How can historical visitor attractions make money?

Answer 1

As the other responder suggested, in many cases it takes a significant amount of private funding (corporations, foundations, etc.) and/or public funding (state and federal grants, tax support, etc.). I have been working to develop a historical museum in my hometown and a lot of the museums I have researched get like 30-50% of their money from their gate (tickets). Some also make significant money with their gift shops. Others rent out their facilities for meetings, parties, weddings, etc. to make extra money. Many have annual festivals or events to help bring an influx of money. You have to be creative, because it's a tough market and people seem to be a lot more interested in spending their entertainment dollars on television, movies, amusement parks, and other attractions these days rather than visiting museums and historical attractions.

Answer 2

On their own, in it often the case that they cannot make money. Many depend on government subsidies and private donations to stay afloat. When admission alone can not cover the cost of running and maintaining such places, appeals go out to the government and community in hope that enough people put a significant enough value on preserving the heritage site that they would be willing to provide funding.