Kids’ Museum Cuts Hours, Raises Prices

Gull Wing Children’s Museum has reduced operating hours, hiked admission prices and expanded fund-raising efforts after a lack of money almost led to the Oxnard facility’s closure.

The measures, along with more than $10,000 in pledges received in the last two months, should mean its continued operation for the foreseeable future, Executive Director Doreen Lacy said Thursday.

“It’s looking very positive,” she said. “I don’t think we’re totally out of the woods yet, but we’re definitely on an upward trend.”

Effective June 15, admission prices will be increased 50 cents, to $3.50 a person. Effective immediately the interactive museum will no longer be open Sundays and will operate three fewer hours on Saturdays. Operating hours are now 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Expanded fund-raising efforts by several local groups, including the Hells Angels, have the potential to bring in almost $30,000, Lacy said. It is hoped that an aggressive grant-writing effort will bring in an additional $43,000.

The 8-year-old museum, which has an annual operating budget of $120,000, is visited by about 20,000 people a year.

The 6,000-square-foot museum ran into financial trouble earlier this year after the loss of several grants and a poor response to an annual fund-raiser.