State Museum Deals with Budget Cuts

In a move to deal with budget cuts which have affected all state agencies, the South Carolina State Museum has announced a number of money-saving measures, including a mandatory nine-day furlough for employees, leaving vacant all open full-time positions and an increase in ticket prices.

All full-time employees will be furloughed during the next five months, and children’s tickets will be excluded from the price increase. S.C. school groups with advance reservations will continue to be admitted at no charge.

Effective Jan. 19, adult admission will be $7, an increase of $2. Seniors 62 and up will pay $5, a $1 increase. Admission for children ages 3-12 will remain at $3, and those under three years of age will be admitted free. The museum has not increased prices since 2002, the only increase since it opened 20 years ago.

“Even with the increase, the museum is still a great bargain for entertainment and cultural recreation,” added Executive Director William Calloway.

In addition to these steps, the museum has reduced funding for part time staff; reduced state marketing funds; frozen most travel and closed an off-site storage facility.

Despite the economic difficulties, Calloway remained positive. “While the state portion of our operating budget has been reduced, we have an opportunity to develop new product and marketing concepts that will generate increased attendance and new earned revenues that we can then use to fund some of our previous state funded expenditures,” he said.

“These decisions were difficult to make, but under the present economic circumstances, the underlying health of the institution had to be our primary concern,” said Calloway.
“The State Museum is committed to continuing to offer South Carolinians and their visitors a wide variety of exhibits and programs to demonstrate and celebrate the rich culture of our state.”