Admission fees to Windsor museum and art gallery pitched

In the near very future, it may cost people money to get a glimpse of Windsor's past.

City staff recommends charging admission to the new Windsor Community Museum, located on the main floor the Art Gallery of Windsor on Riverside Drive.

The recommendation is going before the standing committee on social development health and culture Wednesday.

Adult fees would run $5, it would cost children and seniors $4 and a combined pass to the museum and nearby Adventure Bay water park would cost $16.50.

The fees will help offset the approximate $420,000 in yearly budget expenses for new the location of the Windsor Community Museum.

"I think people do understand there's great value in this new expanded museum and would be willing to pay a very small admission," said Jan Wilson, head of Windsor's parks and rec department.

Admission rates were in part recommended by a group of business students at the University of Windsor's Odette School of Business.

The students looked at what other museums across the province charge.

The students found that "many museums retain free admission in order to be accessible to the entire community."

The group still recommended a fee structure for Windsor, with "up to 12 free-admission days per year dependent on activities taking place within the community."

Baby House still free

The new museum will be the third facility operating under the umbrella of Museum Windsor.

The Francois Baby House is at 254 Pitt St. W. and the Duff-Baby Interpretation Centre is at 221 Mill St. in Sandwich Towne.

Admission to the Francois Baby House has been and will continue to be free.

Hugh Barrett, the volunteer coordinator there, has been preparing for the opening of the new art gallery location.

"It's going to be a major expansion for the museum. We're getting the whole main floor of the art gallery," he said. "So we'll be getting a lot of material out of our storage area and we'll have new exhibits there "

It's not just the Windsor Community Museum calling for admission fees.

The same report says "the AGW is presently re-assessing its fee schedule."

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