The Newseum in Washington, D.C., is closing its doors at the end of the year after years of problems paying its bills.
The museum, featuring the history of journalism, the free press and First Amendment freedoms, is a popular destination in the nation’s capital but found it hard to compete with the nearby free attractions. It cost $24.95 for an adult ticket into the venue.
The museum released a statement on the impending closure acknowledging that visitors love the exhibits and the history it showcases but saying it has "struggled financially for a number of years" and can't remain in its current location.
Earlier this year, the Newseum announced it was selling its current 400,000-square-foot building on Pennsylvania Avenue to Johns Hopkins University for $373 million for the university's D.C.-based graduate programs.
The museum's director of public relations, Sonya Gavankar, said all the exhibits will remain until the building closes Dec. 31, then artifacts on loan from other institutions will be returned and the permanent collection will move to an archive facility outside Washington until another permanent location is found, according to Smithsonian.com.
Some 10 million visitors have viewed the Newseum’s exhibits and displays, including its 9/11 collection and its Berlin Wall Gallery, since its opening 11 years ago.
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