robjame

France's prime minister announced Tuesday that free access would be tested at a sampling of museums in Paris and other towns. He wants to make art more accessible and noted that several other European nations have made museums free. He said this in his policy speech to parliament.

Fillon also said he wants young people to get a "culture passport" valid nationwide to give them easy access to cultural sites.

ira

>...noted that several other European nations have made museums free.<

As is the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

robjame

ira - Did they ever charge for the Smithsonian? Don't think so

However I do remember being lured into the Postal Museum (entrance fee required) by a large sign outside which said, "Newly discovered Beetles Album".
Upon paying the fee I discovered that it was a stamp album owned by one of the Fab Four as a youngster. Still chuckle to myself about that one.

kerouac

Actually, it was mentioned that basically only Great Britain and the United States have a tradition of free museums.

The city of Paris and some other French cities have made their various municipal museums free.

It is highly doubtful that French taxpayers will tolerate making such national museums as the Louvre and the Orsay free of charge, as 65% of the visitors are foreign. Taxpayers would have to foot the bill to make up the difference, while most museums of the world are NOT free of charge.

The new minister of Culture has already voiced her opposition to the plan. However, she is in favor of varying the price of admission based on the revenue of French visitors.

Since that would be well nigh impossible to work out, it is all just pandering to public opinion as usual, and nothing will come of it.

Travelnut

All the Paris city museums are free, and here is a list in case someone finds this thread later on...

from the Paris Tourist Office site:
* * Free every day, all year round * *

Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
Maison de Balzac
Musée Bible et Terre Sainte
Maison Bourdelle
Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris
Musée Cernuschi
Musée Cognacq-Jay
Musée du Compagnonnage
Musée Curie (Institut du radium)
Musée Jean Moulin
Musée du Parfum-Fragonard/Théâtre musée des Capucines-Fragonard
Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux Arts de la Ville de Paris
Musée de la Préfecture de Police
Maison de Victor Hugo
Musée de la Vie Romantique
Musée Zadkine

flanneruk

Kerouac:

Quite right.

This preposterous fad of getting a country's poor to subsidise the hobbies of the over-educated and the holiday amusements of foreign tourists is one of the most disgraceful misuses of taxpayers' money Britain's current government has foisted on its supporters.

There are hundreds of things France might usefully borrow from Britain (like creating jobs for young French people, understanding why competition works or not having a dickhead Prime Minister insisting the EU tears up its agreements with China). But this isn't one of them.

Is Fillon being set up by Sarko to come out with inanities, or does he just do it because he's an idiot?

BTW, free admission absolutely ISN'T a British tradition. Practically all the great museums and art galleries in Britain charged for entry when first opened - not least to discourage the unwashed from using them for warmth and shelter

janisj

&quot;<i>Actually, it was mentioned that basically only Great Britain and the United States have a tradition of free museums.</i>&quot;

So far from the truth - free museums in the UK are a very recent development. And except for the Smithsonian and afe other exceptions - most museums in the States do charge.