Museums, zoos and aquariums accept dynamic pricing

How much does it cost to visit a museum, zoo, or aquarium this summer? The answers are increasingly:

John Linehan can use Jigonex, a dynamic pricing contractor in New England, to rattle almost 20 factors that recommend those who charge guests.

“It’s complicated,” said Linehan, president and CEO of operators at two zoos in eastern Massachusetts.

Before adopting dynamic pricing, organizations would change prices seasonally and gradually increase their entry rates. “When we saw that pattern, we were afraid that some families would raise prices,” he said of his previous approach. “I’m a father of four and I know what it’s like.”

Now, Zoo New England’s system offers cheap rates for pre-purchased tickets. That, coupled with participation in the Zoo’s Popular Culture Council’s admissions program for low-income and working families, “returns some control to the hands of consumers,” Reinhan said.

The zoo is one of many attractions that employ a pricing system previously pioneered by airlines, ride apps and theme parks. These practices allow operators to lower prices when demand is soft, but allow the reverse that threatens to narrow down consumers who are increasingly trimming their summer travel budgets.

Prior to the pandemic, less than 1% of attractions surveyed by tourism market research and event company Arival used variable or dynamic pricing. Today, 17% use variable pricing. The price will adjust entry fees based on predictable factors such as the day of the week and season, Arival said. 6% use dynamic pricing. This price uses historical and real-time data on increasing weather, staffing, demand patterns, and impact rates.

The change comes as nearly half of US museums, zoos, Zoos, science centers and similar institutions have fully recovered to pre-Covid attendance rates, according to the Museums Alliance. This led many to pursue new ways to bridge budget gaps and offset increased costs.

“There’s a proverb: ‘There’s no margin, no mission,'” Reinhan said.

Even attractions that do not use pricing technology are also seeing an increase in entry costs. The broad “admission” category of the federal government’s consumer price index, including museum prices along with sports and concert tickets, has risen 3.9% from the previous year, well above the annual inflation rate of 2.4%.

In 2024, the non-profit Monterey Bay Aquarium increased its adult ticket price from $59.95 to $65, and recently increased its individual membership rate, including annual admission, from $95 to $125. “Gate entry from ticket sales is the core operation of the aquarium,” the spokesman said.

The Denver Museum of Art has no plans to test dynamic pricing, but admission fees were raised last fall three years after a $175 million renovation and a survey of ticket prices elsewhere, a spokesperson said. Entry costs ranged from $18 to $22 for Colorado residents and from $22 to $27 for out-of-state visitors. Prices rise during busy times, while in busy times, intrastate and out-of-state visitors will be $25 and $30 respectively. Guests under the age of 19 are always available for free thanks to the sponsored program.

Like many attractions, museums post these prices on their website. However, the open ticket prices for many attractions are responsible for fluctuating. Seattle Aquarium also uses Digonex’s algorithm recommendations for around $10 ahead of opening the new Ocean Pavilion, which raised prices last summer.

For example, during the week of June 8th, Aquarium’s online visit planner, which demonstrates daily relative ticket availability, offered low out-of-state adult admission of $37.95 on the date of that month and $46.95 on the walk-in ticket for the week. In addition to bookings in advance, there will be more than half a dozen other discounts available to certain guests, including seniors and tribes and military personnel, a spokesperson said.

However, many attractions do not offer admission until guests enter a specific day and time they wish to visit.

“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the future,” said Douglas Quinby, CEO Arival. He said prices can quietly rise on days when slots are full and you can get soaked when tickets don’t seem to be moving.

Digonex offers automated, dynamic pricing services to over 70 attractions around the world, providing recommendations the same frequency as every day. According to the spokesman, it’s up to the client to decide how and how they are to implement them. Each algorithm is tailored to your organization’s goals and can explain everything from weather to capacity constraints to even Google Analytics search patterns.

Elizabeth Merritt, vice president of strategic forecasting for the United States Museums Alliance, said data-driven pricing could be a “financial victory for both the public and the museum.” It can reduce overcrowding, she said, but piloted budget-oriented guests towards cheaper, less busy dates.

However, sudden prices for peak and short-term visits may rank guests. They say Stephen Pratt, a professor at Rosen Hospitality Management College at the University of Central Florida, who studies tourism.

“It really needs a great experience because of the high prices,” he said, turning a modest day at the zoo into a big ticket, high stakes outing. “You invested this money into family time, creating memories, and you don’t want the disaster of service.”

It could increase the risk of blowback at many attractions, especially those working to cut the Trump administration this summer. Some historic sites and national parks have already warned that their operations are under pressure.

Consumers should expect more price complexity to come. According to Arival, 16% of attractions implemented and ranked dynamic pricing as their top priority for 2025-26. Of the large attractions serving at least half a million guests a year, 37% prioritize dynamic pricing, up from the 12% they currently use.

For visitors, it may mean hunting harder for cheaper tickets. While many museums are free all year round, other museums offer low prices for off-season visits and pre-booked visits. It is also common to reduce or abandon fees on certain days or times, and many children and seniors often get discount inputs.

Below are some other ways to keep admission costs low.

“It may require a bit of research,” Quinby said. “But it’s still possible to find quite a bit.”