Extending Hours

It is no secret that the Brooklyn Museum’s public hours have been inconvenient to many of our visitors.  From the frustrated tourist arriving on a weekday at 4:30pm only to be told, “Galleries will begin clearing in 15 minutes,” – to our neighbors exiting the Brooklyn Museum/Eastern Parkway subway stop on their way home from work—a 5:00pm closing time represented a serious obstacle to visitation.

Back in March, I initiated an online discussion of the issues and asked for feedback. We heard from many of our friends, and the responses we received helped drive our decision-making. As we performed a delicate balancing act of providing more evening hours without significantly increasing costs, we kept these visitor preferences in mind:

  • “Keep the weekend morning hours; that’s a quiet, less crowded time that combines well with a brunch.”
  • “Stay open on Thursdays or Fridays at least until 9.”
  • “Provide additional late night opportunities to see special exhibitions.”

I’m thrilled that the new public hours announced today meet these goals:

  • Wednesdays 11-6
  • Thursdays and Fridays 11-10
  • Saturdays and Sundays 11-6

We look forward to welcoming everyone as we implement the new schedule on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. For more information, please read our press release (pdf).

Alisa Martin

Alisa Martin

Alisa Martin is a graduate of Vassar College, where she was elected to the society of Phi Beta Kappa; she earned an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from New York University. Alisa has worked for MetLife and American Express; her consulting assignments have included Columbia University and Brooklyn Academy of Music Local Development Corporation. She was a 1999 recipient of the Harlem YMCA Black Achiever in Industry Award. Alisa has led the Brooklyn Museum's visitor-centered branding and strategic implementation efforts since she joined the Museum in 2001. With corporate and arts marketing experience and a consulting background in research design, organizational development, and service quality delivery, Alisa leads the Museum's first merged Marketing and Visitor Services department.

Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Visitor Services