We’ve spoken at length about how important museum memberships are to support the Arts and to partake of the associated benefits. But lately, this position has been tested.
We are proud members of Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM). Membership to this museum allows you to visit ASTC museums for free, or dramatically reduced rates. But there is fine print that we didn’t understand until recently (not the fault of MPM).
If participating museums are within 90 miles of each other, they are “excluded from the Program unless this exclusion is lifted by mutual agreement.” And to further exacerbate you, “90 miles is measured ‘as the crow flies’ and not by driving distance.” But wait, there is more: this rule is “based on your museum’s location,” – the spot where you have membership. The description then goes on to explain that “based on residence, you must live more than 90 miles away ‘as the crow flies’ from the museum you wish to visit.”
I’m sure you are as confused as we were when trying to comprehend the rules? See this hyperlink to help you!
Now, since we assume you aren’t a crow, and since you can’t use googlemaps to confirm distance, how on earth do you figure out if you are within 90 miles? Shame on ASTC for adding such ridiculous restrictions when they claim to “promote equity and diversity by providing members with resources and tools to increase the number of individuals from underrepresented and/or underserved groups who visit and work in museums.”
We understand that museums rely, in great part, on their admission fees to continue their programs. But at the end of the day, we would be quite surprised to see that the admission of ASTC members really breaks any museum’s bottom line. We encourage them to lift the restriction. It is absurd.
Are we not supposed to be neighborly? Or are our goals not to encourage visitation, education, and the spread of favorable reviews by visitors? Most people looking for free or discounted admission aren’t doing so just to “mess with the system.” These are families, or lower income people that can’t afford the typically outrageous admission costs; i.e. the target audience of the ASTC mission . For example, to visit Discovery World in Milwaukee, our family would have to pay $60 for the day. This does not include gas from Madison, food, or parking.
And if you are going to enforce the 90 mile rule, rather than lifting the exclusion, be forthright about it. Put a list of museums that you will not honor on your website. We have visited Discovery World twice in the past 2 years without any trouble. Until just recently when someone decided that they would be the mighty enforcer of the “as the crow flies” and subsequently ruined our weekend plans.
Of course, if you go to Discovery World’s site, they encourage you to become members to enjoy the benefits of ASTC. But these benefits are minimal if they only apply to people that are able to drive two hours, and afford the associated costs, to get to a museum for the day.
Our only advice would be to become a member to a museum with caution and always call ahead to the place that you plan to visit. Then take notes on who you speak with, as there seems to be nothing but confusion about how to enforce the ASTC policy.
We hope that the ASTC and their member museums will see the value of increased museum attendance vs. trying to squeeze additional entry fees from the people least able to afford it.
Dear Thrifty Ramblers,
Thank you very much for supporting the Milwaukee Public Museum. I regret to learn about your disappointment with ASTC’s reciprocal free admission program.
The name ASTC Travel Passport Program reflects ASTC’s intention to reward families that support their local science center or museum by giving them a benefit they can use while traveling or visiting out-of-state friends or relatives.
The program rules are complicated—-here is the skinny on the fine print:
Passport Program-participating science centers and museum located within 90 miles of each other are excluded from the program unless that exclusion is lifted by mutual agreement. The science centers and museums signing a local agreement are responsible for the agreement’s terms and administration. ASTC does not require or participate in these agreements, or dictate their terms. This rule, put in place to comply with United States Free-Market rules and fair trade regulations, has been in effect since 1999.
Restrictions based on local residency were introduced in 2006 to close the following loophole: People discovered that they could search online for the ASTC member museum that offered the cheapest membership with Travel Passport benefits, then join that museum and visit their local institutions for free. Passport sites that check IDs are marked on the Passport Program participants’ list. We at ASTC encourage the general public to support their local institutions.
It is our hope that you will continue to support your local institutions and visit the more than 340 science centers and museums participating in the Passport Program when traveling beyond the greater Milwaukee area. Be sure to call and confirm your Passport benefits before visiting.
Kind regards and safe travels,
Diane Frendak
ASTC Membership Director