March 07--The Chicago History Museum is asking for an increase of $2 to its admission fee.
The price could go up from $12 to $14 for adults living in Chicago and from $10 to $12 for seniors and students ages 13 to 22. Admission could remain free for children 12 and younger. For nonresidents, prices could increase from $14 to $16 for adults and from $12 to $14 for seniors and students.
If approved by the Chicago Park District board, the proposed increase would take effect April 1. The request will be considered Wednesday for the museum that hosts Chicago's annual birthday celebration along with exhibits, including Vivian Maier's Chicago collection of photographs.
It also houses 22 million artifacts in its collection, including Charlie Chaplin's bamboo cane from 1915 and an alderman's badge from 1891 as part of its Secret Lives of Objects exhibit. The museum, at 1601 N. Clark St. in Lincoln Park, is requesting the increase to the park board because the museum sits on park property.
The museum has not increased its fees in a decade, when it changed its name from the Chicago Historical Society to the Chicago History Museum, said museum President Gary Johnson.
"We've tried to hold it down as long as we could. Over 10 years, costs go up. We reached the point where we felt we needed to raise our tickets," he said.
He pointed to a combination of costs that led to the requested increase: medical costs for its staffers and utility costs such as water fees, which the museum was exempt from paying for in the past. Revenue generated from admissions goes toward annual operational expenses, including staff and maintenance, he said.
Johnson said the museum has tried to keep costs down, be careful about spending and has kept its staffing level roughly the same in the past 10 years at about 100 full-time employees.
Other revenue sources for the museum are money from rentals for special events, donations, membership fees, endowment interest and the subsidy received from the Park District, Johnson said. A percentage of property taxes paid by Chicagoans go to the district, which provides operating subsidies totaling $30 million a year for the 11 museums on park property.
In an annual report for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2015, the history museum stated its attendance was 272,000, representing a 9.2 percent increase. The museum generated $1.5 million in membership dues and admissions, the report showed. Additionally, more than $1.7 million came from the Park District, the report said. The total operating revenue for the museum was $15.3 million, and expenses listed at nearly $12.5 million in the annual report.
Aside from not charging admission for children ages 12 and under, the history museum provides Illinois residents with 52 free days and free admission for school group visits. The free programs have an annual value of $830,000, an amount that would have been collected if admission was charged, Johnson said.
The museum also provides free admission to active military members and veterans and gives a discounted price to individuals with EBT/Link cards, the Park District document said. Chicagoans also get a discounted price compared to nonresidents.
The fee increase request comes two months after higher admission prices went into effect at the Field Museum. Last June, the park board also approved an increase to admission fees for the Art Institute.
lvivanco@tribpub.com
