More Free Museum Days Under Consideration

Following the unexpectedly high turnout of visitors to museums on Feb. 9 (an admission-free day), officials are considering instating more free museum days to encourage more people to visit. No admission fee was charged from Iranians and individual foreign tourists in museums managed by Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization on Feb. 9 to commemorate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. "Entry-free days motivate museum-goers and may even benefit museums in the long run," said Mohammad Reza Kargar, director of museum affairs at ICHHTO, ISNA reported. According to the official, Sa'adabad Palace Complex in Tehran, which is home to 15 museums, received 11,723 visitors on Feb. 9. Golestan Palace Complex, a UNESCO site also in Tehran, received more than 6,000 visitors. Kargar said the visitor turnout can be used to convince Zahra Ahmadipour, a vice president and head of ICHHTO, to consider the idea of implementing more admission-free days. "Free museum days on special occasions are beneficial to everyone," he said, adding that having one admission-free day per season is plausible.