When Peter Friess came to the Tech Museum in 2006, he brought with him a vision of transforming it into a world class institution with “blockbuster” traveling exhibits and constantly updated permanent exhibits. He believed that this would stop the museum’s sharp decline from 1999 to 2005, when revenue dropped 50 percent and attendance declined from 809,000 visitors to just 391,000.
For two years he succeeded, but then came the recession, and the figures for 2009 are worrying. Last year’s revenue was just $14.9 million—in contrast, it was $19.6 million in 2008. The drop included a $3.2 million loss on investments and a $1 million decline in contributions. In 2008, the museum had a $1 million surplus. Today it has a deficit of almost $5 million. Attendance is dropping too, from 629,000 in 2008 to just 516,000 in 2009. Over the past few years, the number of employees has also dropped, from 150 to 60.
While it is easy to blame the decline on the recession, the figures don’t necessarily support this. According to the American Association of Museums, 57 percent of all museums reported that attendance actually grew 57 percent in 2009, and less than one-third reported a decline.
Friess is still hopeful, but city officials are less so. Mayor Chuck Reed says that the chance of the city financing new exhibitions in the coming year is “close to zero,” especially after the RDA lost 20 percent of its initial investment on the much-touted Leonardo exhibit. The future may not be as bright as Friess hopes.
Read More at the Sacramento Bee.
I went to the Tech once, when they participated in Smithsonian Free Museum day a few years back. While it was interesting, I didn’t feel compelled to make a repeat visit. I think that the computer history museum in Mountain View is more interesting.
San Jose city budget and redevelopment has been subsidizing Tech, Convention Center, Arena, Rep, Opera, Discovery and many interesting to some but not enough to support the many costly money losing downtown arts, entertainment and events for too many years.
City for 3-5 decades has provided them zero or low rents, free city services and $200-400 million in taxes and they routinely ask for bailouts due to mismangement, high costs, poor financial management by highly paid insider executives and low attendance due to problem ridden downtown location and many less or limited popular event or presentation choices
They can not stand on their own, generate corporate and wealthy individual support, large endowments and contributions among Silicon Valley’s 1000’s multi-millionaires and billionaires who routinely give 10’s millions to San Francisco, local city and Northern California arts, entertainment and other non profits
Downtown tax subsidized activities are a massive tax drain and generate very little in taxes and mostly low wage jobs while tens millions go to a few insider politically connected highly paid non profit managers. promoters and sports team owners
Mexican Heritage, Hayes Mansion, 1-2 city golf courses and other tax subsidized disasters should also let allowed to fail
Time to stop tax subsidies and let mismanaged failures occur and good popular ones will thrive
I’ve been to the Tech Museum several times, so I don’t have all that much incentive to go back. The Leonardo exhibit did bring me in though. I would go back again if they had more exhibits of that quality.
It seemed pretty well attended. I’m surprised they didn’t make money on it.
I’ve long been a big fan of the Tech Museum and our family are frequent visitors to their compelling exhibits, the IMAX theater and unique special events. Their summer camp program is legendary among Silicon Valley families looking for a summer camp experience unlike anything else.
Yet, on our most recent visit last Sunday afternoon, we were troubled by the increasing number of exhibits that simply weren’t working or needed some significant updates. As a resident of San Jose and a strong supporter of the Tech Museum, I was personally embarrassed to see several of the more interesting and educational exhibits falling into disrepair.
I want the Tech Museum to maintain its strong and well-deserved regional and national reputation. But, to do so, they need to pay attention to those little details that make for an overwhelmingly-positive museum experience for all who walk through their doors.
The five worst disastors to hit downtown San Jose in the 20th Century are:
1. The 1901 flood
2. The Spanish influenza
3. The 1906 Earthquake
4. The Great Depression
5. The RDA
Downtown San Jose redevelopment is a complete, dismal failure. We only now are seeing the casualty of failed effort. 3 billion dollars have been wasted on this redevelopment effort. Downtown SJ will always be a haven for the poor and people of different ethnic background. Downtown will always be 3rd world locale. The wealthy and the upper middle class will always hang out in Los Gatos, Campbell and West San Jose. Downtown San Jose is doomed!
> 3 billion dollars have been wasted on this redevelopment effort.
Wow! 3 billion dollars doesn’t buy much anymore.
The five worst disasters to hit downtown San Jose in the 20th Century.
1. the 1901 flood
2. The Spanish influenza
3. The 1906 earthquake
4. the great depression
5. the RDA
<Downtown SJ will always be a haven for the poor and people of different ethnic background. Downtown will always be 3rd world locale.>
What is this supposed to mean? Maybe the lack of people downtown has more to do with mindsets such as yours than anything else. Do “ethnic” people make you nervous?
No R word in my comment. Downtown is so ridden with poor, uneducated and desperate people with no sense of purpose. They’re of all different race, including white people, but most people in downtown are hispanics, african-americans, asians and indians. It’s not a racist view. It’s just the fact that they’re the majority there. It’s just so “third world” there. However, there are hispanics, african-americans and asians, who are upscale, but they hang out in Santa Row, Los Gatos and Campbell. My best friends are hispanics and african-americans. It’s not people or racial issue. It’s just downtown issue because downtown is a wasteland.
Ah, the famous “some of my best friends are <fill in the blank>” argument. You’re okay with other races, as long as you’re still the majority, and you know, they clean up a bit. How nice.
I’m glad you posted here. One of the main reasons downtown San Jose is not popular seems to always go unsaid: it’s too close to the east side of the city. It attracts undesireables. Despite the fact that downtown is the home of the Fairmont Hotel, Adobe’s headquarters, and the California theater, if too many Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and Indians hang out somewhere it’s a “third world wasteland.”
We in the rest of San Jose like our clean, gentrified communities. We like our neighbors to look like us. We like to only see homeless people on TV, or maybe at busy intersections where we have a trusty glass window between us and them. We are suburbanites, and we may complain that our downtown is empty, but we don’t really want Union Square. We want another contrived Rodeo Drive clone like Santana Row, just bigger.
You Darren, are a perfect representative of the real reason downtown San Jose is not thriving. Congratulations.
> My best friends are hispanics and african-americans.
My best friends are white people.
Is this still legal, or do I have to go to diversity training or re-educaton camp?
Darren, just stop. You’re embarrassing yourself. And your “facts” are ridiculous. I’ve lived downtown for the better part of the last 20 years. It is definitely not “ridden with poor, uneducated, or desperate people with no sense of purpose”. I know you’re exaggerating to make a point, but you sound like a damned fool. I see people of every ethnic background downtown, and i couldn’t make a guess about who is in the majority. I could care less, really. There is a great community of people of varying income levels who, for the most part, are friendly and enjoy where they live. Redevelopment may not be a huge success, and they’ve made their fair share of absurd mistakes, but they are one part of a complex process, and building up a downtown in a sprawling conglomerate of suburbs is not a simple equation. Overall downtown gets a little better every year. In the early nineties there were many more homeless people than there are now. There are more people living, working, and going out downtown all the time. Your perception of downtown being a third world wasteland is just a reflection of yourself.
As for the Tech museum, I also attended the Leonardo exhibit and it was packed wall to wall with people. Like others, I find it hard to believe that they didn’t make money. And like Clark commented, the exhibits seem to be either outdated or in a state of disrepair. Also, it seems to be just another place that is there for kids on field trips. You would think a “tech” museum in Silicon Valley would also cater to adults.
After visiting the Tech one time, I also came away with the impression that it’s aimed mostly at kids. This is fine as far as it goes, but why not just merge it with the Discovery Museum?
<Also, it seems to be just another place that is there for kids on field trips. You would think a “tech” museum in Silicon Valley would also cater to adults.>
Jefferson, I think you hit it right on. This area is full of engineers. We’re not impressed by a computer program to design a bike. Besides the big globe, I didn’t find anything the last time I was at the Tech very compelling. It just feels like a nerdier version of the Children’s Discovery Museum. The exhibits need a huge boost in complexity.
I hope someone who actually has influence over the museum is reading this.
> especially after the RDA lost 20 percent of its initial investment on the much-touted Leonardo exhibit.
I’m shocked!
The Leonardo exhibit was sensational, and everyone in my family saw it (at full retail ticket prices).
If the Tech Museum lost money on this, I have to wonder about their marketing and business management acumen.
If other museums broke even or generated a surplus on Leonardo, I REALLY have to question the competency of Tech Museum management.