Its executive director Robert Hunter said for the past months, Russian tourists have been buying story boards and other locally made arts and crafts at the museum.
“This is good. It helps boost the local economy,” Hunter said.
Over the past couple of weeks, he added, there has been an unexpected increase in the number of visitors. “We’ve been getting as many as 70 to 80 a day,” Hunter said.
The visitors are from Japan, Korea, China, Russia and other countries.
But like other agencies, the CNMI Museum is suffering in this bad economy. “People usually hesitate when they see the entrance fee sign at the door. This I guess is an indication of how hard times have become,” he said.
The museum entry fee is $1 for CNMI residents with identification, and $2 for non-CNMI residents and tourists. Admission is free for children 6 years old and under.
Museum hours are from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Due to austerity measures, the museum will be closed on July 29, Aug. 12 and 26, Sept. 9 and 23, Oct. 7 and 21, Nov. 4 and 18, Dec. 2, 16 and 30. For more information, call 664-2160.
