BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Whatcom Museum has announced some service changes for next year as they tighten their budget.

Executive Director Jessica Borusky told the Bellingham City Council on Monday, Nov. 2, that the museum is planning to raise their admission fees and expand their hours starting in 2027.

Borusky says the museum will stay open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays to make their exhibits more accessible to people who work a regular 9 to 5.

The museum is currently open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The museum has not yet announced how much admission will increase by. General admission currently costs $12, with discounted prices for students, seniors, military, youth and children.

Borusky also announced that they’re closing the museum store in the Lightcatcher Building next year and turning the space into room for more programming, rentals and artist partnerships.

She says many museums across the country are making similar moves to transition away from gift shops due to the lack of money they bring in. Borusky estimates the store was draining their budget by around $100,000 for several years.

The museum will continue to sell items that are connected to their exhibitions, which Borusky says are typically their best-selling merchandise.

The museum’s final budget is expected to be approved by their board of trustees later this month.

The Bellingham Herald was first to report on the museum’s shifting services.