MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A little over a year after celebrating its opening in Mobile, the GulfQuest Maritime Museum is closing to the public on Monday.
The Mayor’s Office said Friday the city has reached a deal to take on the museum’s financial woes after attendance figures were far lower than expected. Going forward, GulfQuest will only open on a limited basis, specifically for private and special events like field trips, including those already scheduled.
WKRG-TV (https://bit.ly/2eJXfPy ) reports the general public will not be able to purchase a ticket to the museum after Sunday.
The museum opened last year on Sept. 26 with immeasurable hype and expectations of becoming a premiere tourist attraction after a lengthy construction process and unveiling. The project cost $62 million.
According to the mayor’s news release, the City of Mobile and GulfQuest’s Board of Trustees reached a $70 million deal through a public-private venture to fund the museum through its transition. This comes after GulfQuest officials had requested an immediate $1.85 million from the City of Mobile.
“At this time, we cannot recommend additional city funds be allocated to GulfQuest without significant changes to the Maritime Museum’s business model and its management,” said Mayor Sandy Stimpson in the release.
Beginning Monday, the museum will be maintained by a minimally required number of staff who will become city employees reporting to the mayor’s office. The Board of Trustees will be responsible for raising funds for maintenance of the exhibits and to cover their outstanding payables and significant debt obligations, the release said.
Additionally, the news release said the city will “do its part” to maintain the building and grounds.
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Information from: WKRG-TV, https://www.wkrg.com/
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