Battered by the recession and a high debt load, the Field Museum today announced plans to cut staff, overhaul its operations and limit the scope of its research.
A comprehensive plan being drawn up by museum officials could include things like reducing its hours of operation, increasing the admission price for special exhibits and trimming the ranks of curators and scientists, according to museum officials.
“This may turn out to involve shrinking certain areas of inquiry,” said John Rowe, chairman of the museum’s board of trustees.
The Field Museum is both an international research institution and a vital cultural attraction for residents and tourists, drawing about 1.3 million visitors in 2011.
The natural history museum is home to Sue, the best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex in the world and a Chicago icon. But in the bowels of the museum and all around the world Field scientists are also discovering new plants and animals – more than 200 last year alone.
That complex, dual mission comes at a price, however--one that has grown increasing difficult to cover amid the recent economic downturn.
The cost-cutting plan announced Tuesday comes on the heels of a previous effort that included reducing its operating costs by $5 million, mostly through staff cuts. Those measures were not enough to shore up an institution that in the past decade has doubled its bond debt and run multiple operating deficits amid flat revenues and shrinking government subsidies.
In April, the museum tapped former University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere to become President and CEO. Lariviere, who started in October, said he wants to use the cost cutting measures as an opportunity to refocus the museum’s mission.
“If we wrestle these issues to the ground successfully, our future is rosy,” he said during a meeting with the Tribune’s editorial board.
The latest planning effort will take place between now and July 1, with input from the museum’s staff and board members, who signed off on the approach Monday. Lariviere said that the average patron should feel little or no change to the experience in the short term.
Over the long run, he said that the museum will rely more on its own collection, use technology to enhance its interaction with visitors and be more selective in choosing special exhibits it brings in from the outside.
Field Museum to cut staff, may reduce hours of operation
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Field Museum to cut staff, may reduce hours of operation
