NEW YORK.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art is raising its admission fee to $20, matching what another venerable New York art institution, the Museum of Modern Art, already charges. The fees make the two museums some of the most expensive to visit in the world. The New York Times reported that “Harold Holzer, a museum spokesman, said the increase, which is to take effect on Aug. 1, was intended to remedy an annual operating deficit that had averaged $3 million in recent years. “

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's $20 fee is only recommended, not compulsory, the museum said. The important thing to note is that the Met does not require people pay an admission fee - you can donate a dollar or a few coins (or nothing at all) and you can still get in.

The Brooklyn Museum, which charges only $8, remains one of the best bargains among the city's large museums. The Solomon R. Guggenheim charges $18 and the Whitney Museum of American Art, $15.

Elsewhere in the country, the Art Institute of Chicago charges $12 and the Smithsonian Institutions museums in Washington and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles are free.