Nowadays, a lot of people believe that public facilities should not cost anything. Otherwise, others are sure that it is honest to pay for the usage of those. I think that both these opinions have their points but, personally, I agree with the idea of paying for such places.
Supporting the thought that zoos, museums, parks and similar should be free I can mention the importance of public facilities for our society. They introduce us history, culture, provide knowledge on different subjects and, not to mention, a leisure time, which is extremely important for everyone’s mental health. And it is totally in the interest of the government to have their citizens well-educated, healthy and happy. Besides, if all public places were free, poor and middle-class families could visit them frequently and improve all of the mentioned aspects.
However, it is a well-known fact that an immense amount of money is spent on the sustainability and improvement of these facilities. The staff should be paid enough, the surroundings must be clean and the animals treated with care. Making all government public places free will only result in a greater taxes, as more money will be needed, while private organisations may not be able to continue their work without any profit.
Disappointingly, the charity is also not an option. For instance, we have a gallery back in my hometown which is absolutely free and relies only on donations. Unfortunately, that money is not enough, and the place is still existent only due to the fact that its owner is a rich and generous man.
In conclusion, although it would be beneficial if public facilities were free, I support the idea that they must require an entry fees. Those just should not be unreasonably expensive.