fees.

The Science Center fought off a similar proposal in 2005 and again in January of last year. Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed to cut $12 million to the museum, and considered adding an admission fee modeled after that for the San Francisco Exploratorium, which charges $15, according to a story by the Daily Trojan.

On this year’s proposal, museum staff declined to comment while the State Legislature debates the issue.

Wei-Hsin Sun, the director of the National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan, walked the halls of the Science Center with a camera in hand last Wednesday.

His filming, for documentation and study, included one of the more unique exhibits at the museum: “Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear.”

“I want to see if we can establish collaboration with the museum here, so we’ll have similar things in Taiwan,” he said.

His trip to America included a stop in Boston, where, along the Charles River, sits the Museum of Science.

“In Boston, the general admission is $20,” he said. “In general, people are not really bothered, from my personal point of view, with anything under 10 bucks.”

Like the Science Center, the Boston Museum of Science sees 1.5 million people walk through its doors annually. Sun’s museum sees 3 million.

“We have a pretty low fare to begin with,” he said. “Our general admission is only 100 national Taiwan dollars, which is 3 U.S. dollars. You pay extra to get into the IMAX and other 3D theaters.”

At Sun’s museum, 20 percent of the income comes from tickets sales, and 80 percent from the government budget, he said.

 “It’s a pity to know California is going to cut the budget here," he said. "From what I’ve learned from the Boston museum, most museums do charge.”

While most museums do charge, it is the very fact that the Science Center does not charge that draws some people through its turnstiles.

“That would cut the throat of the Science Center,” said Michael, a museum-goer who choose not to give his last name.

Michael has come to the center with his daughter “half a dozen times,” he said, and travels an hour from Canoga Park, in large part, because of the free admission.

“It’s hard to get someone to pay 5 bucks to learn stuff,” he said. “Unless you’re going to college, this is a really nice way to introduce kids to things. I don’t see most people going to this, I see them going to a movie.”

Richard, who joined Michael and his daughter, agreed. He brings his own daughter to the museum.

“They are penalizing us families here (if they charge),” Richard said, also choosing not to give his last name.

Disagreeing was Raymond Jackson, of South Central Los Angeles, another father who brought his daughter to the museum on Wednesday.

“It’s one of my favorite place to come,” he said, looking to his daughter at his side before correcting himself. “OUR favorite place to come.”

The Science Museum is his favorite museum in Los Angles “because there’s so much to offer here. The African American History Museum, the National History Museum, the Rose Garden. It’s beauty within our community,” he said.

If the museum charged admission, he would still come with his daughter.

More than 300,000 school children come to the California Science Museum each year.

In charge of more than 27 school children on Wednesday was Christian Ruiz, of the International Center for Sports and Education after-school program. An admission fee would, most likely, keep them from coming, he said. There would be plenty more groups shut out, he predicted.

“It’s technically not free, but when you have a group like we have today of 74, we only have to pay about 25 dollars, and they let everyone in,” he said.  “It’s way cheap and the kids like it."

However, Greg Nickerson, who oversaw his own group of 44 junior high students exploring the museum, disagreed.

His seventh graders from Flowing Wells Junior High in Tucson, Az., are on a “science trip.”

“We would still come,” he said if the center charged admission. “In Arizona, there are tax credits. Parents get up to $400 for public school and use that money on trips.”

For 30 years, his school has made the annual trip, coming to California for the coast. Each of the museums his group has been to, including the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, has charged admission. Of the California Science Center, “they probably should,” he said.

To reach Dan Watson, click here. Follow him on Twitter @danwatson7.



 

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