MMA Generates $944 Million for NY

The Metropolitan Museum of Art produced an economic impact of $944 million for New York City and State from January 1 to November 20, 2007.

The results of an audience survey released on December 3, 2007 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art indicate that national, regional and foreign visitors to its redesigned and reinstalled permanent Greek and Roman Galleries produced a $567 million impact on New York City and New York State. The period covered by the study is from the galleries' opening on April 20 through November 20, 2007.

The Met's two-story space for Greek, Roman and Hellenistic art, expanded over 15 years, cost the Museum $218 million in capital spending. The galleries attracted 764,000 visitors during the study's seven months. That's an average of 4000 people having visited the new installation from Tuesdays through Sundays. These same tourists spent $232 million on food, lodging, shopping and entertainment.

The Museum did not benefit directly from the $567 million financial impact because it maintains a pay-as-you wish admission policy and does not charge separately for its special exhibitions.

Combined with another audience survey conducted in Spring 2007 while the special exhibitions Americans in Paris, 1860-1900 and Cézanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde ran concurrently, The Metropolitan Museum of Art's statistics reveal that it was responsible for an economic impact of $944 million from January 1 through November 20, 2007.

It will be interesting to see if The Met conducted a similar audience study during the Broadway stagehands' recent strike.