Balboa Park Museum Offers “Pay What You Wish” Program

How much would you pay to visit a local museum? Well, the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) in Balboa Park is letting visitors decide what their cost of admission should be.

The museum is the only one in Balboa Park – and in Southern California – to launch a “Pay What You Wish” program.

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, visitors can choose their own admission price with a voluntary contribution to the museum. The “Pay What You Wish” admission includes access to MOPA’s current exhibitions, including the multimedia exhibit, “7 billion others.”

“Pay What You Wish” will run through Aug. 28 thanks to a grant supported by The Parker Foundation. It will then be further evaluated to determine if it will become a regular program.

This special program follows a renovation of MOPA, which included the installation of a new gallery and
store. The program also runs during Balboa Park’s centennial celebration.

“We think the Pay What You Wish program, like the work we do around accessibility and comfort, is a way of opening opportunities for visitors to engage with us,” said Joaquin Ortiz, MOPA Director of Education and Innovation in a press release.

“Our hope is to show the positive benefits of the program and to offer it in the future to make the museum a more inclusive place for the people of San Diego,” he added.

MOPA and the museum store are open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Normally, admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and retired military and $6 for students. Admission is free for MOPA Members, active military with ID and children age 12 and under. Also, entry is free to San Diego County residents the second Tuesday of every month.

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