The Grammy Museum announced today that on January 25th, it will begin offering free general admission to all visitors age 17 and under. The new policy is expected to more than double the number of young people visiting the museum's galleries each year.
The new free admission policy is made possible by the Stengaard Gross Family Education Initiative through a donation made to the Campaign for Music Education, a fundraising campaign launched in 2022. The Campaign for Music Education recently surpassed its fundraising goal of $5 million . With that initial milestone now reached, the Grammy Museum has doubled its fundraising goal to $10 million, which it hopes to reach by 2026.
“The Grammy Museum has always been committed to increasing access to music education by reaching out to underserved communities where access to the museum and our programming could have a huge impact.” Michael Stikapresident and CEO of the Grammy Museum, said in a statement. “Waiver of admission for children aged 17 and under will go a long way towards achieving this goal.”
(Sticka, who has led the Museum since 2018, just renewed his contract to serve in that role until 2029.)
Additional funds raised through the Music Education Campaign will expand the museum's educational and community programs, which have served more than 550,000 students through programs such as Grammy Camp, Grammy in the Schools and the Quinn Coleman Scholarship Fund. The Music Education Campaign is co-chaired by stars including Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes and Rosalía.
Additionally, as a result of the Music Education Campaign, the Museum will unveil Sonic Playground, a new hands-on, permanent exhibit opening next month. With 17 interactive music-making elements, Sonic Playground allows visitors to play different roles in the music industry, from rapper, singer and producer to performer, music supervisor and voice actor, and discover the myriad ways they could pursue a career in the music industry. Sonic Playground is made possible by a donation from Deborah DeBerry Longdedicated to his legacy Jim Long.
Additional donors to the Music Education Campaign include; the Ray Charles Foundation, Deborah DeBerry Long, the Living Legacy Foundation, the Natalie Cole Foundation, and BeatHeadz.
