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President's Message:  Sept - Oct 2007

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"Free Day Revisited"

It was Henry Huntington’s intent to make his estate and collections available to the public, to advance education and research, and to share the beauty of the grounds. For many decades the institution did not charge admission; but this proved unsustainable, as the institution simply wasn’t financially strong enough to provide meaningful services to visitors without charging an entrance fee. The Huntington’s survival ultimately would depend, in part, on its ability to generate revenue to support its operations. One important revenue stream, we realized, was admission.

In 1995 The Huntington asked for, and received, permission from the attorney general of the state of California to begin charging an admission fee to the general public. The attorney general stipulated that one regularly scheduled day of free admission be set aside each month. Thus, in 1996, The Huntington implemented Free Day—on the first Thursday of each month—for visitors who otherwise might not be able to afford to come. Wells Fargo has generously helped to underwrite this endeavor for the past seven years.

By the numbers, anyone might call our Free Day a roaring success. But if you’ve come on such a Thursday, you might say that it has become, perhaps, too successful. On some Free Days there have been as many as 10,000 people on the property, compared to 2,400 on an average Sunday. As a result, the quality of the visitor experience has been severely challenged. The galleries are crowded, the café is overwhelmed, and the quiet tranquility of the gardens is lost. The parking lot is gridlocked, and cars congest the surrounding residential streets. Such crowding is not only unpleasant, it creates safety problems. And yes, without a doubt, it also poses a significant threat to the collections.

Fortunately, we’ve found a solution. Beginning Sept. 6, all non-member visitors will be required to have a ticket for admission on Free Day. By allocating a specific number of free tickets each month, we can continue to make The Huntington accessible to all while keeping visitors and collections safe. Members do not need tickets and are always admitted without charge, but we suggest that Members plan their visits for a different day to help us in our efforts to manage the crowds.

The quality of the visitor experience is important to everyone at The Huntington, from curators to security officers to the maintenance staff. Whether we’re planning exhibitions, leading garden tours, designing education programs, or building new pathways, we always consider how these things impact the public. We all share the common goals of making the Huntington experience an informative and enjoyable one. And we know, for many visitors, that often involves finding special moments of tranquility and reflection, discovering beauty and inspiration in the gardens and the galleries. We will continue to do all we can to enhance that. It’s exactly what Mr. Huntington intended.

For information on how to order Free Day tickets, visit huntington.org or call the ticket agency at 800-838-3006.

Steve Koblik, President