D.C.'s Newseum Will Shut Its Doors Tuesday for good

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/newseum-will-shut-its-doors-tuesday/2194298/



Published at 6:57 am on December 30, 2019

The Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue NW will shut its doors for the final time Tuesday.

The museum, which is dedicated to the First Amendment, has seen 850,000 visitors every year. But with general admission set at nearly $25 for adults and nearly $15 for kids, the Newseum has struggled to compete with free museums in the District.

All of the Newseum's historic artifacts, including the huge facade, will go into storage. The Freedom Forum, the Newseum's primary funder and creator, hopes to reopen it at another location but has not announced a plan.

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I visited it 4-5 years ago. While it has many fascinating artifacts, the $20+ ticket price was too steep, IMO.

[dewsgirl]

1. This makes me so sad.😥

[TygrBright]

2. The "Freedom Forum" has always been a grift.

It's been a way for various media industry oligarchs to supply family members with overpaid jobs, while enabling asset-hiding and tax-gaming via abusing their nonprofit status.

Not a huge loss, IMHO.

indifferently,
Bright

[uncle ray]

3. the price turned me off.

most other places to visit in DC are much cheaper or free, relegating the Newseum to the "maybe next time" list.

[NurseJackie]

4. I enjoyed it. I also liked the International Spy Museum.

https://www.spymuseum.org/

[PCIntern]

8. Yes!!!!

I was surprised how interesting it is

[NurseJackie]

9. Whenever we have out-of-town guests, the Spy Museum is one of the spots we recommend.

I haven't yet visited the Holocaust Museum... I just don't have the heart. I know what it would do to me. Even as I sit here, I get misty as I wonder what I'd do if a visiting guest wanted to go there. Would I go with? I don't know.

[jmowreader]

11. You should also visit the National Cryptologic Museum

https://www.nsa.gov/about/cryptologic-heritage/museum/

This is NSA's museum. It's open to the public.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. I enjoyed my visit there. sad for its closing...

[mcar]

6. I'm sorry I never got there

[appalachiablue]

7. So many museums & sites in DC are competing for visitors.

Many visitors, esp. families with kids only have so many days and so much $ to try to do a decent job as tourists.

I'm sorry to see the Newseum go and hope it continues successfully I another place.

[dsc]

10. I didn't realize they charged

that was suicidal in DC. Way too many free and very low priced museums in DC for someone to get away with charging $25.

[NurseJackie]

13. I wonder if they should have lowered their admission fee and tried for more visitors instead.

Seems like ever-increasing ticket prices is the riskiest solution to a cash shortfall. Sad that it is going away.

I wonder if the cost of admission was their only source of funding. I wonder if they considered corporate sponsorship.

[cally]

12. Truly sad to lose memorial wall honoring journalists killed

Too many die trying to expose corruption. Most media are freelancers and barely make ends meet. Some lose their lives. I sat and looked at all those names and photos and honored all those who fight for truth and justice.

I also could have spent weeks looking at historical archives of important papers

Very sad it’s closing

[Wednesdays]

14. Well, the Museum of the Bible is still open

People can just go there instead.

[Xolodno]

15. I shelled out a lot more...

...to see Michelangelo's Dave..I mean David. And there wasn't too much to see after all of that.

With that said, poor choice of venue. That's like opening an art museum next to the Louvre or Orsay. Yeah, the analytics may show a huge traffic pattern of museum goers...but, should have looked at market saturation. Think New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, etc. could have been much better alternatives.