Title
AUTHORIZATION TO CHANGE THE GENERAL ADMISSION FEE FOR THE FIELD MUSEUM
Body
To: The Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District
I. Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board of Commissioners adopt an order authorizing an increase in the general admission fees for the Field Museum. The proposed general admission fee increase is to take effect upon approval of the Park District Board. The museum has not increased its fees for Chicago residents since 2018.
II. Explanation
The proposed general admission fee increase is necessary to offset the unforeseen financial impact of the pandemic and rising inflation that has caused increased operating costs in areas such as utilities, wages and healthcare.
The Field Museum has over 40 million cultural items and scientific specimens in their anthropology, botany, geology and zoology collections. The Museum currently employs over 400 people with an expectation to increase the number of employees in 2023. Many of those employees work behind the scenes conducting original research using the Museum's collections and laboratories and in addition, undertake fieldwork around the world. They also provide training and mentoring opportunities for students many of them are from schools in Chicago.
In 2019, visitors from over 114 countries visited the Field museum which had a total of 1.3 million attendees. More than 90% of the Museum's public space is accessible to visitors for the price of basic admission, and the Museum regularly offers free and fee-based special exhibits. The exhibitions and learning programs connect audiences with nature and diverse cultures. Attendance in 2020 and 2021 was well below average at approximately 317,000 and 752,000 visitors, respectively.
The Field Museum despite budgetary challenges has maintained its educational partnerships with the students and teachers of Chicago as well as the entire State of Illinois. In 2019, the Museum hosted 123,000 teacher...
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