moCa Makes Admission Free with 50th Anniversary Initiative

Admission to Cleveland’s museum of contemporary art, moCa, will now be free, every day. 

The change is part of its “open house” initiative, which aims to increase access to the institution as it celebrates its 50 ^th anniversary.  

Free admission starts March 16 with the opening of its anniversary exhibitions. The museum is closed until March 15. 

moCa estimates annual attendance between 35,000- 40,000 people. Since moving to the Uptown building from its previous home in Midtown in 2012, 50 percent of visitors have been taking advantage of free days or programs.

“It’s something that we’ve wanted to do for years,” said deputy director Megan Lykins Reich.

Last year, moCa announced free admission for youth 18 and under. As a result, the museum has seen teens coming after school “using the space as a kind of a place to relax and unwind,” Lykins Reich said.

Foundations provide the funding for free admission (Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation, Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation and Connor Foundation).

Other aspects of the initiative include removing physical barriers that affect the museum experience for people with disabilities. That includes changes to the welcome desk to accommodate people with mobility devices and accessible furniture.

Additionally, moCa is adding a fellowship for a curator from an underrepresented community, an education fellowship, engagement-focused apprenticeships and onsite programs geared at audience experiences.

Last fall, the museum changed the style of its name from MOCA to moCa to emphasize the "c."