Children’s museums across the nation are magical, joyful destinations for play, where children can interact with hands-on exhibits and educational programs in ways that address their needs in developmentally-appropriate ways.
While many children’s museums operate with certain free days or discounted programs for families, with a required entry fee or pass otherwise, the Children’s Museums of Tacoma and at JBLM offer Pay As You Will Admission for every family that walks through the doors during all public hours.
Beginning in 2012 with its move to 1501 Pacific Avenue, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma began offering Pay As You Will Admission rather than traditional admission fees. The Children’s Museum of Tacoma is proud to be the first children’s museum in the nation with entry that is solely Pay as you Will, which means that admission to the Museum is entirely donation-based, with each donation helping to fund playful experiences for all of our guests and museum operations.
Before Pay As You Will
Historically, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma has offered free admission through a number of programs, among them being First Fridays Free, Library Passes and Free Market Play days. In 2010, almost 50% of the Museum’s visitors played at the Museum using one of these access programs. One-third of these visitors are low income. When the Museum opened its current facility, Pay As You Will Admission offered a greater capacity to reach more families, engage more children in playful learning and support more parents.
Thank You, Visitors!
We are incredibly grateful for every family that contributes to Pay As You Will admission. Your donations support the Museum and help to keep it accessible for every family in our community. Thank you for making Pay As You Will possible!
