Persistent low attendance and funding cuts are forcing US museums to think local

"Among the museum directors paying keen attention to the ruling, on 3 December, that all federal grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) would be reinstated, the director of the Seattle Art Museum Scott Stulen heaved a sigh of relief. In 2025, the Pacific Northwest's leading art museum saw all its federal funding cut. That represented the loss of an annual income stream, he says, of between $300,000 and $400,000."

"Of the 511 museum directors the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) surveyed in its National Snapshot of United States Museums, published in November, one in four said their bottom lines were weaker than in 2019. Federal funding accounts for just 3% of average museum income. The larger factors contributing to directors' unease are the impact of the affordability crisis and where audiences are choosing to spend their dollars-whether as visitors or donors."

"Over 50% of the AAM survey's respondents reported fewer visitors than in 2019 and 29% reported "declines tied to weakened travel and tourism and/or economic uncertainty". This, of course, varies hugely from state to state. For museums whose attendance has always tracked more local than national or foreign, things are looking good. The Toledo Museum of Art's director and chief executive Adam Levine says attendance is now 50% higher than immediately after lockdown, and exceeding pre-pandemic levels."

Federal grants from IMLS were reinstated on 3 December after cuts in 2025 removed $300,000–$400,000 annually from the Seattle Art Museum. The museum's $42m operating budget absorbed the loss but required filling temporary gaps with the expectation of future reimbursement. An AAM survey of 511 museum directors found one in four reported weaker bottom lines than in 2019 and over 50% reported fewer visitors. Federal funding averages just 3% of museum income. Directors cite the affordability crisis and changing audience spending as larger concerns, though some local or free museums report attendance exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

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