Americans Continue to Charge a High Dime for Art & Museums

Paris has Le Louvre, London the British Museum, New York, the Met and here in San Francisco, we have the De Young.

While the de Young may be a distant cousin to the others, some really great exhibits come in and out of its doors. King Tut returns: Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs is currently in play.

The story is an interesting one....3,000 years later, you can take a look through 130 outstanding works from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as those of his royal predecessors, his family, and court officials.

A thing that always astounds me (and annoys me) about the states: nowhere else in the world (can't speak to Tokyo since it's the only expensive city I don't have first hand experience with), that charges what it does for art, culture and museums.

Exhibit tickets here are pricey even by American standards: $32.50 a pop excluding the rest of the museum. There were more than a few people who expected to see Tut himself, so remove that expectation before you walk through the doors.

In Europe, the thinking is this: art and culture is so important that we want to make sure anyone and everyone can afford to experience it. We'll subsidize this to encourage attendance and encourage it often.

Because it's so reasonable in other countries and the price isn't a consideration, you may find yourself going back as often as you do a coffee shop or the library.

What don't we value this? Don't answer, I already know why but it's a sad excuse.