CW Attendance Dips; Fewer School Trips but Longer Visits

By Amber Lester Saturday, February 13, 2010

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s ticket sales and fundraising declined in 2009, but the endowment increased, according to a release issued Friday.

Nearly 1.7 million visitors bought 660,000 general admission tickets to visit the historic living museum. The annual fund received nearly $14 million in support, while the endowment increased in value by $84 million to a market value of nearly $700 million. The Electronic Field Trips series reached more than 2,100 schools (9 percent more than last year) and Web site visits increased by 12 percent.

The decline in general admission tickets is attributed to fewer school group tours and fewer walk-up or leisure visitors with disposable income. “The economic environment in 2009 was extremely challenging, but there is reason to be optimistic as we look ahead,” said Colin Campbell, president and chief executive officer of the foundation. “Even though the Historic Triangle clearly felt the impact of the recession, our ticket sales kept pace with many historic sites nationally and were substantially stronger than some.”

Campbell was, however, encouraged by the visitation numbers, which compare total visitation with attendance at gated or turnstile sites and values the length of stay associated with a particular ticket. CW offers one-day, two-day, longer stay and annual passes.

“About three-quarters of the tickets sold in 2009 were for the multi-day experience,” Campbell said. “This is a significant increase over the previous year. We know from analysis and guest surveys that the longer the visit, the more satisfying the experience is likely to be.”

Tickets for evening programs and carriage rides also decreased, from 301,000 to 244,000; the art museums also saw 10,000 fewer visitors.
The Colonial Williamsburg Fund received nearly $14 million in 2009, down 4.5 percent from the prior year. The number of donors for 2009 came from more than 108,000 households making a gift to the foundation for the first time. Contributions came from all 50 states; 16 percent of donors were from Virginia. In Williamsburg, 2,800 families contributed to the foundation.

The foundation’s endowment was $695 million as of Dec. 31, up by $84 million since Dec. 31, 2008. The increase reflects improvements in the financial markets in the second part of the year, the release said. For the year, the endowment’s total return was 20 percent.

Looking forward to 2010, the foundation has launched a new ad campaign called “Be Part of the Story.” In 2009, the museum added new attractions, such as a play portraying the American Indian presence in Williamsburg and the opening of R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse.

“Over the past 18 months, we engaged in a comprehensive initiative to reduce the organization’s expense base, in an effort to adjust to challenging external business conditions,” Campbell said. “This effort has prepared us to take full advantage of an economic recovery.”