Let’s shake things up this week with a little inspiration and ideation. Free first Sundays and student deals are great but … expected. There’s room to have more fun. We’ve made a list of admission deals that are both marketable and easy for different types of museums to implement.
Use these potential admission promotions as a jumping off point, and start thinking about ways you can get people talking about your museum, both online and in the community.
1. Curator’s Choice
Once a month, have a curator or team member pick a themed admission deal — half-off for anyone wearing a specific color, free entry for anyone who can answer a trivia question, discounted admission for anyone named after a historical figure, etc., etc., etc.
2. Be a Tourist in Your Own City
Because we always overlook attractions in our own backyard. Run a special promo where locals get free or discounted admission with proof of address. Market it as an opportunity to play tourist for a day. This one is ripe for collaboration with other ticketed points of interest in your city as part of a combo deal.
3. The Nostalgia Ticket
Have visitors bring a childhood photo of themselves at a museum (any museum) and show it at the front desk for free entry. We’re tapping into nostalgia here, having people dig through old memories. You might encourage them to share their pics on social media and use a special hashtag.
4. Reverse Tickets
This one requires a literal time stamp. Start with full-price admission on the day of the visit, then offer tiered discounts for the next visit based on time spent. Examples: A one hour stay = 10% off the next visit; three hours = a free drink at the café; all day = a complimentary guest pass for a friend. You’re incentivizing lingering.
5. Wildcard Wednesday
A promo that’s consistent yet never gets stale: Each Wednesday, feature a surprise admission deal that changes weekly. Similar to Curator’s Choice, the sky’s the limit, whether it’s half off for twins, free entry for teachers, or pay what you want for the first hour of the day. The unpredictability of the discounts will get people talking.
6. Breakfast Club
Consider opening early for discounted early-bird admission from 7 – 9 a.m. Market it to morning people looking for a quieter, less crowded experience. You can make something like this more special by including an optional coffee add-on, or partnering with a local bakery to provide pastries (and have them promote the event in their own spaces, too).
7. The Secret Code
Hide a special code on your museum’s website or social media pages. Visitors who find it and mention it at the entrance get discounted or free admission. This kind of easy-to-implement gamification is great for boosting engagement and interaction with your online platforms.
8. Social Media Challenges
Here, your visitors do some of the marketing legwork for you. First, create a hashtag challenge where people complete a small task, like posting a selfie with an item in the collection or making a short video about their visit. People who do it get a ticket discount or a freebie.
9. Golden Hour Specials
For an hour each day (or week), offer a discounted entry fee for those who show up at the right time. Whether it’s early birds, end-of-day visitors, or a random “lucky hour” you announce the day before, it’ll give people a thrill to be the chosen ones.
10. Throwback Prices
Pick a special day to roll back admission prices to what they were the year your museum opened. Related: Throwback pricing doesn’t have to be solely for admission. Decide on a historical year relevant to your museum and set certain prices accordingly. People love novelty pricing, and it’s an easy way to tie a bit of history into the promotion.
11. Costume Discount Day
Let guests dress up for an admission discount. A science museum could do a mad scientist day, an art museum might offer a discount to those dressed as famous paintings, a history museum might reward those dressed as historical figures. Costumes are social media gold.
12. After-Hours Artist Nights
Turn quiet weekday evenings into a haven for creative types. Offer discounted admission to artists and writers who want to sketch or journal in the exhibits. You could even go a step further and create a dedicated area for socializing and sharing work.
13. Second Chance Tickets
Looking to boost repeat attendance? How about offering your visitors a return visit discount if they didn’t get to see everything in one day? Before they leave, allow visitors to buy a discounted ticket that’s valid for another visit within the next month.
14. Flashlight Friday Experience
Turn off the lights and let people explore by flashlight during special evening hours. It won’t do for all museums, of course, but the element of mystery and adventure could be perfect for a science or natural history museum. Charge regular admission or offer a discount for bringing your own flashlight. This is another one that makes for great for social media content.
15. Name of the Day
Each day or week, pick a random set of first names and offer free or discounted admission to visitors with that name. Announce it on Instagram (or your social channel of choice). Your follower count is sure to grow, since folks will want to stay in the know about which names are chosen. One of my local ice cream shops has implemented this one to great success.
A couple things to remember: Your creative admission deals only work if people hear about them. Make sure to share them widely, both before and after — highlight participants, showcase fun responses, and create buzz by teasing announcements (like upcoming Wildcard Wednesday deals). We’re taking cues from the marketing world at large, right? The idea is to make it fun, surprising, and exciting so new visitors will jump on board.
