Berkshire Museum Calls Museums for All Program a Success

PITTSFIELD — In its first year, the Museums for All program has been a success at the Berkshire Museum, with more than 800 visitors participating. Initiated in September 2015, Museums for All, a signature access program of the Assoc. of Children’s Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, enables low-income families (two adults and two children) to visit the Berkshire Museum free with the presentation of an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card.

The program is designed to encourage families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Berkshire Museum’s participation in this program is funded by the TD Charitable Foundation.

“Adopting the Museums for All and other programs to remove financial access as a barrier to participation is part of a concerted effort to open our doors to ever-larger numbers of people,” said Van Shields, Berkshire Museum’s executive director. “In addition to providing opportunities for more people to benefit from our programs, we are also providing opportunities for more people to connect with each other who might not otherwise do so. We believe that strengthens our social fabric, which is why our mission statement includes a commitment to bring people together.”

Since September 2015, a total of 812 visitors — 503 adults and 309 children — have used the Museums for All program to visit the Berkshire Museum. That’s an average of three people per day, nearly 100 per month. Since the inception of the program, each month has seen an increase in participation over the previous month; in May, 153 visitors used the program to gain access to the museum’s exhibitions and programs.