Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Heritage Center Admission & Program Fees G�� OF Dpi 19 M•••�AI 3) AGENDA STATEMENT ��� HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION LIFOR MEETING DATE: April 13, 2006 SUBJECT: Heritage Center Admission and Program Fees Report Prepared by Elizabeth Isles, Heritage Center Director ATTACHMENTS: 1. Excerpt from Museum Assessment Program (MAP)Report 2. California State Board of Education History-Social Science 3. Survey of Similar Museums RECOMMENDATION: Receive presentation and recommend approval of the Fee Schedule to the City Council or provide direction to Staff FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Estimated Revenue of$2100 for Fiscal 2006-07 DESCRIPTION: The Dublin Heritage Center is expected to reopen to the public in June, 2006. The Journey,the new permanent exhibit at the Murray School Museum, will provide visitors with a variety of enriching and interactive exhibits. The reopening is an appropriate time to evaluate policy on admission fees. BACKGROUND: The following details the types of programs offered at the Heritage Center and Staff's recommendations on admission fees based on Industry Standards and information provided as part of the Museum Assessment Program(MAP) • GENERAL ADMISSION Current: Free admission to individuals during regular museum hours 1. Staff conducted a study of fees for similar museums in the region as shown in Attachment 3. Average admission is $1.45 for adults and $.45 for youth. The Dublin Heritage Center is below average with free general admission. 2. The Dublin Heritage Center has been involved in the Museum Assessment Program through the American Association of Museums and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. This thorough examination of the Museum's administration and operations included a self study and peer review. The Heritage Center's admission fees were addressed by the Peer Reviewer, Mr. James DeMersman. In the first draft of his most recent report, Mr. DeMersman has recommended that the Heritage Center not charge general admission(Attachment 1) COPIES TO: ITEM NO.: 8.1 G:\HERITAGE COMMISSION\AGENDA_STMTS\2006\4-13-Heritage Center School and Group Tour Fees(3).doc 3. Since its beginning, admission to the Dublin Heritage Center has been free of charge and the City of Dublin has strongly endorsed this. In the past, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and City Council have expressed a willingness to continue to provide the public with free admission. 4. The Exhibit Designer has designed an attractive "Donation Box" that will be placed at the summation of the exhibit. Visitors may optionally donate to the Dublin Heritage Center. Based on the information provided, Staff Recommends the City continue to offer free admission to individuals during regular Museum hours. NEW PROGRAMS EDUCATION FOR YOUTH: The installation of the new permanent exhibit, The Journey will result in a new floor space and lay-out that will not accommodate a full school class size in the Schoolhouse. Classes will be broken up into smaller groups to go through the Museum. To allow for this change, Old. St. Raymond's Church now becomes the ideal Visitor's Center. Visitors, gathered at the church, will be able to view a short orientation video, generously produced by the Dublin Historic Preservation Association (DHPA). The school class will then be broken into small groups; some going to view the Museum, while others remain at the Visitor's Center. The groups remaining in the church will explore "Hands-On History". Each group will receive a container and be asked to explore the items. The containers are designed to help develop critical thinking skills by asking the students to identify; "Who owned these things?", "What were their day-to-day lives like?", and "What cultures were they from?" There will be four containers provided: 1. Native American — basket containing assorted plant materials, furs, bone implements, laminated pictures and a short Ohlone story. 2. Spanish — basket containing corn, tomatoes, a Latin Bible, weavings, laminated pictures and a letter from a Spanish/Mexican Ranchero. 3. Settler— trunk containing a bonnet, handwork, a McGuffy reader, laminated pictures and a letter from Irish immigrant girl. 4. Ranchers — pack bag containing beans, branding iron, cowboy hat, bandana, laminated pictures and cowboy poem. The groups will trade off between facilities and visit the museum, where they will receive a docent guided tour of The Journey . The Journey addresses the California State School Curriculum in the following areas: 1. Immigration to America 2. American Indian 3. Spanish&Mexican Periods 4. Westward Expansion 5. Changes in day-to-day life 6. Dublin's cultural diversity Students will 'receive The Dublin Gazette, an educational activity sheet that looks like an old time newspaper. The program will attempt to make history fun, so that young people will want to return to museums and become life-long learners. It will use local history to illustrate text book learning. The end goal is for students to know that the Heritage Center is an accessible and lively place to explore and learn something new and interesting. 2 PROPOSED FEES- YOUTH PROGRAM: Costs associated with the youth school tour program include the printing of the Dublin Gazette and staff time in coordinating the program. Staff has assembled hands-on containers using inexpensive reproductions. Operation of the school program will involve coordinating with teachers, scheduling adequate staff and or volunteers, sending out confirmations, materials preparations, and staff time to run the program while on site. In the past, the Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission has not been in favor of charging for school and group tours. However, based on the additional amenities and enhanced educational elements that will now be offered to participants, and the fact that school tour fees for the Heritage Center were also recommended by the Peer Reviewer during the recent Museum Assessment Program report, Staff feels that fees for tours would now be appropriate. Local museums offering comparable school programs charge an average of$4 per student. Dublin school teachers polled said that a small fee would not deter them from bringing classes to the museum and were not opposed to a possible fee per student. A small program fee can produce positive effects. A minimal fee will raise visitor's level of expectation and encourage more active learning. A small fee will also reduce the number of cancellations and a more orderly coordination by the schools in the program operation. Staff recommends the following fee structure: $2.00 per person for public,private and home school groups from "within"the Dublin School District. $4.00 per person for public, private and home school groups from"outside"the Dublin School District. ADULT GROUP TOURS: For profit tour operators regularly visit the Dublin'Heritage Center. These companies charter a bus and bring in large groups for a profit. Non-profit organizations also bring in tours. With the new permanent exhibit, it is expected that this kind of tourism will increase. The goal: to make the Heritage Center accessible and to provide excellent customer service, can be met by having a simple program in place. Not charging an admission fee for tours can result in a chaotic situation with groups arriving during regular hours. A small fee can facilitate a more efficient operation, increase tourism, and result in a more positive visit. PROPOSED FEE-ADULT GROUP TOURS: Staff recommends the following fee structure: $1.00 per person"non-profit"groups. $4.00 per person for"profit"groups. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission receive the presentation and recommend approval of the Fee Schedule to the City Council or provide direction to Staff. 3 • • Excerpt from Musum Assessment Program(MAP) report (pertaining to fees): We had a good discussion about admission fees. There is a trend in the field particularly in the Bay Area to move away from admission fees. Organizations like History San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Art and the Hayward Area Historical Society&Museums have done away with admission fees to their museum facilities. Several have successfully approached corporate sponsors to underwrite that cost with a gift. I would strongly suggest some further discussion about an admission fee to the new space. Demographically Dublin may be in a different camp than some others in the Bay Area economic situation, but what a great community service to be able to open your doors to the public for free. As was suggested during the recent keynote address at the California Association of Museums meeting- Why are we charging people to see THEIR history? Now, that is not to say that I would not charge for school group tours, adult group tours, and the educational kits that go to the schools. At HAHS, we do charge, even if it is a nominal fee, mostly because of the amount of staff time that goes into managing these programs. Again you might be able to find a corporate sponsor even to underwrite these fees and so much the better. We have not had that kind of luck yet. From the MAP Report—DRAFT: Jim DeMersman Hayward Area Historical Society February, 2006 ATTACHMENT 1. California State Board of Education History-Social Science Content Standards: 3.2 Students describe the American Indian nations in their local region long ago and in the recent past 3.3 Students draw from historical and community resources to organize the sequence of local historical events and describe how each period of settlement left its mark on the land. 4.2 Students describe the social,political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods. 4.3 Students explain the economic, social, and political life in California from the establishment of the Bear Flag Republic through the Mexican-American War,the Gold Rush, and the granting of statehood. 4.4 Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power,tracing the transformation of the California economy and its political and cultural development since the 1850s. ATTACHMENT 2. Dublin Heritage Center— Survey of Similar Museums Name .Feesschool . Gen'Admission Administration ": Address Hours Hrs p/wk' ° ° ,tours E ; fee , >4, , - ' , ' , ,,, , , Forest Homes Farm $4 per student Grounds only—no City San Ramon 19953 San Ramon Vly Bld San No reg hours 0 tours yet Ramon Museum of San Ramon Valley $4 per student Donation Non profit Org Railroad and Prospect Ave Tues-Fri 1-4 15 Beverly Lane 837-3750 Danville Sat 10-1 Tao House, NHS n/a free National Parks PO Box 280 Danville 94556 Wed-Sun 10 or 4 System 12:30 Patterson House at $1 per student $2 adults$1 youth City of Fremont 34600 Ardenwood Blvd Fremont 1-4 Thurs-Sun 12 Ardenwood 510-791-4196 To enter grounds Closed winter Borges Ranch Ranger $75 per class Grounds free City of Walnut 1035 Castle Rock Walnut Creek 4`h Sun each month .25 Dan Bylin, 925-942-0225 Creek at 2 p.m. John Muir NHS n/a $3 adults National Parks Alhambra Ave, Martinez Weds-Sun 35 228-8860 16 under free System 10-5 Ainsley House $2 per student $6 adults City of Campbell 300 Grant Street Campbell Thurs—Sun 12-4 16 Campbell Hist Museum $4. seniors Clsd Dec.-March 408)866-2119 $2.50 youth Hayward Museum $1 per student Free Non profit Org 22710 Main St Tues-Sat 11-4 25 Hayward Shadelands Museum $1 per student $3 adults Non Profit Org 2660 Ygnacio Valley Weds,Thurs,Sun 15 Priscilla Couden $1 youth Walnut Creek 1-4 925-935-7871 History San Jose $7-2 hr Free Admission* Non-profit Org 1650 Senter Rd San Jose Sat Sun 12-3 6 Kelly Park $4-1 hr City of San Jose (408)993-8300 Blackhawk Museum n/a $8 adults Non Profit Org 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle Weds-Sun 10-5 $5 outh/Srs Dan, CA 94506 These are(not klisfo� 4 ° �_ V �a x . °. , . . , . .. ......x , . Museums but Children's' ° °. P. . Habitot* $5 adults Non-profit 2065.Kittredge St 9:30-1:00 M-F 29 $6 child Berkeley, CA 94704 10-5 S+S Bay Area Discovery Museum $8.50 adults East Fort Baker Tues-Sun 10-4 42 7.50 children 557 McReynolds Rd Sausalito, CA 94965-2614 Children's Discovery Museum $7 Adults Non-profit 180 Woz Way 10-5 Tues-Sun 42 $7 Children San Jose, CA 95110 $6 Seniors ATTACHMENT 3.