Science museum announces first ticket hike in nearly four decades

Taipei, May 26 (CNA) The National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS) said Monday it would raise some of its ticket prices for the first time since opening in 1986.

Starting July 1, an adult ticket will cost NT$120 (US$4), up from NT$100, while the museum’s Dinosaur Card membership will rise to NT$360 from NT$300, the NMNS said in a press release.

Tickets will cost NT$60 on holidays for seniors aged 65 and over, and at all times for children aged 6 to 12 and student groups of 20 or more.

Tickets for students over 12 years old and groups of more than 20 will cost NT$90.

According to NMNS Director Huang Wen-san (黃文山), this is the first time that ticket prices have been raised.

However, recent facility upgrades, including new air-conditioning, made a price increase necessary, Huang said.

Discounted ticket prices will remain unchanged, as will admission fees for venues such as the Botanical Garden, the Science Center, the Space Theater, the 3D Theater, the 921 Earthquake Museum, the Chelungpu Fault Preservation Park and the Fonghuanggu Bird and Ecology Park.

Additionally, the 3-D Theater will stop showing 3-D movies and will be renamed the "Miracle Soar Theater."