Earlier this week, the William Penn Foundation announced major grants totaling $7.6 million to support museum access for low-income families and people with disabilities.
The grants are available to six specific organizations based on the number of ACCESS visitors each organization receives in the 2024-25 fiscal year. (The ACCESS card allows people who receive public assistance or are identified as disabled to receive deeply discounted admission to participating cultural institutions, of which there are nearly 100 in the Philadelphia area.)
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The following organizations will receive grants from the William Penn Foundation: Academy of Natural Sciences, Franklin Institute, Morris Arboretum and Gardens, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Zoo, and Please Touch Museum. As part of this series of grants, Art-Reach, the organization that manages the ACCESS programme, has also received financial support.
“ACCESS was founded 11 years ago by Philadelphia residents who rely on SNAP and Medicaid benefits. Since then, it has been embraced by the cultural sector and has grown into one of the most effective equity programs in the country,” Art-Reach Executive Director John Orr said in a statement.
The Philadelphia Zoo joins the ACCESS program in February 2025, and pass holders can purchase tickets for $2 (admission is $22 for adults and $19 for children). PMA admission is $30 for adults (children are free), while admission to the Please Touch Museum is $24 for children and adults.
Other local museums participating in the program include the Barnes Foundation, Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Art Museum, Sculpture Grounds, Mutter Museum and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
