The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association board approved a $4 increase on admission fees for the museum.
The hike, which kicks in July 1, is across the board, but active duty military and their families, and seniors continue to get a discounted rate. Admission tickets will cost $9 for adults and $7 for the discounted rate and kids 5-12 will cost $4. Admission is free for children 4 and younger and members.
The price of annual memberships, both individual, $50, and family, $100, will remain unchanged. In addition to free admission, members also enjoy a 10% discount in the museum store and discounts on special events such as the Aerial Inspirations by Mary Edna Fraser art exhibition.
Museum President George Hill noted that the admission fee has been the same since it was established in 2013 after the museum was removed as a federally funded naval history museum due to government budget cuts.
“We have felt it’s been our responsibility over these years to make an increase in our fees our last resort,” Hill said. The board also approved four days throughout the year, to be determined later, that the museum will be free to the public, Hill noted.
In addition to admission fees, the museum generates revenue from renting its space for events, securing private donations and collecting membership fees.
The increase will help cover the costs of running the museum, which has grown with the completion and staffing of the new iconic building. Guests will also see an improvement in the quality of newly installed exhibits and continual renovations of existing displays, including the more than 30 aircraft within the museum complex.
For more information on the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, please visit www.paxmuseum.org or @paxmuseum on social media.